Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1)

That a Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform be appointed to:

(a)

Inquire into and report on:

(i)

The Productivity Commission report on gambling, released in June 2010, including a national response to the full set of its recommendations;

(ii)

The design and implementation of a best practice full pre-commitment scheme – that is uniform across all States and Territories and machines—consistent with the recommendations and findings of the Productivity Commission;

(iii)

Legal advice commissioned and received by the Commonwealth by 1 February 2011 regarding the Commonwealth’s constitutional competence and prospects for successfully legislating in this area, including the reasoning supporting the legal advice and financial and other consequences flowing from it;

(iv)

Any gambling-related legislation that has been tabled in either House, either as a first reading or exposure draft;

(v)

Appropriate terms of reference, to be set by no later than 30 June 2013, of a further Productivity Commission Inquiry to examine the impact of pre-commitment schemes on problem gambling and to determine what further harm minimisation measures may be necessary;

(vi)

Monitoring the impact of reforms to address problem gambling; and

(vii)

Such other matters relating to gambling referred by either House.

(b)   Make recommendations to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Assistant Treasurer, to inform any position that the Commonwealth will take to the COAG Select Council on Gambling Reform.

(2)

That the committee consist of 10 members, 3 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, 2 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips, and one non-aligned Member, 2 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or groups or independent Senator or independent Senators.

(3)

That participating members may be appointed to the committee.   Participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of a member of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee.

(4)

That every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(5)

That the members of the committee hold office as a joint select committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time.

(6)

That the committee elect a non-aligned member as its chair.

(7)

That the committee elect a member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee, and at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting.

(8)

That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(9)

That 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-Government member of either House.

(10)

That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine.

(11)

That the committee appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only and at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting.

(12)

That 2 members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-Government member of either House.

(13)

That members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(14)

That the committee or any subcommittee have power to call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced.

(15)

That the committee or any subcommittee may conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit.

(16)

That the committee or any subcommittee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(17)

That the committee may report from time to time but that it present its final report no later than 30 June 2013.

(18)

That the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

(19)

That a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question agreed to.