It has been a pretty hectic last couple of weeks with the passing of the first reading of my gambling bill and the introduction of my supplementary order paper on the Alcohol Reform Bill. I want to focus this week's article on these two issues; mainly because they are two of the leading factors in our fight against social hazards and also because one of them is open for submissions.
My gambling bill, the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill, has had a flurry of opponents recently speak out against it. Their argument has been somewhat misleading and, as I've been quoted, constitutes "scurrilous scaremongering". I would also like to add that unless these groups have a more constructive way of improving this bill for the benefit of our communities who are at risk, then I see little value in meeting with them.
The purpose of my bill is to provide local communities with more power to determine where pokie machines may be sited and how the proceeds can be distributed. It also changes the responsibility for distributing pokie funds to provide an informed and democratically accountable distribution method. There are other benefits from the bill - it will end the inefficiencies, the lack of transparency and the risks of unethical behaviour that have been associated with gambling in the past.
I am also really keen to see that the greatest needs of particular geographical and ethnic communities are recognised in the distribution of the "community benefit" funds from pokies. It also allows for distribution of money to sports clubs and so on but in a far more focused and localised way, with more transparency in that process.
There have been concerns about the make-up of some trusts so the public submission process will probably give a better view on how the communities believe we can, in fact, ensure accountability and transparency.
