Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8033] 
6.  
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Internal Affairs 
: What is his response to comments by Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis about the Gambling Bill that “we asked for powers to be given to councils to control the number and location of gambling outlets in their area … But sadly this intention is not evident in the Gambling Bill … Unless the proposed legislation is changed we will not be given the tools needed to control the problem.”? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
: 
 The bill does give councils the power to develop polices controlling the number and location of gambling outlets in their district. Councils may veto all gaming-machine sites established after 17 October 2001. These powers extend to non-casino gaming machines in pubs and clubs. 
Sue Bradford 
: How can the Minister possibly say that the Gambling Bill gives communities control over gambling when the Manukau City Council will be able to exercise control over just 9 percent of all the pokies in the city; and does he approve of a situation in which no matter how much south Aucklanders want to greatly reduce the number of pokie machines in their community this bill and this Government will not let them? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Venues already licensed on 17 October 2001 do not have perpetual rights. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Does the research quoted by Sir Barry Curtis find similar problem-gambling representation rates to previous research? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes. The Manukau City Council report refers to research that puts the rate of problem gambling at between 1.1 and 3.1 percent of the population. This is consistent with other research on the prevalence of problem gambling. 
Judith Collins 
: Is the Minister proud of the fact that during his time as Minister the number of pokie machines outside casinos has increased from 13812 to 25221? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: This Government is proud that it is doing something about the gambling problem that this country faces and I hope the member opposite will support the Government when the Committee stage of the bill comes up. 
Brent Catchpole 
: Given that the Minister has failed to provide local councils with the powers to control the number and locations of gambling outlets as they requested what confidence can communities have that the funds raised in their areas will not be siphoned off into a centralised fund distributed to organisations sympathetic to the Government? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I do not think the member should listen to rumours of other parties. We are not centralising the funds one little bit. I have told him that before. He ought to listen. 
Sue Bradford 
: Is the Minister concerned by the recent Manukau City social impact report which cites the proliferation of non-casino gaming machines as causing “neglect of children relationship break-up debt eviction and forced mortgagee sales”; and why will he not support amendments to the Gambling Bill giving Manukau City Council and all other councils the ability to control the explosion of problem gambling in our communities? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The bill does give councils the power to develop policies controlling the number and location of outlets in their districts.