Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This inquiry heard extremely compelling evidence around the impact of problem gambling on individuals and on Australian families and of the significant harm caused by electronic gaming machines—commonly known as EGMs or poker machines. The inquiry also heard evidence of the increase in addiction, particularly of young women, which coincided with the introduction of electronic gaming machines. I think that that evidence overwhelmingly showed the negative impacts that these electronic gaming machines are having on the whole of the population but in particular on women and how their gambling addiction coincided with the introduction of these machines.

We heard evidence that 85 per cent of problem gamblers in Australia have problems with poker machines and that up to 50 per cent of the revenue that is earned by the industry is earned from two per cent of the users, or those problem gamblers. The proposition was put that if we make all these changes we will impact on the vast majority of people who are recreational users and are there to have a good time. When you think about the fact that up to 50 per cent of their revenue comes from the two per cent of people who are using those machines, then (a) wouldn’t you say that that is a very significant problem and (b) would you not then question the ability of the industry to actually deal with this issue in a rational manner? It really is not in their interest to want to do anything about that two per cent. The only thing that would really be compelling for them is a regulatory approach being taken, because they are incapable of doing it themselves.

We also heard pretty compelling evidence that the way the machines are designed is particularly addictive and that there are ways that you can stop that addiction to those machines or certainly knock it back a bit. The evidence of the need to do something from the witnesses who had actually suffered from this addiction was absolutely compelling. They are begging the government to actually do something about poker machines. The evidence of the situation with addicted and problem gamblers in the eastern states compared to Western Australia, where we do not have poker machines in pubs and clubs, for me was very compelling. As a side note, that just reinforced the need to keep those machines out of pubs and clubs in Western Australia because we do not want the problem in Western Australia that is evident in the eastern states.

There was a lot of compelling evidence to show that things could be put in place now to actually deal with the problem now. If you know there is a problem now, why put off until tomorrow what you could fix today? I agree it is a good idea for the Productivity Commission to look at this issue again. I think that is extremely important, because a report has not been done for 10 years. However, I do not think it is an excuse not to do anything. Compelling evidence came out of the Productivity Commission report of 1999 and very little, really, has been done to deal with the issues that were raised then. The committee heard evidence that reinforced the findings of that Productivity Commission report. The Productivity Commission will provide more up-to-date information and, hopefully, will also give us a figure on the costs of these problems to the community—for example, we know that the alcohol problem costs the community over $15 billion a year. We do not know the cost of the impact of the poker machine industry. We know absolutely about some of the revenue but we do not know the costs. Of course, you cannot cost the impact of human misery.

There are simple things that can be done—I say ‘simple things’, but I realise it will take a bit to put them in place. The removal of ATMs, the banning of banknote acceptors, mandatory restrictions on the rate of play, maximum bets and pre-commitment technologies are all things that will take a commitment from government to put in place, but they are doable. We know these problems are happening now and we should be doing something about them now, and this is why the Greens are disappointed that the committee did not recommend that we take action now. We support the Productivity Commission inquiry but not that we sit on our hands for another 12 months. It is important that we deal with these issues now. As we speak, people and families are being harmed by this industry. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.