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

I move:

(1) That a Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform be established to:

(a) inquire into and report on the following:

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

  (ii) any gambling-related legislation that has been tabled in either House, either as a first reading or exposure draft,

  (iii) monitoring the impact of problem gambling and reforms to address problem gambling, and

  (iv) such other matters relating to gambling referred by either House; and

(b) make recommendations to the Minister for Social Services 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, 2 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, 1 Member of the House of Representatives to be nominated by any minority party or independent Member, 2 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 2 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and 1 Senator to be nominated by any minority party or independent Senator.

(3) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee; and

(b) 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 as its chair a member nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

(7) That the committee elect as its deputy chair a non-Government member nominated by either the Opposition Whip or a minority party or independent Member of the House of Representatives.

(8) That the deputy chair 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.

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

(10) 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.

(11) 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.

(12) 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.

(13) That 2 members of a subcommittee constitute a 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.

(14) 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.

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

(16) That the committee or any subcommittee may conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit and sit in public or private.

(17) 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.

(18) That the committee may report from time to time, but that it present its final report no later than 30 June 2015.

(19) 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.

(20) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

Given what is likely to happen in relation to even minimalist gambling reform, I thought it was important to revive the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform, which did do a lot of useful work. It had an oversight role. It looked at gambling addiction, gambling reform and matters that needed to be attended to especially at the Commonwealth level. I think it would be a terrible shame, notwithstanding the ALP's position to withdraw its previous support for some minimalist legislative reforms, to not have this committee continue to do the very good work it was doing.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to say that the Greens will not support this motion, not because we, like Senator Xenophon, are not committed to tackling problem gambling. In fact, when it comes to poker machine reform, I am tempted to say that Senator Xenophon and the Greens are on a unity ticket, although unity tickets are not what they used to be. We spent three years on the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform fighting very hard to see gambling reform achieved in this parliament. We thought we got somewhere. We heard evidence from experts right across the spectrum: from the industry, academics, activists and people who were affected. It seems that what we have here is not a lack of evidence but a lack of action. If anything, we need not an inquiry into gambling but a joint select committee into political courage and the power of vested interests in this country.

Question negatived.