Goudie Sandra: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Goudie Sandra: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:611;Page:8467] 
SANDRA GOUDIE (NZ National—Coromandel) 
: 
 I am pleased to speak on Part 1. I refer to the definition of responsible gambling which “means lawful participation in gambling that is—(a) lawful fair and honest; and (b) conducted—(i) in a safe and secure environment; and (ii) without pressure or devices designed to encourage gambling at levels that may cause harm; and (iii) by informed participants who understand the nature of the activity and do not participate in ways that may cause harm”. Yet here we have State-sponsored gambling on the way as stated in a recent press release by my learned colleague Judith Collins. She is absolutely right. We now have State-sponsored gambling on the way yet the bill has a definition of “responsible gambling”. I put it to the Committee that gambling is meant to be done by informed participants who understand the nature of the activity. We are supposed to set regulatory environments and to be responsible about how we govern those sorts of environments. However as a State we are now getting into State-sponsored gambling and that is absolutely deplorable. 
Further to that United Future has been a significant part of that. The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services has had to express its extreme disappointment to the United Future party because the latest move in Supplementary Order Paper 132 in the name of the Hon George Hawkins makes a complete mockery of the definition of responsible gambling provided by the bill. United Future has done a deal that has resulted in that 65-page Supplementary Order Paper. The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services is absolutely appalled at that and it has been prompted to write a letter to Mr Dunne expressing its huge disappointment. It has also issued a press release stating: “United Future gambles on its future survival”. I believe that United Future has lost that gamble because it is not being responsible in the way that it is dealing with gambling issues. This bill talks about responsible gambling and this Government—and United Future in working with the Government—has completely failed in that regard. The Government has failed because we are now looking at State-sponsored gambling and that is absolutely reprehensible. 
I ask the Minister in the chair the Hon George Hawkins whether he would care to take a call and explain to the Committee and to the people of New Zealand how the Government will be accountable for its part in gambling now that it is to get into gambling in a big way. Government members are to get into interactive gambling. I tell you they will be rubbing their hands as they— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will not tell me. She cannot use the word “you”. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: I beg your pardon. Will the Minister be responsible for what arises from State-sponsored gambling? Will he be fully accountable for anything that may happen to go wrong or are he and the Government excluded from any liability arising from activities pertaining to gambling or for any actions that may be considered illegal or unconscionable in the pursuit of funds through State-sponsored gambling initiatives? I hope the Minister cares enough to take a call to tell us whether he is responsible for that. Or is the Department of Internal Affairs responsible or the Inland Revenue Department—after all this issue is all about regulation and taxes. 
In thinking about that I wonder about local authorities. The definition of “territorial authority” in the interpretation clause of the bill mentions the inclusion of the Chatham Islands Council and I note that Supplementary Order Paper 132 deletes subclause (b) of clause 4 and substitutes a new one. If the Chatham Islands Council is a territorial authority then it is a mystery as to why that council was mentioned in the bill.