Page 590 - Week 02 - Thursday, 14 February 2013
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On the issue of discrimination, in developing the bill, disability advocacy groups in both Victoria and here in the ACT, as well as the ACT Human Rights Commission, were consulted and no concerns were raised. The view of both the advocacy groups and the Human Rights Commission was that the potential for discrimination was very remote and that, in the context of what is being achieved by the bill, a significant reduction in the potential harm that poker machines equipped with these devices would cause was not an issue to worry about.
There is no shortage of independent experts advocating for an increase in harm minimisation measures for poker machines, and the reality is that we can do much more to help those suffering from an addiction to poker machines in our community. The research being produced by the Gambling and Racing Commission, in conjunction with the ANU, is incredibly useful and confirms that harm minimisation measures are needed and would work for many problem gamblers in our community.
I hope that this is just one of many additional harm minimisation measures that will be implemented. In reality, this is only a very modest step forward, but nevertheless it is a very important one to ensure that the situation does not get even worse.
I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Ms Burch) adjourned to the next sitting.
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Amendment Bill 2013—exposure draft
Papers and statement by member
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.48), by leave: I present the following papers:
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Amendment Bill 2013—
Exposure draft.
Explanatory statement to the exposure draft.
Consultation paper.
I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the papers.
Leave granted.
MR RATTENBURY: Thank you, members, for granting leave. I am very pleased to be able to table an exposure draft of the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Amendment Bill. This is the first of a number of bills that the Greens committed to the electorate that we would deliver and forms part of the parliamentary agreement.
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