Lobbyists' Roles Criticised

The Age

Friday October 12, 2007

By David Rood, State Political Reporter

THE role of lobbyists in the tender process for Victoria's lucrative lottery licence has been criticised by an independent report commissioned by the State Government.

The report by former Federal Court judge Ron Merkel, QC, found that Tattersall's and Greek lottery company Intralot, which will now split Victoria's lottery licences, were treated equally, impartially and without bias.

But the Lotteries Licence Review Panel also recommended that lobbyists, such as former Labor minister David White, should be "expressly" prohibited from gaming or lottery licence processes and also found several breaches of confidentiality.

The report said that lobbying for gaming licences was "antithetical to the probity of the licensing process".

Former premier Steve Bracks ordered the report on the licences during November's state election campaign.

Mr Merkel's review was critical of the role played by Mr White, who was employed by Tattersall's until late last year.

While Mr Merkel found it was difficult to see how Mr White could have influenced the current licence process, he raised concerns about a proposed $350,000 success fee for Mr White, whether he had preferred access to documents, and if Tattersall's properly investigated allegations against Mr White in the media.

The report found four alleged breaches of confidentiality in media stories about the licence process and cautions against an over-reliance by the Government on probity auditors' sign-offs.

Premier John Brumby said the report confirmed the "probity, impartiality and propriety" of the tender process.

Asked about the recommended prohibition on lobbyists, the Premier said he would consider the recommendations and respond by the end of the year.

© 2007 The Age

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