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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1171 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

I have just dealt with the price. We have been told by Mr Humphries that the Gambling and Racing Commission is going to look at that. As to the other points that have been raised, I think that I have already answered them. The Government has answered the argument that Mr Humphries is continually putting that the implications are not nearly as great. The Senate committee did put them together and did see the potential. The Government has acknowledged that in its response to the Allen report.

Mr Humphries spoke about how inappropriate it was that this motion is going to impact on telephone betting. I have asked the commission whether there has been a flood of applications concerning telephone betting. There has not been. I understand that there has been one and, as we have already heard today, a licence will be made available because of the subsuming of one of the smaller companies by one of the larger Internet-wagering companies. Even so, Mr Humphries did say this morning that, if it were to be a big issue, he would be prepared to separate the two. I am quite happy with that.

Members can support this motion now and, if Mr Humphries finds that there is a flood of applications concerning telephone betting, there will be no problem. He can come here and tell the Assembly that he wants to separate them because he has suddenly had a flood of telephone betting applications. That would not be a problem at all. Of concern is that this Government is using technical problems and interpretations of definitions totally to avoid responsibility for the position it is taking when the nation is having a broad debate about trying to get a coordinated national approach to the issues of Internet gambling, which includes Internet gaming and Internet sports betting and wagering.

Mr Humphries: It is not Internet gambling.

MS TUCKER: Mr Humphries keeps saying that it is not Internet gambling. I wish you would read the definition in the Senate committee's report. It is that Internet gambling has two components: Internet gaming, which is the poker machine games, and sports betting and wagering, which is what we are talking about today. They are both included in the definition of Internet gambling. I know that page off by heart because I have had to speak about it so often as Mr Humphries keeps misrepresenting the work of the committee.

I think that I have said enough. I have dealt with all the issues before. I close the debate by asking members for their support.

Question put:

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