Sky News PM Agenda – Gambling Reform
Transcript— 4:15 pm, Monday, 16 January 2012 — Sky News PM Agenda
E&OE
David Speers
Kevin Andrews, the Productivity Commission was the one that originally suggested this idea of requiring punters how much they are willing to bet. What is the Coalition’s main problem with this idea of mandatory precommitment technology?
Kevin Andrews
Simply that it won’t work David. If the gambler, the individual can nominate a limit, firstly they can nominate any limit could be totally exorbitant compared to their income or their wealth. Secondly, if they reach that limit, and they’re addicted to gambling, they can come back the next day or the day after and set an even higher limit. So, it won’t work in terms of the first question that has to be asked about any policy proposal and that is will it work. If it won’t work, then it is not good policy.
David Speers
But why then are the Pubs and Clubs screaming about revenue losses if its not going to make any difference to problem gamblers and problem losses? Why is the industry so worried about revenue losses?
Kevin Andrews
Well, they’re concerned about second issue and that is: what are the consequences of the change? And even though it won’t work in any overall sense, nonetheless, they estimate that it would have adverse consequences in terms of their cost of them actually making changes. And secondly, that hassle that people would face in terms of just going out to dinner one night and wanting to have a few bets. That seems to be an enormous cost compared to the minority of people who are problem gamblers and we say there is a better way to tackle that through education and counselling as you would with any other issue.
David Speers
Well, this issue of your average punter, not your problem gambler, but someone who wants to have a flutter after a dinner, as you say, the other idea that’s out there that Andrew Wilkie originally suggested and the Greens support are one dollar maximum bet limits. So, no need to have a licence to punt, as it’s called, simply a one dollar limit on all poker machine bets, one dollar spin. What does the Coalition think of that plan?
Kevin Andrews
Well, we’re looking at all of these matters at the moment and I won’t pre-empt the policy outcome, David. We expect to provide a report to the Leader of the Opposition by the end of February as was asked of me and the Taskforce. But, there are problems that are being raised in relation to that as well. If people end up just sitting in front of the poker machines for hours upon hours beyond what they normally would, to expend similar amounts of money, then that’s not going to solve the problem either. So, any of these proposals will ask for two fundamental questions, firstly, will it work, and, what are the consequences? And, I think, the problem with what we’ve got now is that this is all the result of a political deal largely between Andrew Wilkie and Julia Gillard to make her Prime Minister, it wasn’t well thought through in the first place.
David Speers
By the sounds of that, you haven’t ruled out supporting a one dollar maximum bet limit.
Kevin Andrews
Well, as I said, I’m not going to pre-empt our policy announcements but I will say this: it has to address those issues. If it won’t work, then we will not be inclined to support it and if it has significant adverse consequences, then we won’t be inclined to support it either. (inaudible)
David Speers
Would you also, with one dollar bet limits, if the Government were to go down this path, and it’s still uncertain, would you pledge to repeal that as you have with mandatory precommitment technology? You’ve said the Coalition would scrap the whole thing. Would you do the same thing with one dollar bet limits?
Kevin Andrews
Well, I’m not pre-empting a policy decision and an announcement of it, so, I can’t pre-empt anything that flows from it, such as that question, David. We’re going through a proper process, the difference between us and the Government is we didn’t just sign up to a deal to make Julia Gillard Prime Minister, we’re going through a proper policy process, when we get to the end of that process, we’ll be in a position to make a full announcement.
David Speers
Fair enough. Can I ask you, while I’ve got you there, finally, about this, argument we’ve seen within the Coalition in recent weeks over this so called welfare state industry support issue. We’ve had people like Barnaby Joyce saying we should continue to support the car industry, in particular, others like Joe Hockey, drawing a line in the sand and apparently saying that the Coalition should keep its policy of slashing $500 million in industry support for the car industry. Where do you stand on this one?
Kevin Andrews
Well, David, again, I’m not going to pre-empt the policy announcement. Sophie Mirabella is leading a policy process and when that group reports back to the policy committee and to the Shadow Cabinet. We’ll then be able to have a full discussion and come to a discussion. So—
David Speers
—Would you have a personal view on this, the car industry?
Kevin Andrews
The trouble of expressing a personal view about this is it will be taken as one way or the other. I think, my advice to myself and to all my colleagues is let’s go through the policy process in the proper way.
David Speers
Fair enough. Kevin Andrews, the Shadow Minister for Families, thank you very much for joining us this afternoon.
Kevin Andrews
Pleasure, David.
[ends]
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