Nothing untoward about WA Turf Club borrowing over $20,000

6/12/95

Racing and Gaming Minister Max Evans said today there was nothing untoward about the Western Australian Turf Club borrowing more than $20,000.

Mr Evans said that the limitation had been put in the Act back in 1892 when it was 10,000 pounds.

A cursory glance at the audited balance sheets of the Turf Club would show that the amount had been exceeded in loans or overdrafts over many years.

There was nothing in the Act that made it an offence to do so and nothing in the Act to empower the Government to take any action in relation to it.

While technically it sounded like a breach of the Act, in practice there was nothing untoward about it.

It had already been planned to remove the archaic limitation from the Act in Parliament.

Media contact:  Hugh Ryan  221 5468