Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mayo for her contribution to this debate. As she knows, we had a considerable number of consultations with members of the Nick Xenophon Team in putting together this bill. I said to the Nick Xenophon Team that we are very serious about the National Consumer Protection Framework, some of the elements of which are contained within their amendments. For example, one of the key things in their amendments is prohibiting gambling companies from offering lines of credit to their customers. We fully support that. It is in fact one of the key elements of our National Consumer Protection Framework, and we made the commitment that we would work with the states and territories on the best way of introducing that particular measure. I have been on the record since my first year in parliament as arguing against lines of credit being offered to consumers. I think it is wrong. People should bet with the money which they have, not with the money which they do not have.

The other key thing is the national self-exclusion register which is contained within this series of amendments. Again, that is one of the central things of our National Consumer Protection Framework. Again, we made the commitment that we would properly consult with the states and territories in relation to this, but with a very firm commitment that we want to introduce it—and we will introduce it. There are some complexities in relation to a national self-exclusion register which we need to work through with the sector, and we are doing just that.

We will not be supporting these amendments, despite the fact that we support the intent of them. I did ask the leader of the Nick Xenophon Team, Nick Xenophon, to give us time to properly introduce the National Consumer Protection Framework and to properly go through a consultation process. We think that is what a responsible government should do. We have got good in-principle support from the state and territory ministers, and we are very confident that we will be introducing all of those measures in the near future.

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