Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I am genuinely grateful for Senator Joyce’s line of questioning in relation to this—because it is important to raise this issue—and for the minister’s responses. The concern I have—and I have raised it with the state Minister for Gambling in South Australia, the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis—is the extent to which state laws apply on federal land. There are some grandfathered clauses, and the minister is quite right in terms of regulations prohibiting any more gambling venues, but I am concerned about the extent to which state regulations would apply to protect problem gamblers. My complaint has always been that I think state regulations nationally should go much further. That is why I think it is important that there is a federal approach in relation to this. But the fact that the government is actively looking at this to ensure that there is no ambiguity about the applicability of current state laws in relation to the protection of problem gamblers on federal land is welcome. I think at the moment that the approach is to the extent possible, but I think that ambiguity should be removed in the context of airport land. I am genuinely grateful to Senator Joyce for raising this issue. As I understand it, within about two months—by February at least—the minister’s office will be able to report back on this. I am quite happy with that undertaking. In a more relevant sense in terms of process, as I understand it the ministerial council, at a COAG level, is looking at this issue as well. So it is just a case of getting an update and ensuring that this is still very much on the agenda.