Page 2926 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 15 August 2018
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provided $10,000 grants to clubs for the same purpose. The suggestion in Mr Parton’s motion that the government’s agenda is against clubs simply does not stack up against the facts. Again, sadly, facts and the opposition’s statements on gaming policy have a very tenuous relationship.
Today I rise to give the Assembly factual information about the community contribution scheme and to voice firmly and very proudly the government’s support for our clubs and for ensuring that our gambling industry serves Canberra appropriately. There have been many inaccurate allegations made in this chamber and beyond about the government’s policy on gambling. The Canberra Liberals have made and continue to make all manner of claims, and those claims are, more often than not, contradictory.
But when you boil down their argument, it is about maximising pokie profits. In order to maximise pokie profits, they consistently oppose harm minimisation. They trivialise gambling harm by comparing it to eating chocolate, and their behaviour shows that they have no credibility when it comes to gambling policy.
This is not a behaviour that is confined just to their latest scaremongering on the community contributions. Their clearly, strongly, pro gambling spokesperson has been both for and against having poker machines at the casino. Additionally, Mr Parton does not seem to be concerned with anything at the moment other than ensuring that pokie machines remain as lucrative as possible. He has consistently supported watering down harm minimisation rules across the gambling industry.
The reason why it is so hard to understand the Canberra Liberals’ position on poker machines is that it is not guided by a vision for the community or by principle. Donations, political winds and whoever happens to stand for their party are the determinants of their policy. Their attempts to confuse the government’s clear agenda of reform need to be corrected; so I will correct them.
It is important to clarify the situation about the community contributions scheme. The government’s review was not some random step. It was promised openly at the 2016 election. Looking at the scheme, whether it should include a central fund, is part of the parliamentary agreement, though it would seem that Mr Parton has only just bothered to notice. I am very pleased to be able to reassure the parliament that we will do what we were elected to do, and the review is just one part of a comprehensive set of reforms. We will ensure that the gaming machines in the territory are regulated to maximise the returns to the community and to minimise the impacts of gambling harm.
From the time that that commitment was made, we have been developing an evidence base because, again, unlike the Canberra Liberals, we will legislate on evidence, not on whim or scare. The Canberra community deserves so much better than the Canberra Liberals so regularly provide. That evidence base that we are developing shows that we need to do more to support the groups who depend on the community contributions scheme.
The Gaming Machine Act says that a community contribution is one that contributes to or supports the development of the community or raises the standard of living of
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