Page 5771 - Week 18 - Tuesday, 10 December 1991
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That is on page 37. The present effects of the present levels of gambling, therefore, reach anywhere from 7,500 to 50,000 people in the ACT, and that is without a casino. And that is without considering the overall social effect of overall gambling. I will be referring to an article on that later.
Obviously, it is nearly impossible to predict what the effect of the possible introduction of a casino would be; but the study team cautiously agrees that there would be some increase, including "some new gamblers", but that this increase might be "relatively small". That is on page 55, to be fair to the report. The team considers that estimates of welfare agency problems may have been exaggerated by some opponents of the establishment of a casino, but this appears to be a matter of dispute.
I would argue that these new compulsive gamblers, or addictive gamblers, may be relatively few - for the sake of argument, let us say 100 to 200 - but on those people the effect would be disastrous. It would be disastrous for them, their families, their businesses, their partners, their overall social circumstances. In commenting on this informative and well-presented part of the work of the study team, I note in particular the strong recommendation:
... that a service for excessive gamblers be established in the ACT by direction from the Minister on an experimental basis.
It was partly from this part of the report that our own select committee took its cue. Obviously, given the present levels of excessive gambling in the ACT, there is already a need for such a service. It should be put in place as soon as possible, not to prepare for any proposed casino but to deal with existing problems.
So, now, almost three years into this Assembly, I very patiently ask, in these concluding hours, that the recommendation of our own select committee 2 years ago be honoured, with or without regard to any announcements which may be made this week or next week about a casino or casinos.
In these brief moments, I am not going to go into further detail - I know how precious the time of the house is - but I would commend to all members, and, indeed, to all Canberrans, the Bulletin of 6 August 1991. It was extracted by our team of people on the fifth floor who give us those excellent news reports each day. You have it there, but I think it would be very useful indeed to look at it directly. It is the cover story called, "Gamblers Incorporated. How Australia's $27b mania is growing and hurting you even if you don't bet". That is to say, this particular story is about the overall impact on Australia as an economy, as a culture. It is not only about the effect on individuals, although much of the article does deal with such individuals, and those are very dramatic and awful stories.
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