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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 9 Hansard (22 August) . . Page.. 3194 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

entitled to have poker machines as well; the casino would be entitled to poker machines and so forth. Clubs get particular, specific privileges through what we do here in this place.

Mr Hargreaves: And developers don't.

MR MOORE: That is a specific issue. Mr Hargreaves says, "And developers don't." I think that is something that could well be examined. But we know very clearly that there is a very specific advantage. I have to stay that I still believe there is a conflict of interest.

That having been said, when Mr Rugendyke puts down a piece of legislation like this my automatic reaction is: "Sorry, Dave. Not more law and order stuff; not more police stuff; I'm not interested in supporting it." I listened carefully to Mr Hargreaves and I listened carefully to Mr Osborne's view as well. But having considered the pluses and minuses in this case, I am prepared to support Mr Rugendyke's bill.

Mr Osborne: The change is complete.

MR MOORE: Exactly. I am just sorry that I am not running again. I imagine that I would have to be a policeman before I could get back in here.

Ms Tucker: That is right-a police state.

MR MOORE: Here we go. Ms Tucker says, "A police state." But she has also done the conversion. She is joining with me, or I am joining with her, to support this bill. She put a most persuasive argument to support the harm minimisation measure that Mr Rugendyke has put forward.

Ms Tucker and I have a perfectly consistent approach on harm minimisation. I am pleased to see that Mr Rugendyke has come on board. Although I will not be here to do it, I am sure that Ms Tucker will be able to charm you into acknowledging the benefits of further harm minimisation measures. I have to say that it will be very interesting then to have a look at the background-

Mr Hargreaves: Show us the numbers.

MR MOORE: Mr Hargreaves says, "Show us the numbers." It is very interesting to note that in percentage terms the number of problem gamblers is similar to that of people who become involved in the use of heroin. It is less than 2 per cent of the population. Just as we need to look after minorities in our population with regard to drugs, we need to look after minorities with regard to gambling.

I think it is worth keeping in perspective the level of the problem and how we should deal with it. I think, though, that this measure is minimalist and I will be supporting it.

MR BERRY (5.10): Mr Speaker, I have a letter dated 22 August 2001 from ClubsACT, which I will read into the record because I think it makes a few salient points in the context of this debate. The letter reads:

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