Page 1665 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 July 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Clubs have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 closures and the ongoing social distancing requirements. The impact has been of unprecedented scale for this industry. The capacity for the industry to engage in reform proposals at this moment is certainly limited, and many would understand this. Clubs are currently focused on their sustainability so that they can continue to provide the services, the activities and the facilities that the Canberra community enjoys and so that they can continue to employ the many Canberrans who work in our clubs.
For that reason, shortly I will move the amendment circulated in my name, which, rightly, acknowledges the importance of our clubs in supporting thousands of community, sporting and multicultural groups and providing a safe and welcoming place for socialisation and to engage with live music, entertainment and activities. We need to think carefully when we ask more of our clubs sector, which we know is hurting and needs time to stabilise and rebuild.
The ACT government has already undertaken to clubs to make further reforms, along with an agreed industry road map to ensure their ongoing financial liability and, simultaneously, to work on further gambling harm minimisation measures. As we move forward, we must do it together with clubs, with experts, with the community and with people with lived experience. Therefore, I move:
Omit all text after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that the ACT Government:
(a) recognises that:
(i) clubs play an important role in the social life of many Canberrans, as meeting places, employers of around 1745 people, and supporting essential community groups, sporting codes and our rich multicultural community; and
(ii) clubs have gone through a period of significant reform over the past five years;
(b) takes seriously the need to protect members of our community experiencing gambling harm, ensure there are rigorous and well enforced safeguards in place, and continue to assist clubs to move away from reliance on gaming revenue; and
(c) acknowledges the pressure that clubs have been under to remain viable, keep people employed, and support their communities during the COVID 19 pandemic, and the importance for clubs to survive, recover and thrive;
(2) notes that the ACT Government has this term:
(a) reduced the number of poker machine authorisations from 4938 to 3888, which represents a 20 percent reduction in this term of government;
(b) adopted a public health approach to addressing gambling harm, which has included targeted education campaigns, increasing funding to the Gambling Harm Prevention and Mitigation Fund, and introducing restrictions on EFTPOS withdrawals in clubs;
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video