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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (10 July) . . Page.. 2447 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

I hope he speaks on this subject, instead of just making such sounds, so that we can appreciate how he votes; that would be useful. I would prefer not to have to keep raising gambling issues. I would much prefer it if the government actually took responsibility for this matter and addressed it in a serious manner.

MR QUINLAN (5.22): I move the following amendment to Ms Tucker's proposed amendment:

My amendment is quite simple. The second part of Ms Tucker's amendment effectively inhibits the granting of further licences. We do not wish to have that in the final motion that is adopted; nevertheless, we do accept the sentiment of it. I repeat my request to the minister that he make a concerted effort to press the Gambling and Racing Commission to formulate those regulations so that he can put them in place and develop the codes of practice that are necessary to address the inadequacies that are identified in the commission's report, such as it is. I do trust that a little bit more will go into the next level of work than has gone into the report itself. I commend my amendment to the house.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (5.24): I want to make a few comments in this debate. I have to say that I am becoming increasingly concerned about the tack that Ms Tucker has been taking on these issues. She finished her remarks today by saying that she wished the government would take the issues that she is raising seriously and address them. I have to put on the record in no uncertain terms that the government has always taken seriously the issues in respect of gambling that Ms Tucker and the select committee that preceded her have put on the table. We have always taken that approach. We make absolutely no bones about the concern that this government has and the community has about issues relating to gambling in the community at the moment.

I have considerable concerns about those things and I believe that, as a government and as a community, we need to do much more work to address those sorts of issues. In fact, I understand that on Tuesday of next week the ACT Council of Churches will be conducting a forum in the Assembly on gambling, arising out of a discussion I had with the council about having more community debate on those sorts of issues. Ms Tucker rolls her eyes and looks sceptical.

Ms Tucker: If you care so much, you have had the opportunity to prove it in your votes here and you have not done that, I am sorry.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sorry, that is not the case, Mr Speaker. Ms Tucker would have us believe that she is the only person in this place concerned about the effect of gambling on the community. I would say that that is simply not the case. Ms Tucker came into this place a few weeks ago and moved a motion to have the Gambling and Racing Commission consider issues of the structure of the legislation over interactive gambling. She asked for that to be done and it was done.

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