Mr BAYLEY – Treasurer on this issue of the electronic gaming machines and the card‑based play, where do you sit personally in relation to the card? Because, it’s been delayed, the Premier points to other states and other states, I notice, are failing themselves. Victoria has recently taken backward steps when it comes to its commitment around this mechanism and the ability of players to set their limits. It seems that if Tasmania is going to implement this policy, instead of following the rest of the country, it seems that we need to lead the country in this. We know we had a champion in Mr Ferguson in this space and all credit to him for putting this on the table and getting it to where it got it to. It is now going backwards.
What will you as Treasurer do to minimise the harm to problem gamblers by implementing the policy that you have and the recommendations of the gaming commission to implement this card-based play?
Mr ABETZ – An exceptionally long question that started with, what was my personal view. Member for Clark, Mr Bayley should well and truly know that when I sit in this chair here, I don’t have personal views, I have Cabinet views and the Cabinet view was expressed by the Premier.
Mr BAYLEY – One of the justifications for walking away from this commitment was the report by Deloitte that he commissioned and that he promised to publicly release. Is that going to be released? Can you make a commitment to the committee to release that report?
Mr ABETZ – I understand that is under State Growth, so it’s not a report that comes to me per se, so I can’t give any such an undertaking.
Mr BAYLEY – Last year the community support levy grants, as I recall, were not fully expended – there was money left over in the grant fund. Could you update the committee on whether the community support levy grant has been fully expended in the financial year?
Mr ABETZ – I can’t, but I’m sure Mr Root can.
Mr ROOT – The answer is no; it hasn’t been fully expended. There is a balance in the Community Support Fund. The commitment from the government to make $8.36 million available has been upheld. The bids from agencies haven’t totalled that amount, so there’s been –
Mr BAYLEY – Through you, Treasurer. How much has been expended?
Mr ROOT -There’s been about $7.5 million a year. The current nominal balance, I guess, in the fund is $2.4 million, which is currently being held against gambling harm minimisation projects. However, that’s awaiting the outcome of the government’s considerations of the strategy.
Mr BAYLEY – Through you, Treasurer. If it’s not being fully expended each year – it seems to be a consistent theme – is that a deliberate management approach to retain the $2.4 million balance in there, or are the guidelines too prescriptive, that that amount of money is inaccessible to people? Is there something here that can be fixed? If this is all about harm minimisation, surely it should all go out the door each year.
Mr SWAIN – Through you, Treasurer, and Jonathan may have a more detailed answer. No, it’s a consistent – it’s just ensuring that the management of that fund is consistent with the policy position of a pause. The government may go in a number of different directions with their harm minimisation package, and we need to make sure there’s some capacity to deal with whatever changes come out of that decision‑making process.
