Collins Judith: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Collins Judith: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:611;Page:8514] 
JUDITH COLLINS (NZ National—Clevedon) 
: 
 Ordinarily one might expect that the schedules would not be so bad and quite a few of the parts of the schedules here are not so bad—until we turn to schedule 1 and have a little look at the conditions that may attach to casino licences. The first 11 conditions are all right and seem to me to be reasonable. But there are a couple of new provisions that will now be able to be attached to casino licences by the—no doubt—politically correct appointees to the Gambling Commission. These provisions are the salary arrangements and personnel practices of the casinos and I ask what they have to do with the Gambling Commission. What sort of condition will they be attached to? Attached to the casino licence are arrangements relating to procedures forms and if appropriate formulas for and in respect of all sorts of things. Then the schedule lists salary arrangements and personnel practices. What is this Government commission doing in telling casinos: who they can hire how they can hire and what the salary arrangements will be? 
I would love to hear from United Future how that party could bring itself to agree to this sort of nonsense or did those members simply not read the schedule? I do not think that they did. I can see from the looks on their faces right now that they are going: “Oh dear what have we done?” and so they should be. United Future is a party that does not declare itself to be anti-business but it simply should not be agreeing to this provision. 
Then we go on to schedule 1A “Minimum operating standards” which again are in relation to casinos. One of the minimum operating standards will be about job descriptions the system of organising personnel and the chain of command authority. What business is that of a Government agency? 
R Doug Woolerton 
: None! 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: None at all and I thank Mr Woolerton. These casino operators know what they are doing. They do not need some boffin in the department in the Minister’s office or in the Gambling Commission to tell them how to run their businesses. It is absolutely right that the commission should be involved in the integrity of the game and operation and absolutely right that the commission should be concerned that operations are run in such a way they are not subject to fraud theft or criminal activities but it is absolutely not right that the commission this Government or anyone connected to this Government should tell any business what they should be paying as salary or what the personnel practices should be. 
We go on with these schedules and have a little look at provisions about the Lotteries Commission. This commission will now be charged with responsibility for Internet gambling and the operation of pokie- machines. Under clause 37 we see that the Lotteries Commission will now be told that it has to be a good employer. I had a look at that clause and I wondered where the provision was that we would employ the best people for the job. Well guess what! It is not there. There is nothing about the best person for the job. Yes employees have to have good and safe working conditions—and there is nothing wrong with that—and yes they have to have under subclause (2)(c) “the impartial selection of suitably qualified persons for appointment; and (d) recognition of—(i) the aims and aspirations of Maori; and (ii) the employment requirements of Maori; and (iii) the need for involvement of Maori as employees of the Lotteries Commission;”. Just in case there is anybody not recognised we have to recognise under paragraph (f) “… the aims and aspirations and the cultural differences of ethnic or minority groups: and (g) recognition of the employment requirements of women;”. What! Women do not need this Government to tell them how they should be employed for goodness’ sake! They know what their requirements are; they do not need some namby-pamby Nancy-boy State to go around and tell them how they should be employed. 
It is absolutely not all right that this provision should be put in this bill and it is absolutely not all right that the United Future party for whom I often have nice things to say should be supporting it. It is absolutely not all right and I can think only that its members have not read it.