Jones Dail: Gambling Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Jones Dail: Gambling Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:622;Page:18107] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 I thank the Minister George Hawkins for taking the trouble to refer to the discussions that took place with the Waitakere Licensing Trust the Portage Licensing Trust and myself from New Zealand First and to clarify the misunderstanding that had arisen. The matter has also been touched on by the National Party spokesperson for this issue Lindsay Tisch. New Zealand First will support the Gambling Amendment Bill going to the select committee. I think the bill is a very good move. I was contacted with a view to trying to assist in expediting things under the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) but I note that that bill still languishes at No. 22 on the Order Paper. It is more than likely the way the Order Paper is working at the moment that this bill may come back to the House and be passed at least simultaneously with the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4). The move on the Minister’s part is a very good one and it should help to get this matter dealt with expeditiously. 
As far as the principle is concerned I want to see that the money gathered in the Waitakere Licensing Trust and Portage Licensing Trust areas is spent there. I was contacted by Edwin Perry who takes a close interest in issues in the Wairarapa where he is based and he drew to my attention the problem that the Masterton Licensing Trust was experiencing. A person there had contacted Edwin Perry about what appeared to be a delay but I think the Minister has clarified that issue now. 
Georgina Beyer 
: After hearing from me it appears. 
DAIL JONES 
: One always takes credit for every little morsel especially when one is a constituency member. I know that there is nothing like being a constituency member having been one for 9 years. Anything that happens in the area has to have been achieved by the constituency member even if he or she has only just heard about it. 
Georgina Beyer 
: With great help from New Zealand First. [ 
Interruption 
] 
DAIL JONES 
: I take the point being raised by those constituency members. 
In supporting the Gambling Amendment Bill I do so very cautiously. I have my own history on the issue of gambling. Way back in I think about 1983 Sir Robert Muldoon was looking to introduce Lotto. Three members were put on a select committee: Robin Gray myself and Pat Hunt. Sir Robert Muldoon chose the committee extremely well because there was a 2 to 1 vote against going ahead with Lotto. I was one of the two; I am a conservative on gambling issues. Subsequently Lotto was brought in by the Labour Government. Then we had casinos and the rest is history. 
The money that is now being spent on gambling has created all sorts of problems and I am concerned that in speaking on a gambling bill the public should not get the impression from me that such bills are being passed without any regard whatsoever for what is happening out in the community. I note the little message we received from GamblingWatch dated 14 December 2004 that referred to total gambling losses. It stated that although pokies have been legal in New Zealand for only 15 years they now account for 51 percent of gambling losses. Casinos have been here for only 11 years and they account for a further 24 percent most of which also goes on pokies. Gambling is a big problem in New Zealand. One would expect the licensing trusts to do more than anyone else to try to keep it under control. That is why New Zealand First will support this bill. The licensing trusts have duly elected members who are responsible to their community not only I suggest for the collection of the money and its distribution but also for the effect that that type of expenditure has on their community. 
In the days when we were looking at this matter in 1980 and 1981 Sir Robert Muldoon was a great supporter of the New Zealand racing industry and he wanted to make sure that it stayed alive and well. He was always concerned about the possibility that the spending of money in other areas of gambling would have a detrimental effect on the racing industry. New Zealand First for perhaps much the same reason is always concerned to ensure that the racing industry continues. I do not bet on the races. I perhaps take the occasional Melbourne Cup ticket. I do not even know the correct number of the horse I am betting on sometimes. But I now spend a little bit of money on Lotto ironically. I always lose at the end of the day; I can see that. If we look at the expenditure on gambling we see that in 1980 for example there was a total expenditure of $118 million. Now the expenditure on gambling in 2004 is $2.039 billion. That does not take into account the turnover on racing. 
Sitting suspended from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. 
DAIL JONES 
: In order to refresh people’s memories I say to members that the Gambling Amendment Bill according to the explanatory note of the bill: “… amends the principal Act to exempt licensing trust members and trustees of community trusts (who are the equivalent of licensing trust members where the licensing trust has reconstituted as a community trust under the Sale of Liquor Act 1989) from the definition of key person in section 4(1) of the principal Act in relation to a class 4 venue. This has the effect of excluding those members and trustees from the provisions of the principal Act that require the separation of functions and will enable them to be involved in decisions about the operation of gaming machines and the distribution of gaming machine proceeds.” New Zealand First supports this bill and as a member with interests in the west Auckland area—I am concerned with the Waitakere Licensing Trust and the Portage Licensing Trust—I am only too pleased to facilitate the passing of this bill. As I mentioned there was a suggestion that this legislation should be contained in the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) but I see that that bill is still down at the bottom of the Order Paper in 22nd place. So I commend the Minister for bringing this bill into the House because it is likely to be passed before the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) is passed. 
I have one concern about the bill which perhaps needs to be clarified. I understand that some licensing trusts are entitled to operate outside a licensing trust area. The concern that has been expressed is that that may extend the right of a licensing trust to be engaged in gambling activities outside its licensing trust area. That is a matter that I expect the select committee will be considering as it affects this bill. 
Before the House rose for lunch I also mentioned that a colossal amount is being spent on gambling now—$2.039 billion as opposed to $118 million in 1980—which takes us to the issue of the effect of gambling on the community. I was pleased to see the press release by the Department of Internal Affairs on 14 December which was Tuesday. Of course today is still Tuesday as far as this House is concerned because we are in urgency and are being forced to stay in this House by virtue of a resolution supported by the Government and United Future to proceed with bills that should have been dealt with last week. But the Prime Minister had to have her way last week and we did something else instead of looking at these many measures. The press release that I have referred to is important because it concerns the harm that is caused by gambling. The press release focuses on new rules for preventing and minimising the harm caused by gambling and summarises some of the research on which those rules are based. Although New Zealand First supports this measure it is concerned about how much is being spent on gambling and it is concerned about what is being done to prevent the harm caused by gambling. 
One aspect of gambling that few people are aware of is that about one in five New Zealanders who regularly gamble on gaming machines have a gambling problem. The rates overseas apparently are similar or even worse. In a newsletter the director of the Gambling Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology Professor Max Abbott summarised the 1999 research that led to the review. The research showed that the risk of problem gambling is highest with gaming machines and the risk is just as high whether the machines are in casinos pubs or clubs. So in supporting this legislation for the Waitakere Licensing Trust the Portage Licensing Trust and licensing trusts generally I wish to remind trust members that as elected representatives of the people they have an obligation to run their trusts well. In the context of licensing trusts especially and in considering their history of being started up and supported by the community for the community we want to see them benefit their communities.