Lole-Taylor Asenati: Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLole-Taylor Asenati: Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 04 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13270. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Le’aufa’amuliaASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR (NZ First): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker—laumalie in acknowledgment of Tongan Language Week. I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on the third and final reading of the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill.First of all in his opening statement Mr Flavell said that the bill has been an enormous journey. Well of course it has been through an enormous journey—it has been defeated of its original good intentions. The proposed changes to the Gambling Act that were originally contained in this bill had good intentions. Sadly those good intentions quickly changed due to pressure from the Government in order to accommodate its selfishSkycity Casino deal. It is a deal that ignores all ordinary New Zealanders while favouring the Government’s election campaign sponsors.The bill lacks a sense of direction in terms of implementation. The author of the bill Te Ururoa Flavell is selling an idea. Originally it was a good idea but it is now an idea that has failed to recognise the current situation and the current environment. The sponsor of this bill is out of touch with the implications that his bill will be confronted with.New Zealand did not become one of the greatest countries in the world by just rewarding greed and recklessness. We did not come this far by letting special interests run wild. We did not do it by just gambling and chasing paper profits onSkycity deals or with China Southern Airlines. This country of ours was built by making things. This country of ours was built by producing goods that we could sell.New Zealand First takes seriously problems with gambling and it does not want to downplay the serious harm it could cause. Of course New Zealand First is pleased to see the removal of clause 5 which would have unfairly penalised the racing industry—a $1.8 billion industry to the economy. Can I say to Denise Roche that she needs to know that it brings in $160 million of exports and members of Parliament would do well to improve their understanding of this economy and how it works. The Rt Hon Winston Peters was right in saying that only 6 percent of pokie money was racing takings while the rest goes into the “Underpants-wearing Society of Remuera” that does not support the racing industry.Gambling including pokies is a social hazard that disrupts people’s lives. It is also a contributing factor to some fraud cases poverty unemployment domestic violence serious crime—and the list goes on because I get to see it a lot in South Auckland. The prisons are also filling up with many of those with gambling addictions and this billdoes nothing to address those issues. Gambling addiction is the sure way of getting nothing for something. Get the picture? After all it used to be about doing something but nowadays on that side of the House it is about being somebody.New Zealand First is not insinuating that gambling should not be addressed or that it is not a serious issue—no. Its concerns lie in the potentially problematic way in which this bill will be implemented. There are unrealistic expectations put on local bodies and communities and an impractical attempt to be able to manage the distribution of wealth generated from pokies. There is also a question about the operation of pokies as we all know. The bill’s primary function is to reduce harm caused by gambling but it underestimates the hurdles that it will be presented with along the way. There have been a couple of significant changes to the bill to ensure that if it does pass it will be easier to implement. Such changes include the regulation-making power to monitor and regulate licence conditions and the distribution of gaming proceeds.Why is it that Mr Flavell cannot see through it? The general public are being brainwashed with mixed messages from this Government and its alliance. On the one hand the Government wants to reduce the harm of pokies and enforce measures that will minimise the potential harm associated with gambling and on the other hand the Government is attempting to increase the number of pokies through theSkycity agreement. So the Government is essentially sitting on the fence about the issues concerning gambling. It is not possible to agree that gambling is a social hazard and then increase the number of pokies popping up in Auckland through the guise of theSkycity deal.It was revealed this week that the Ministry of Health has given a directive to organisations holding health contracts to not give evidence to the Commerce Committee regarding theSkycity convention centre deal. This lack of transparency is harmful and highlights the unfair nature in which this Government operates. Mr Flavell should make that clear to all Māori and Pasifika people out there. That should be made clear to the people of South Auckland.This is turning into dirty politics where persuasive sources are being silenced to ensure that this Government is not confronted with any hurdles or delays to itsSkycity deal. Indeed that is the case with gambling right now under the National Government. The only way it can ensure that China Southern Airlines can make the connection sooner is by using theSkycity deal as a despicable excuse.Problems with gambling are an issue and New Zealand First has raised severe concerns over this. There is no doubt that gambling disproportionately affects Māori Pasifika and low socio-economic areas. There is no doubt that gambling ruins relationships and fosters criminal activity. There is doubt this bill will have any serious or significant impacts on problems associated with gambling in New Zealand. The Government wants more pokies through theSkycity deal. The proposed changes to the principal Act will create only more bureaucracy and more conflicting interests.If the member—and I will say this once again—wants to reduce the harm caused by problem gambling then he should listen to what the Salvation Army and community groups are saying instead of misguided directions from the National Government. We know that some would say that there is no gambling like politics—there is no gambling like politics. But I believe that WilliamCobbett put it perfectly when he said: “Another great evil arising from this desire to be thought rich; or rather from the desire not to be thought poor is the destructive thing which has been honoured by the name of ‘speculation’; but which ought to be called Gambling.” This bill achieves nothing better and that is why we are unable to support it in its final third reading. Thank you.