Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the unbelievable gambling losses we're seeing in my home state of Queensland. During a housing crisis where Queenslanders are feeling under more pressure than ever before, gambling corporations are profiteering off the community's anxiety. Queenslanders have lost more money than ever before on the pokies, losing over $300 million in just 31 days. In my home town of Gladstone, losses in July this year tipped over $4 million. In nearby Rockhampton, losses pushed over $7 million. Mackay saw losses of $11 million in the same time.

Australia is home to the largest per capita gambling losses in the world. Gambling losses for the country recently topped out at $32 billion. We have less than one per cent of the world's population, yet we're home to 18 per cent of the world's pokies. Government after government has allowed gambling harm to go unchecked. It is one of the greatest working-class betrayals of the contemporary Labor Party that they have cosied up to this parasitic industry, deciding to sell out their base for a few donations. Gambling corporations are profiteering off the pain and misery of the community. We must put people before pokies and profit. What we really need is action from Labor, rather than continuing to sook, deny, delay and defer. Every problem in this country is not their problem. That's all well and good for them, but the Greens are here to fight for you, to fight for real action and to fight for a real future for our community.