Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Motions

RSL sub-branch poker machine entitlements

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (15:10): I move:

That this house:

(1) recognises the vital role of Victoria’s Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branches in supporting local communities and veterans;

(2) supports RSL sub-branches that use less than their full poker machine entitlements in their venues;

(3) acknowledges that community sub-branches that are unable to use these entitlements due to local government restrictions should not be penalised by the government;

(4) notes that the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation and the Department of Justice and Community Safety have advised Glenroy RSL sub-branch to pay over $470,000 for unwanted poker machine entitlements which they cannot use;

(5) further recognises that similar situations confront other community sub-branches including:

(a) Darebin RSL sub-branch;

(b) Pascoe Vale RSL sub-branch;

(c) Altona RSL sub-branch;

(d) Caulfield RSL sub-branch;

(e) Cheltenham RSL sub-branch;

(f) St Kilda Football Club;

(6) further acknowledges that chasing RSLs to pay for unwanted poker machine entitlements shows the government is not serious when it comes to tackling gambling addiction and is addicted to pokies revenue;

(7) calls on the government to take action by:

(a) allowing community sub-branches like the Glenroy RSL and others to forfeit their pokies entitlements without financial penalty;

(b) ending the cash grab against RSL sub-branches, letting them get back to their important role in their community of supporting local organisations and veterans; and

(c) finding ways to rein in their reckless spending agenda instead of at the expense of community RSL sub-branches.

Well, it is great to have a win here on this side of the chamber. We saw yesterday the Andrews government has made a decision to abandon its heartless pursuit of RSL clubs over gaming machine entitlements they could not legally use, and I say that that is well overdue. Labor’s mean-spirited approach caused heartache and financial losses for community clubs just trying to do the right thing and support our veterans and support their local communities.

The worst example of this was in the Glenroy RSL in my electorate of Northern Metropolitan Region. The sub-branch was pursued by Labor for payment of entitlements, which the local council and the Supreme Court prohibited them from using. This situation should never have eventuated – Labor’s pursuit of community clubs, mercilessly, for payments they could not even make for using gaming machines they could not even use. Labor would no doubt have hoped this issue would just go away. With a little bit of pressure in this place, in the Parliament, and in the media, the very thin skinned Daniel Andrews has rolled over.

The government now needs to provide full details of the surrender scheme to ensure there are no unnecessary delays to its implementation. Make no doubt about it: the government has been dragged kicking and screaming to this position. The press release put out by the minister yesterday demonstrates how effective advocacy from the Liberals and Nationals coalition can achieve commonsense outcomes for the community. The government should now apologise to the RSL for years of threatening legal letters and correspondence attempting to shake down the RSL for pokies they could not even use. The motion reads as follows:

That this house:

(1) recognises the vital role of Victoria’s Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branches in supporting local communities and veterans;

(2) supports RSL sub-branches that use less than their full poker machine entitlements in their venues;

(3) acknowledges that community sub-branches that are unable to use these entitlements due to local government restrictions should not be penalised by the government;

(4) notes that the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation and the Department of Justice and Community Safety have advised Glenroy RSL sub-branch to pay over $470,000 for unwanted poker machine entitlements which they cannot use;

(5) further recognises that similar situations confront other community sub-branches including:

(a) Darebin RSL sub-branch;

(b) Pascoe Vale RSL sub-branch;

(c) Altona RSL sub-branch;

(d) Caulfield RSL sub-branch;

(e) Cheltenham RSL sub-branch;

(f) St Kilda Football Club;

(6) further acknowledges that chasing RSLs to pay for unwanted poker machine entitlements shows the government is not serious when it comes to tackling gambling addiction and is addicted to pokies revenue;

(7) calls on the government to take action by:

(a) allowing community sub-branches like the Glenroy RSL and others to forfeit their pokies entitlements without financial penalty;

(b) ending the cash grab against RSL sub-branches, letting them get back to their important role in their community of supporting local organisations and veterans –

it is funny this motion has come here today, that clause 7(b) is almost word for word what was in the minister’s media release; funny, that –

and

(c) finding ways to rein in their reckless spending agenda instead of at the expense of community RSL sub-branches.

A lot of that has now happened, which is great.

I would like to take the house back to the start of this sorry saga. In 2015 the Glenroy RSL decided to obtain 10 additional pokies entitlements on top of the 40 they already had, which was still well under the average. This received approval from the gaming commission. However, in 2016–17 Moreland City Council took the RSL to VCAT. The RSL won at VCAT, and the council then decided to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court, where it was sent back to VCAT and then rejected. So the RSL have been in the position where the department and the minister, Melissa Horne, have advised the RSL they had to pay $470,000 for the 10 pokies entitlements they cannot even use, and they have already had to cop around $300,000 in legal fees. Now, I understand the government is surrendering the entitlements, but that is $300,000 that could have gone to community organisations which this RSL supports – community organisations such as Rotary, Probus, Lions Club, Glenroy Specialist School, Penola Saints Netball Club, Pascoe Vale Girls College and many more, community organisations that are doing it tough in the northern suburbs, are worthy of support and do receive support from this community-based RSL sub-branch.

Even on 27 January this year the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission wrote to the RSL in an aggressive letter advising them to ‘use it or lose it’. The commission said, ‘Forfeiture is automatic and non-negotiable,’ yet we see the government backflipped on that. It is not quite non-negotiable. I think they will even admit that. The commission said it has ‘no discretion to vary forfeiture, nor is there recourse to appeal’ and ‘Upon forfeiture, the full outstanding entitlement repayment amount will become immediately due and payable.’

As I said, the Glenroy RSL is not a big one, but it does play an important role in supporting veterans and supporting the local community around them. Four RSL sub-branches – Altona, Darebin, Glenroy and Pascoe Vale – are all facing similar situations, with the state government shaking them down for a total liability in excess of $2 million for pokie machines they cannot even use and no longer want. It is a heartbreaking situation that puts these RSLs in a very difficult financial position and forces them to spend a lot of money – hundreds of thousands of dollars – in legal fees. It is funny, this backflip. It has come from the Parliament and a bit of pressure – because he went out there. He goes to press conferences and he says, when he is asked about gambling reform:

For those for whom there is a real problem, a wicked problem, we have to support them, and we always have, and that’s why it’s highly regulated and that’s why we have made many changes.

We called out the Premier’s comments as hollow, because it is quite clear through this saga that Daniel Andrews is addicted to pokies and pokies revenue at the expense of the RSL and veterans. The Premier likes to make virtuous comments to the media, but behind closed doors he is shaking down small community RSLs for hundreds of thousands of dollars for poker machines they cannot even use and no longer want. As Ken White, the president of the Glenroy RSL, said, the government ought to have a heart and make the right decision:

We are a small community RSL. Almost half-a-million dollars is a big hit to us and will mean that we will be unable to spend more on veterans support and will make it harder for us to continue to provide significant financial support to local community organisations and schools as we have done in the past.

These comments appeared in the Herald Sun on 26 April, and it is important to note that that was on 26 April because it was only on 27 April that – note the date, the day after – the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission wrote a letter demanding the RSL pay and also advising them of an immediate 10 per cent compound interest unless the due amount is paid. It is funny, the date there. We see Operation Daintree talk about the tentacles of this Labor government and we know what happens, so it is quite curious that the RSL would receive a letter the very next day demanding them to pay. The very next day after the government has been shamed in the media they receive a letter demanding them to pay up for poker machine entitlements they cannot even use.

I do not know what has happened there. It is quite curious that that is what they have received, and to have such aggressive letters from a government organisation advising them to ‘use it or lose it’. The very next day, after they are shamed in the Herald Sun, to receive a letter to pay up or pay 10 per cent compounding interest daily is just shameful.

Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello said Labor, the Premier and his government had a ‘massive gambling problem’.

“When clubs are trying to do the right thing by their community, for the Andrews government to stand in their way is appalling …

‘They should be applauded for trying to get rid of them, not obstructed

‘Most of the pokies are in Labor electorates, the poorest postcodes, and when someone seeks to do the right thing by their community they are knocked back.’

The Herald Sun also reported there was:

… support among Labor MPs to allow the clubs to forfeit their licences for minimal cost.

There you go, there are some Labor MPs who quietly have a voice but do not publicly have a voice. Where was the Labor member from Broadmeadows talking in the chamber about it? Where is the Labor member for Pascoe Vale talking about it? They have not said one thing about the Glenroy RSL. They are happy to go there. They need to represent their communities.

But we also know that the Herald Sun revealed that:

… efforts to reach a compromise have been stonewalled by senior government figures and it is feared the state won’t back down because it cannot afford to lose revenue …

I will note Melissa Horne never responded to my adjournment speech about this in March. Maybe that is when the wheels got in motion on this. Maybe she was on the side of the angels on this.

Labor pretend they are a really tight ship, that they are a really tight, unified team. They like to think that we do not know the history behind this. They think that we and the industry were not aware that the minister had previously attempted to bring about this change through cabinet but was stonewalled by the Labor leadership, and I think it really goes to show the character of this government, that they would put financial revenue for themselves, for the government, before RSLs trying to support their veterans and their community. When you call the Premier out for his obvious hypocrisy, he folds. But it was not for meritorious reasons, the RSLs and their community, it was a decision made to save face for the Premier.

Another case I will speak about is my pride and joy, my AFL team, the St Kilda Football Club, who are one of several pokies venues who want to leave the industry despite the money to be made. But government sources say they cannot push to hand back licences, and it has fallen on deaf ears with Premier Daniel Andrews, with clubs already locked into a 20-year pokies deal from 2018.

Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesman Tim Costello has lashed the Premier, saying: ‘Daniel Andrews is holding these clubs back from doing the right thing, and is putting people’s welfare at risk.

‘The motto is to “gamble responsibly” but the state government needs to be responsible as well and reduce harm.

‘Victorians are sick of the pokies and if the venues want to (quit), what is stopping the Premier from assisting?

…

Senior figures within the club are uncomfortable about a pokies venue sitting next to the Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing, which aims to tackle mental health problems in the community.

Clubs and venues wanting to escape pokies have launched a petition behind the scenes, but have so far declined to publicly campaign for change.

I actually had the opportunity to visit the renovated centre at Moorabbin recently. I am a member of the parliamentary friends of the St Kilda Football Club. It is really a place that now promotes health and wellbeing. It promotes mental health support for the club and mental health support and wellbeing support for the community, which they should be able to do. The St Kilda Football Club is a great club. They are a socially responsible, forward-thinking club, and they want to do their part to support the community, to support the Moorabbin community, to support the wider community and the football community and to be able to have a centre for health and wellbeing that does not have pokies in it. I think if they want to do that, the government should be doing everything possible to assist them in making that happen, whether it be through a buyback or transferring it to another site. But as has been reported, all attempts have fallen on deaf ears.

I want to take this opportunity to discuss gambling harm in my own electorate, particularly the City of Hume. Locals lost more than $100 million on the pokies in Hume. The latest data has revealed the extraordinary impact that gambling has had on one of Victoria’s most disadvantaged areas. The Hume area recorded an annual loss of $104 million to electronic gaming machines in 2022, a 45 per cent increase from the 2021 amount. The report noted that Hume ranked as the fifth-highest local government area of the state’s 79 LGAs for electronic gaming machine losses in 2022. Mayor Joseph Haweil said:

This is a predatory and evil industry, it targets those areas that are the lowest socio-economic areas and it plays on people’s aspirations and desires to inflict harm wherever it goes.

They are comments from a paid-up member of the Labor Party. I think this sentiment is likely echoed throughout the Labor Party’s membership, yet you have got a government that is doing everything possible to hang on by tooth and nail to pokies revenue, even when there are participants willing to partner with them to get out. I think it shows the character of the government. We seemingly have a Labor Premier and a Treasurer that are locking RSLs into pokies and locking clubs into pokies, even ones that no longer want them. Look at all these areas. Go up to Broadmeadows, go up to Donnybrook: people are really doing it tough, and with the cyclical nature of addiction and the effect it has on families, I think it shows a Premier who has forgotten who his base is and who has forgotten who he represents.

There is currently really no-one sticking up for those people in working-class areas that would like to see the government take action in this place or that would like to see the government partner with clubs that are willing participants to get out of pokies or transfer their pokies out to another area or buy back their pokies. This is the consequence of Labor’s reckless spending agenda. We are now paying $10 million a day just to service the debt. You have got a Premier and a Treasurer that are just hanging on to pokies revenue at the expense of family units and at the expense of people’s mortgages – you have got to think. You have got a Labor government that is just abandoning these communities. They are ignoring the pleas of the community, they are ignoring the pleas of experts and they are ignoring the pleas of advocacy groups.

You have got to ask why the Glenroy RSL in particular had to go through all of this pain and had to go through $300,000 in legal fees. I was just speaking to Ken White recently. It has taken an enormous toll on the president of the RSL sub-branch, on the sub-branch itself and on the staff to have to go through this process, to have to bring in lawyers, to have to battle with the government every day, to receive threatening letters from the gaming commission and to receive letters back and forth from the minister’s office stonewalling every attempt they made at some sort of mediation. It should be Labor heartland. And they have been dealing with this since 2015. They have dealt with Frank McGuire and they have dealt with the new member, and it only got resolved when a bit of pressure was on. I think this house has a moral obligation to send a strong message to the government to have a heart. I am glad they have finally backed down, but this house should support this motion.

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (15:30): I do rise to speak on this perhaps rather curious motion as proposed by Mr Mulholland. The first thing to say of course is that it is very true that RSLs provide a vital service to veterans, families and a whole range of other local communities right across this state. Many sub-branches do struggle financially for various reasons, including those specific to the sub-branch and community but also in a broader sense. Many sub-branches do rely on poker machines as a revenue stream source, and that relationship, as with any venue that receives gambling revenue, is something that should be approached with consideration by the organisation itself and of course from a regulatory standpoint from us here at a state level as well as at other levels.

This motion calls on the government to allow RSLs to forfeit their pokies entitlements without financial penalty. I was going to say that I have good news for Mr Mulholland: we are already doing it. It turns out Mr Mulholland has good news for himself: we are already doing it. He acknowledges that this Andrews Labor government is taking action to address this issue. So it is curious to see the motion be put forward today. As much as I am grateful for acknowledging the work that this government is doing on this issue, and I appreciate that from Mr Mulholland, I am curious to see he is calling for us to do something which we are already doing. In fact the work on this has been underway for months. We have already gazetted rules to allow clubs and RSLs to get rid of their entitlements without a financial penalty. We have already commenced engagement with RSL Victoria and Community Clubs Victoria on these measures.

I am happy to let Mr Mulholland enjoy his moment in the sun to take some credit for this. I am not sure particularly that his remarks have been high on the minds of the gambling minister or the Premier, though I am sure it is very important to recognise all members of this chamber for their contributions, and I do acknowledge your advocacy, Mr Mulholland. It is fair to say, though, that this government has already been well and truly engaged on this issue. We are delivering outcomes already, which is really good to see, and much more will come to fruition.

It is obviously curious that this motion would be put. Perhaps if we were to be a little bit less charitable, we might say that those opposite have not been particularly engaged the last few weeks, particularly with the in-or-out game with Mrs Deeming. Apparently, we were told, there was to be no compromise and that she must be expelled from the party – not because of her anti-trans views but because of her association with Nazis.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, Acting President, the member is not being relevant to the motion.

Michael GALEA: On the point of order, Acting President, in the opening remarks Mr Mulholland referred to government unity and to that of a tight ship. That is relevant to what he was discussing.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Bev McArthur): Mr Galea, could you just come back to the motion, please.

Michael GALEA: With pleasure, Acting President. So it is right that this government, which is a tight ship as Mr Mulholland says, will ensure that there are appropriate regulations around gaming in all local venues, including poker machines in RSLs. Harm minimisation should be and is at the heart of these considerations, and that is why our clubs and RSLs are supported by this measure. On 1 January 2022 this government established the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, providing for stronger, more focused regulation of Victoria’s gambling industry. It has oversight of all gambling and gaming activities within Victoria, from pubs and clubs through to the casino. The VGCCC is required to undertake activities to minimise gambling harm, and harm minimisation considerations are central to its work. The $153 million in funding to the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation over four years provided in the 2019–20 state budget represents the nation’s largest commitment to addressing gambling harm. This government has already implemented a wide range of reforms to minimise gambling harm from the state’s poker machines and is implementing all of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence as well.

I would also like to note, and this might be of interest to Mr Mulholland, that the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee will very shortly be holding an own-motion inquiry into gambling in Victoria. He may have received an email, as other members may have this week as well, to notify him of this taking place, which is very exciting to see. It is a very important thing that we do look at. As members of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee – I believe, Acting President McArthur, you are too ‍– I am sure we are both very much looking forward to eagerly participating in that inquiry and learning more about what can be done to further improve this sector and what can be learned following from the Auditor-General’s previous reports and recommendations in this space. So I would encourage all members to take a particular interest in that and indeed all members of the community as well. Submissions for that inquiry will be closing on 7 July, and we will be holding hearings very shortly after, again a very important opportunity for us all to be engaging with this issue in particular detail.

I would also like to mention YourPlay, which is Australia’s first statewide network precommitment scheme. It allows Victorians to set limits on how much time and money they spend on gaming machines. This allows players to make clearer financial decisions outside of the gaming environment. It also assists in identifying and changing their playing behaviours. There are lots of very interesting details about that. With an eye on the time I will not go into quite every part of it. But I would also note that the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence recommended that YourPlay be a full, mandatory and binding system at the Melbourne casino for Australian residents, and this followed the 23 recommendations by an independent review to increase the uptake and effectiveness of the scheme. The Andrews Labor government has moved to legislate the recommendations from that royal commission and implement the recommendations of the independent review, so I commend the government for also moving towards making Victoria the first jurisdiction in the nation to have mandatory card play. This reform will ensure that all play on electronic gaming machines is linked to a patron ID, an important safeguard as well against money laundering.

I also note the prohibition on ATMs in gaming venues and the introduction of $200 transaction and $500 daily EFTPOS withdrawal limits. This makes Victoria the only mainland Australian jurisdiction not to have ATMs in gaming venues, and obviously I do not need to tell members here the benefits that regulation provides. We have capped the total number of gaming machines in the state until 2042, setting regional caps and municipal limits on gaming machine entitlements as well. These caps and limits will help to ensure that Victoria remains the Australian jurisdiction with the lowest density of gaming machines, with the exception of Western Australia, which does not permit gaming machines outside of the casino.

We have improved the responsible gambling code of conduct for venue operators from September 2020 as well. The new code improves harm minimisation and must include a statement that a venue operator has a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent and minimise harm from the operation of gaming machines. This cap on the maximum number of gaming machines in Victoria, which is in place until 2042, will help to ensure that Victoria has one of the lowest densities of gaming machines in this country, and these changes do work with the changes to the responsible gambling code of conduct to improve harm minimisation and prevention.

Let me also say that the Victorian government has a very long and proud history of support for leading organisations across our veterans sector, such as RSL Victoria, who do fantastic work for the veterans community. We have provided more than $3.4 million to RSL Victoria through direct funding and various grant programs. On top of that, we have provided hundreds of grants, totalling nearly $4.3 million, directly to RSL sub-branches for memorials, facilities and education programs. RSLs do vitally important work supporting our veterans, their families and their local communities, and the Andrews Labor government is very proud to continue to support them.

Just this week the government announced more than $1.4 million in funding for a further 55 projects offering practical support for the veteran community, as well as commemorating their incredible contributions. Thirty-one projects will be funded through the veterans capital works grant program, funding facility upgrades of up to $50,000 for not-for-profit and ex-service organisations. A further 11 organisations will receive funding through the Victoria Remembers program, providing grants of up to $30,000 for projects commemorating veterans service or educating Victorians about the contributions that veterans have made to our great state.

So there are many things going on with regard to this sector that this government is very engaged in and has been very engaged in for quite some time. I do again want to take note to celebrate that whilst others in this chamber might spend their time fighting and having their arguments in the media about who should be in their party, who should not and, ‘Let’s kick people out who were preselected for their role less than 12 months ago,’ we on this side of the chamber actually focus on getting things done, and that is exactly what we are doing in this space. We have been doing this work for months, and I am very happy to see Mr Mulholland congratulating the work of the Andrews Labor government in this space as well.

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (15:40): I rise to speak to notice of motion 62 brought by Mr Mulholland, and I commend him for raising this issue. This motion seeks to recognise the important role of Victoria’s RSL sub-branches in supporting local communities and veterans. Specifically, this motion calls on the government to support RSL sub-branches that do not use their full poker machine entitlements by allowing them to forfeit these entitlements without financial penalty.

The Australian RSL has a long and rich history. It was founded during World War I and has continued to serve veterans and their families ever since. Fast-forward to the present day and there are now 1135 sub-branches nationwide, and the RSL represents over 150,000 veterans across Australia. Guided by an ethos of compassion and service, the RSL and their sub-branches have played an integral role in their local communities both in Victoria and nationwide. They have supported generations of service men and women by building and supporting local communities, increasing public education and advocating for the best interests of veterans and their families. It is without question that the Australian RSL and Victoria’s RSL sub-branches have always been and continue to be an important asset for our veterans, their families and our local communities. With this in mind, any opportunity we have to better support those community groups warrants serious and careful consideration.

Mr Mulholland’s motion makes specific reference to the Glenroy RSL sub-branch and a number of other RSL sub-branches that have been required to make payment for poker machine entitlements that they have been unable to use. In considering potentially contending priorities, there is a need to balance minimising harm through existing poker machine entitlement laws against reducing the financial burden on RSL sub-branches, particularly when they decide or are forced to reduce the number of operational poker machines. Getting this balance right can help ensure groups like Glenroy RSL sub-branch are not burdened by any decision to reduce the number of poker machines in their venues and can continue to perform their important work in our local communities and for our veterans and their families.

At the same time, the community value of RSL sub-branches must be measured against the well-understood negative consequences of poker machines and associated problem gambling. These community groups’ entitlements to poker machines should not be supported at the expense of the mental, financial and physical wellbeing of local communities and veterans. At the same time, we would like to see extensive statewide reform of our poker machine laws to address the harmful and unfair impacts of gambling. RSL sub-branches include large portions of our communities that experience significant disadvantage and will feel the negative impacts of problem gambling much more acutely than the general population, and of course veterans are a part of those communities as well.

This inherent tension was considered by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation last year when they investigated the relationship between gambling and the Australian veteran community. Their findings further cemented the knowledge that Australian veterans are a high-risk group in relation to experiencing gambling harm, well above that of the broader Australian community. This same investigation found that not only can these risk factors lead large numbers of veterans to problem gambling but once they are led to problem gambling those same veterans subsequently experience higher rates of serious mental and physical health problems.

We also know that veterans are disproportionately over-represented in homeless populations and experience higher rates of mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependence and gambling addiction. Time and time again they are routinely over-represented in problem gambling data and problem gambling harms. These factors mean that veterans and their families can be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of problem gambling. To protect veterans and the vital role of RSL sub-branches, it is important to consider how the number of poker machines can be reduced and how profits can be directed into harm minimisation.

Problem gambling harms local communities. It harms veterans and it harms their families. RSL sub-branches should be encouraged and supported to reduce their usage of poker machines wherever possible, recognising that veterans are particularly vulnerable to the harms of problem gambling. We understand that the government is currently working to address concerns with Crown Casino, the state’s most notorious gambling parasite, and we look forward to reviewing that legislation when it makes its way to this place. That said, we look forward to a more holistic approach from the government to deliver significant gambling reform and address the vampiric influence of the gambling industry in predominantly working class and lower socio-economic areas.

Legalise Cannabis welcomes the government’s announcement of a surrender scheme to address the issues faced by Glenroy RSL sub-branch and other sub-branches as raised and as subsequently publicly endorsed by Mr Mulholland. We also welcome the wideranging own-motion inquiry into gambling and liquor reform being undertaken by the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee that will be commencing shortly. On this basis, and in the context of a broader gambling reform agenda, we will not be supporting the resolution.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (15:46): I am pleased to rise and support this motion brought to the chamber by Mr Mulholland. It is a motion that recognises the importance of our RSLs. He has named a number, and I get the story that has occurred with Glenroy and a number of other branches and the bizarre behaviour of the government in seeking to claw back money from machines that they were unable to use or could not legitimately use. There is a long history of this behaviour, I might say, with this Labor Party and this government over a lengthy period of time.

But I do want to say something before I discuss some of the finer points. I do want to make some points about my RSLs locally – a number of these I have very close relationships with. Certainly, the Prahran RSL, I am always working with them on local functions and support the range of things that they conduct, and I look forward to continuing that work. The Oakleigh Carnegie RSL and a number of other key RSL groups within the electorate of Southern Metropolitan Region – these are very important local community hubs. They are very important in the support they provide to veterans in the community. They are very important for the recognition that they also provide for the contribution that so many veterans in our community have made – putting their lives on the line. Let us be very clear, we do owe a debt and do owe a consideration to those service men and women who have actually put their lives on the line in harm’s way. We cannot ever take that away from them and nor should we. Which makes us question the erratic behaviour of the government with respect to Glenroy and Darebin and Pascoe Vale and others, and indeed Caulfield in my area and St Kilda. Why on earth are they doing this? Why can’t they behave properly with RSLs, which in many cases are small, local committees of people that are doing the work. Treating them so abysmally is, in my view, not the way to go.

I should say that the Premier actually has significant form on a number of these matters, and it is important to remember back that he, as Minister for Gaming, oversighted the phase of the allocation of electronic gaming machines that was undertaken between 2006 and 2010. He comprehensively botched that process. And it is interesting to just record that the Auditor-General tabled a report in this place in June 2011, and he made a number of serious conclusions from that report. Remember, Daniel Andrews, in that period of government, was Minister for Gaming and later became Minister for Health, but he was on the subcommittee of cabinet that oversighted all of these and was very active with the interdepartmental committee that oversighted these clear points. The conclusion was the revenue obtained from the sale of entitlements was around $3 billion less than the assessed fair market value of these assets. For those that want to read it, that is in the conclusion of the Auditor-General’s report. This was a botched process of allocation of gaming machines to clubs and pubs and so forth across the state, and it resulted in a process that saw $3 billion of public money lost through Daniel Andrews’s failure and Daniel Andrews’s incompetence. Daniel Andrews cannot be allowed near money. Whenever he touches a process that involves money he botches it and costs the state a fortune. We see that with our major projects now, and we see it even with this recent treatment of the RSL local sub-branches, which do such a good job, and the absurd pressure that they have been placed under by Daniel Andrews and his government and the decisions that Daniel Andrews and his government have made to put the pressure, to turn the screws, on these small local RSLs. Well, I say he has a very bad track record on these matters. I am disappointed that Mr Ettershank and his party are not going to support this motion, but I think it is an important motion.

I do want to quickly in the time allocated to me – and I am conscious it is a relatively small amount of time – note that it is hard I think for anyone to disagree with most of these points in Mr Mulholland’s motion. Looking at the first four, I cannot really see why anyone would be opposed to those. Point (5):

further recognises that similar situations confront other … sub-branches …

I am not sure that Mr Ettershank or others have actually said that they oppose the essence of the motion. The essence of the motion is that these branches should be treated fairly. Point (6):

further acknowledges that chasing RSLs to pay for unwanted poker machine entitlements shows the government is not serious when it comes to tackling gambling addiction and is addicted to pokies revenue …

Well, this government has scooped in pokies revenue; in every term it often mismanages this. And point (7):

calls on the government to take action by:

allowing community sub-branches like … Glenroy … and others to forfeit their pokies entitlements without financial penalty …

The government can then decide what it does with the numbers. I think it is actually worth putting on record again a little trip down memory lane on the numbers of machines. Poker machines were introduced into Victoria by Joan Kirner by the Kirner Labor government. Make no mistake: it was by the Kirner Labor government. The casino was brought into Victoria by the Kirner Labor government. The legislation that enabled it passed through this chamber and through the other chamber under the Kirner Labor government. The Kirner Labor government introduced poker machines, the Kirner Labor government introduced the casino, the Labor government in its desperate financial straits in the late 1980s and early 90s, under Cain first and then Kirner, went on a desperate search for revenue, and that is why it settled on introducing poker machines into Victoria and the casino. The Kennett government that was elected in 1992 actually had to implement some of these things, but make no mistake, the poker machines were already out there in their hundreds and hundreds. In fact, I went to an opening of one in Airport West. I watched Joan Kirner cut the ribbon on the poker machines while she was in government in 1992. Make no mistake: it was Labor that introduced these poker machines, with all of the damage and trouble that they do.

I want to put one other point on the record. It is important to note that the initial allocations of poker machines were much greater under Labor – 43,000 in fact was the original allocation. It was Jeffrey Kennett who cut the allocation in the late 1990s, and I well remember this. He cut the entitlement, and I am recalling these numbers: 27,000, I think, or 27,500, in that order, in clubs and pubs and 3000 at the casino. He sliced the number of machines in one hit from well over 40,000 down to around 30,000.

Noting the number of poker machines per head of population has in fact declined since that period because the population of the state has grown but the number of machines has actually remained largely static, the opportunity is there to further reduce the number of machines. Personally, I do not like poker machines much, and I make that point quite clear, but I do see that some people do and some people have a legitimate flutter, as it were, on those machines.

But they do relatively little good for our community. I do accept that some clubs and pubs do plough back significant resources into their local communities, providing important facilities and providing meeting venues and social places for people within their communities. Sporting clubs and so forth have provided those opportunities in their areas and have done so on the back of revenue generated from poker machines, but I think many of us have a natural concern and reluctance about the social ills that they cause, and whether it be at a community level or a more official level we have a reluctance to see an expansion of poker machine numbers in our area. I might add that in my area, in Southern Metro, there are significant areas in the old dry zone which have now become a target for this government to force or foist machines into, and that would concern me greatly.

I am returning now, in the small amount of time I have left, to Mr Mulholland’s motion. I congratulate him on his advocacy, his hard work and the result – the government has effectively folded in the face of his activities. They realised that what they were doing was wrong and harsh, and they have stepped back from it. So I welcome that step back – if only they were prepared to admit it honestly.

Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (15:56): I rise to make a contribution on motion 62 standing in Mr Mulholland’s name. There has been very interesting discussion on this motion, but for my contribution today I think I will focus on all of the things that this Andrews Labor government has been doing over many years, particularly in regard to harm minimisation. As we know, Mr Mulholland’s motion sets out the role that the RSLs play. Before I begin my contribution I just want to remark upon the recent Anzac Day, when I was able to attend the dawn service at Croydon and then also other services at the Warrandyte RSL and Templestowe RSL. I just want to say a thankyou to all of those returned service people, men and women, who do so much for our country when they go off and serve. I just think that the occasions that we attended just recently were amazing. It was wonderful to see the veteran community come out.

I know there are diverse views in the veterans community about the role that poker machines play, and I know that some of the younger vets in my community who have reached out to me do not like the idea of the revenue that is made from poker machines in the RSLs that have them. They do not like the drinking culture that is often associated with those things either. But nevertheless there are some RSLs that obviously get income from these sorts of things. Be that as it may, as I said, in terms of harm minimisation our government will continue to monitor the arrangements for all venues across the state to ensure that we have the appropriate regulatory settings. As Mr Galea very eloquently and aptly put before in his contribution, the government is already doing a lot of the stuff that Mr Mulholland spoke about in his motion. So we are constantly making sure that we have the right regulatory framework in this area and respond to any issues that might arise at the time.

Nevertheless, our clubs and RSLs are subject to the strongest regulator in the country. On 1 January 2022 the government established the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission to provide stronger and more focused regulation of Victoria’s gambling industry. It has oversight of all gambling and gaming activities within Victoria, from pubs and clubs through to the casino. The casino control commission is required to undertake activities to minimise gambling harm, and harm minimisation considerations are central to its work. For those experiencing or at risk of experiencing gambling harm, in the 2019–20 budget the government provided the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation with $153 million over four years. This represents the nation’s largest commitment to addressing gambling harm. The foundation delivers communication and education strategies, commissions research and works with gamblers help agencies to deliver counselling and treatment services to people who might be experiencing harm from gambling.

This government has already implemented a wide range of reforms to minimise gambling harm from the state’s poker machines and is implementing all of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence. We have introduced Australia’s first statewide network precommitment scheme, which is called YourPlay. I know that Mr Galea talked about that and others may have mentioned that in here today as well. This allows Victorians to set limits on how much time and money they spend on gambling machines, which is critically important. It means that they have some control over this, and if they have only got a certain amount of money in the pot, they can preset those limits before they play. Through this, players are assisted to identify and change their playing behaviours, so that mechanism helps and aids people to try and make changes to their behaviour if they feel that they are problematic.

Since YourPlay commenced on 30 April 2023 there have been 13.89 million gaming machine sessions using YourPlay, so as you can see it is a very well used and well subscribed service; 27.78 million responsible gambling information messages delivered to players advising them of their losses, so I am assuming that those things come through progressively as you are playing and you get messages telling you what is happening and what you need to look out for; 127,707 YourPlay cards issued to players of gaming machines; 50,542 registered YourPlay cards issued to players; 94,585 casual or anonymous cards activated by players; and 7173 players who have set a personalised message. What this shows is that people in the gambling community and people who like to participate in gambling activities are definitely making use of this really critical service called YourPlay. It allows them and helps them and is a very appropriate tool to enable them to manage their own gambling behaviours. An independent evaluation of the YourPlay scheme made 23 recommendations to strengthen the uptake and effectiveness of the scheme, and they are being implemented by the government.

The Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence subsequently recommended that YourPlay be a full mandatory and binding system at the Melbourne casino for Australian residents. This has been legislated by the Andrews Labor government and by December 2023 Crown is required to implement on all of its electronic gaming machines the following: mandatory carded play, meaning that all electronic gaming machines played at the casino will be linked to a patron’s identity, which is a key anti-money-laundering measure; and mandatory precommitment using the YourPlay system – the YourPlay system ensures players set time and spend limits prior to playing. At the Melbourne casino a player will not be able to continue play beyond their preset limit, so again this gives the opportunity and ability for people to set their preset limits and avoid the potential to be carried away in the moment and continue to gamble well beyond their means, which may plunge them into financial distress. We will be the first jurisdiction in the country to have mandatory carded play and precommitment, and this will live on almost one in 10 gaming machines in Victoria.

We have also prohibited ATMs in gaming venues and imposed $200 transaction and $500 daily EFTPOS withdrawal limits. Victoria is the only Australian mainland jurisdiction without ATMs in gaming venues. Further prohibitions apply on cash advances from a credit account and on cashing cheques at gaming venues as well. We have capped the total number of gaming machines in the state until 2042 and are setting regional caps and municipal limits on gaming machine entitlements. The caps and limits help to ensure that Victoria remains the Australian jurisdiction with the lowest density of gaming machines, except for Western Australia, which does not permit gaming machines outside of the casino.

We have improved the responsible gambling codes of conduct for venue operators from September 2020. The new codes improve harm minimisation and must include a statement that a venue operator has a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent and minimise harm from the operation of gaming machines.

As you can see, the government is well advanced in taking a number of actions around harm minimisation and is continually improving its efforts in those areas and acting on recommendations to continue to improve and to protect people who may be experiencing problem gambling. I will leave my contribution there.

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (16:05): I rise to speak on this motion. As someone who is passionate about gambling reform, any step forward to reduce gambling harm, no matter how small, is good news. Late yesterday the government announced a limited surrender scheme that will only apply to clubs and RSLs whose entitlements are not approved for use, so venues that deliberately applied for and were granted entitlements to poker machines but then failed to secure planning permission to operate them will be eligible for this scheme.

It is worth remembering how large the gambling harm problem across Victoria is, to put this motion and the step announced yesterday into context. There are currently 26,386 poker machines in Victoria, and people across our state lost more than $2.2 billion on these predatory machines last financial year. Glenroy RSL was an example mentioned in the motion. Community members lost more than $4.7 million at that venue alone last financial year. These financial losses are on top of the human impact of gambling harm, which contributes to family violence, relationship difficulties, issues with work and study, cultural problems, criminal activity, health problems, emotional and psychological distress and in some cases even loss of life through suicide. These misery machines prey on vulnerability, they supercharge inequality and they are designed to addict.

Because of its confined nature I am sceptical that the government’s scheme will lead to forfeiture of many entitlements. Let us say, for example, that there are 200 eligible entitlements. This is less than 1 per cent of the poker machines currently operating in Victoria, and because the scheme only applies to entitlements that are not currently in use, it will not actually reduce the number of poker machines operating in our state today. There is also no indication yet from the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation that she would actually extinguish any of the forfeited entitlements, meaning that those could be reallocated. They would pop up, and then they would begin causing harm at another venue if that was the case. We would welcome clarification from the minister that she will extinguish entitlements forfeited under the government’s scheme.

The Greens would have liked to see Mr Mulholland’s motion call on the minister to extinguish any forfeited entitlements, but that opportunity has not been taken up. So the real reduction from gambling harm from either this motion or from the newly announced scheme seems, sadly, minimal. I hope to be corrected. That is a shame because, make no mistake, we need real reform to reduce harm from poker machines in this state. We need dollar bet limits, $20 load-up limits and $500 jackpot limits. We need uniform closure of poker machine dens between midnight and 10 am, and there should be mandatory precommitment and cashless cards on every one of these misery machines across the state.

I acknowledge the government’s response to the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence’s recommendations. It is a great step, but we need it to cover misery machines across the state, not just at the casino, which accounts for only 10 per cent of the poker machines in Victoria, roughly. The Andrews Labor government should be removing barriers to organisations divesting from poker machines readily, not after being dragged to the table by a motion. Yet I have heard government MPs refer to motions in this place today as stunts or pranks. Well, here we are.

We also debate this motion today knowing that the government is gearing up to gift public money to the gambling and racing industry through the Gambling Taxation Bill 2023 currently in the other place. Speaking of finances, it is only the Greens who refuse to take donations from the gambling industry, unlike parties of our colleagues on both sides of the chamber, sadly. We need to end the flow of donations and influence from the gambling industry on our politics.

Yesterday’s announcement has been greeted as a baby step by gambling reform advocates, and I do hope it is just a first step to a broader surrender scheme. The Greens would welcome a comprehensive surrender scheme. A broad range of organisations should be able to access such a scheme, not just a few clubs that have failed to gain planning permissions. Any entitlements surrendered through such a scheme should be extinguished so that they do not reappear to cause harm elsewhere. A buyback scheme was in fact a cornerstone of the Victorian Greens gambling harm reduction election platform, and it can be done.

In the ACT, where the Greens and Labor are in shared government, they have recently implemented a buyback scheme that is scaling down poker machines over time. As this motion spells out, many clubs in Victoria are interested in handing back their licences and machines as poker machine operation becomes as toxic as tobacco sponsorship. We would welcome the opportunity to work with the government on this issue to develop a more comprehensive surrender scheme. We think that there should be an independent expert panel to advise and consider options for replacing revenue impacts if Victoria were to be free of poker machines by 2035. The panel would include local councils so that they can input to the reduction of licences and gambling harm in their neighbourhoods. I would be remiss to speak to this motion without acknowledging the key role that local governments have played for many, many years standing up for their communities against gambling harm. I also want to acknowledge the hard work of community advocates and lived-experience advocates in this space.

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (16:11): I rise today to put my contribution to motion 62 moved by Mr Mulholland. I wish to acknowledge and recognise the role that RSL sub-branches play in supporting our veterans and local communities. When Mr Mulholland came to me a few weeks back inquiring in relation to whether I knew anything about the RSLs being charged an entitlement fee for machines which have not been installed and with full pressure from the government insisting that the payment be made, I was pulled back by surprise and horror, because the RSL communities have a very special and important role in my life, my having been a reservist for the last 19 years. It took me by surprise in recent days that the government has reconsidered their situation, done a backflip and reversed their role, very much thanks to Mr Mulholland’s advocacy in the last few weeks. He brought to the media and to the wider community what the sub-branches have had to endure in the past few months in relation to legal issues and pressure from the authorities.

Mr Galea opposite mentioned earlier that the government has been active in doing stuff, and I welcome that the government has been doing that. I just hope if they have been doing all these things in the background, they will recognise the legal and financial burden they have put on these RSL sub-branches and hopefully, with all this pressure on the sub-branches and these legal costs which the sub-branches have had to endure, maybe the government might consider assisting them with the costs. I do acknowledge the government has done a backflip and now is not forcing these fees, so I do welcome that. Again, thank you, Mr Mulholland, for raising this, because there are many RSLs in my electorate in the west, and after Mr Mulholland mentioned this I actually went to all the RSLs and assured them that we are doing everything we possibly can to have this raised and to advocate.

I do want to express what the RSL means in this house. It is not a business which profits any individual or organisation. It is an organisation which assists our veterans. It is a faithful pillar to support our brave veterans and strives to ensure that our returned service men and women receive the care they deserve. That is what the Returned and Services League is all about. In navigating the complexities of health care and assisting with housing and employment opportunities for those service men and women who return, the RSL always stands side by side and advocates for their needs.

The RSL is much more than an advocacy group. It brings an essence of social connection desperately needed by our veterans and creates a community where they can find understanding, friendship and a place to reflect and gather their thoughts after all the service they have provided for our country. With social events, gatherings and activities, the RSL brings together individuals and gives them opportunities to share their experiences and to pass on any in-depth thoughts or grievances they have to the service. It eases the burden of isolation and also forms a network of support. That is what the RSL is. RSL Victoria also advocates for these service men and women and serves to continuously and tirelessly advocate and fight for their rights and interests. So again I just want to ensure that I raise these issues in this house to make sure that in the future, when anything like this may arise regarding the RSL, we do consider what it actually stands for and why it is there. It is not an organisation or business to profit from any individuals or any group, it is an organisation to help those men and women who actually have paid their time in service for our country.

I would again like to say thank you very much to Mr Mulholland for raising this motion and for all he has actually done in the last few weeks to raise this issue out in the wider community, and I acknowledge that the government has gone back and not charged these sub-branches for those machines which were not installed. In closing, I do strongly support this motion and I hope with any out-of-pocket financial fee the government has caused the sub-branches, it does consider assisting them to recover what is needed, as these branches are already in a difficult financial situation as it is. In relation to minimising and reducing the harm of gambling, I do not support poker machines in any sort of premises, but we have got to work together and slowly eradicate the gambling habits of those individuals who are in difficult situations. So I thank Mr Mulholland for his motion and I support it, and I hope the chamber supports it as well.

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (16:18): I am more than happy to speak to this motion and recognise the vital role of RSLs in our community. Just recently, like many other members here today, I joined multiple RSLs to commemorate Anzac Day. These services provide fitting ways for whole communities to respect fallen Anzacs who fought for the freedoms that make our democratic way of life possible. I attended an incredible student-led commemorative service at Mornington high school, with well over 1000 in attendance. Students and teachers were joined by members from the RSL, Lions Clubs and lots of other community groups and local businesses. The singing, drumming and trumpeting skills were really impressive, and the on-school avenue of honour for local fallen World War I soldiers was beautiful in the autumn sunlight. I very much appreciated being part of the service to remember the lives lost, as the students returned for term 2. These events bring the community together, and as is usually the case on Anzac Day there was strong bipartisan support for RSLs and respect for veterans generally. Of course I was also very pleased with the football result on Anzac Day, but all jokes aside, it is a terrific and longstanding mark of respect for our veterans, which I think is fitting. A record crowd roaring at the MCG in celebration of the freedom and culture that thrives in Australia is possible because of the sacrifices made by veterans.

The Andrews Labor government is supporting RSLs and clubs to get rid of their unused gaming machine entitlements. Let us be very clear: it is already happening. Not only has the government gazetted rules that will allow clubs and RSLs to get rid of their unused gaming entitlements without financial penalty but the government has been engaging with RSL Victoria and Community Clubs Victoria on the establishment of these rules for months. The Victorian government has a long history of support for leading organisations across our veteran sector, such as RSL Victoria, who do fantastic work for the veteran community. We have provided more than $3.4 million to RSL Victoria through direct funding and various grant programs, and on top of that we have provided hundreds of grants, totalling nearly $4.3 million, directly to RSL sub-branches for memorials, facilities and education programs. RSLs do important work supporting veterans, their families and local communities, and the Andrews Labor government is proud to continue to support them.

Most recently in Eastern Victoria our support includes the following RSL sub-branches: for Emerald RSL sub-branch, repair of the statue of the unknown soldier; for Inverloch RSL sub-branch, sustainability upgrades including solar and batteries; for Korumburra RSL sub-branch, urgent building maintenance support has been provided; for Lilydale RSL sub-branch, clubroom refurbishment; for Paynesville RSL sub-branch, a new roof; for Rosedale RSL sub-branch, a kitchen upgrade; for Sorrento Portsea RSL sub-branch, an upgrade of the switchboard and installation of safety lighting for the disabled car park and pathways; and for Warragul RSL sub-branch, a veterans welfare and wellbeing hub. So while this motion accuses the government of ripping money out of RSLs, we are in fact investing money directly into RSL sub-branches, improving their sustainability and supporting new programs for veterans. Not only are we investing money directly into the RSLs, but the surrender scheme will allow clubs and RSLs to hand back entitlements to government without being locked into paying them off, freeing up important funds that can be reinvested back into the community. In the big picture we will continue to monitor and improve the regulation of gambling in the Victorian community, including electronic gaming machines.

Our clubs and RSLs are subject to the strongest regulator in the country. On 1 January 2022 the government established the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. The VGCCC provides stronger, more focused regulation of Victoria’s gambling industry. It has oversight of all gambling and gaming activities within Victoria, from pubs and clubs through to the casino. The VGCCC is required to undertake activities to minimise gambling harm, and harm minimisation considerations are central to its work. For those experiencing or at risk of experiencing gambling harm, in the 2019–20 budget the government provided the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation with $153 million over four years. This represents the nation’s largest commitment to addressing gambling harm. The foundation delivers communication and education strategies, commissions research and works with Gambler’s Help agencies to deliver counselling and treatment services to people experiencing harm from gambling.

This government has already implemented a wide range of reforms to minimise gambling harm from the state’s poker machines and is implementing all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence. We introduced Australia’s first statewide network precommitment scheme, YourPlay, which allows Victorians to set limits on how much time and money they spend on gaming machines. Through this, players are assisted to identify and change their playing behaviours. This is a practical measure to reduce gambling harm, taking away some of the impulsive behaviour that pokie machines are designed to elicit by allowing people to set limits. Since YourPlay commenced, there have been, as at the end of last month, almost 14 million gaming machine sessions using YourPlay, almost 28 million responsible gambling information messages to players advising them of their losses, over 125,000 YourPlay cards issued to players of gaming machines, over 50,000 registered YourPlay cards issued to players, almost 95,000 casual cards activated by players and over 7000 players who have set a personalised message. An independent evaluation of the YourPlay scheme made 23 recommendations to strengthen the uptake and effectiveness of the scheme, and they are being implemented by the government.

The Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence subsequently recommended that YourPlay be a full mandatory and binding system at the Melbourne casino for Australian residents. This has been legislated by the Andrews Labor government, and by December 2023 Crown is required to implement on all its electronic gaming machines mandatory carded play, meaning that all electronic gaming machine play at the casino will be linked to a patron’s identity – this is a key anti-money-laundering measure – and mandatory precommitment using the YourPlay system. The YourPlay system ensures players set times and spending limits prior to playing. At the Melbourne casino a player will not be able to continue to play beyond their preset limits. We will be the first jurisdiction in the country to have mandatory carded play and precommitment, and this will live on almost one in 10 gaming machines in Victoria. We have also prohibited ATMs in gaming venues and imposed $200 transaction and $500 daily EFTPOS withdrawal limits. Victoria is the only Australian mainland jurisdiction without ATMs in gaming venues. Further prohibitions apply on cash advances from a credit account and on cashing cheques at gaming venues.

We have capped the total number of gaming machines in the state until 2042 and are setting regional caps and municipal limits on gaming machine entitlements. The caps and limits help to ensure that Victoria remains the Australian jurisdiction with the lowest density of gaming machines, except for Western Australia, which does not permit gaming machines outside the casino. We have improved the responsible gambling code of conduct for venue operators from September 2020. The new code improves harm minimisation and must include a statement that a venue operator has a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent and minimise harm from the operation of gaming machines.

I have been more than happy to speak to this motion and recognise the vital role of RSLs in our community and also recognise the government’s existing work on the surrender scheme. I have highlighted the great bipartisan spirit of Anzac Day and the continuing traditions upheld by our RSL sub-branches. These branches are supported by the government to improve their sustainability and services to the veteran community, including several recent projects funded in Eastern Victoria. Gambling regulation and harm minimisation continue to be critically important, and the government is continuing to address these through reforms such as the YourPlay system and through the work of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (16:27): Like Mr McIntosh, I am very pleased to join the debate on this important motion. As Mr McIntosh has done and as other speakers have done, I want to put on record my deep admiration for our RSLs and our RSL sub-branches. There are many in my electorate of the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region that I could mention. Maybe I should not say this, but I do have a particular affinity for the sub-branch at Box Hill, where just recently, actually, I joined with a member from across the aisle, Mr Leane, who is a fellow member in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region – I nearly knocked him off, but he got the top spot I think; Senator Ciccone, a fine senator whose office is directly over the road from me in Blackburn, and a good shoppie; and in addition Mr Wolahan, himself a returned serviceman, because the president of the sub-branch at Box Hill, Mr John Haward, who I have spoken of before in this place, invited the Governor-General to come to Box Hill to rededicate the war memorial and lay a new plaque. And what do you know, the Governor-General said yes. So we all assembled on a Saturday afternoon in the gardens that are adjacent to the RSL for an amazing ceremony and then a get-together. It was fabulous to meet the Governor-General and to be with these other wonderful members who cut across my broader region, but as always when we go to our local RSLs, the best part about it was catching up with members of the RSL afterwards. So I wholeheartedly concur with the sentiments of Mr McIntosh, Mr Mulholland and other speakers on this important motion regarding the immense service that our RSLs do for returned service people.

There are several key elements of the motion that I just want to touch upon briefly and reiterate the importance of in the context of my support for this motion. Point (1) is that we recognise:

… the vital role of Victoria’s Returned and Services League …

Of course. Now I will skip down to point (6), which is important:

further acknowledges that chasing RSLs to pay for unwanted poker machine entitlements shows the government is not serious when it comes to tackling gambling addiction and is addicted to pokies revenue …

There are big issues regarding the stability of the state’s budget, and we will have those conversations next week. But in that context, it is inappropriate to be taking some of the measures that have recently been taken that we know have impacted a series of RSLs. Mr Mulholland has helpfully noted just a few of the RSLs from around the state which have been impacted. Initially we learned of the sub-branch at Glenroy, but there was also Darebin, Pascoe Vale, Altona, Caulfield, Cheltenham and St Kilda.

Ultimately Mr Mulholland’s motion calls on the government to take action by allowing community sub-branches like the Glenroy RSL and others to forfeit their pokies entitlements without financial penalty – well, from the tenor of the debate it seems like that is a proposition that has broad support in the house; it has not always had broad support, but it seems from the tenor of the debate that it does – ending the cash grab against RSL sub-branches, letting them get back to their important role in the community of supporting local organisations and veterans; and, finally, finding ways to rein in their reckless spending agenda instead of at the expense of community RSL sub-branches.

Of course Mr Mulholland has gone through the details that have led us to this point. The broader debate I think has been so edifying regarding the multiparty support in this place for the role of RSLs. There have been important contributions from other members who have far greater knowledge than I, I must say, regarding a whole series of really complex and often dreadful issues that our returned service people oftentimes face. And I know, to give credit where credit is due, that this is something that the President was very passionate about during his tenure as the minister for veterans affairs. There has been work going on at a Commonwealth level by the former coalition government and ongoing work now by the relatively new Labor government, so my hope is that we can continue to work together wherever possible to get good outcomes for returned service people. My hope also is that we can come together to support a motion like this that – again noting the tenor of the debate – it seems has the support of the house, given that the proposition that is being put forward is so obviously sensible.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (16:32): I thank the members that made a contribution to this debate. I will note that Mr Galea said the backdown yesterday had nothing to do with my advocacy on this issue and that the government had been working on this for months. I will just note that on 27 April, not quite ‘for months’ ago, Glenroy RSL received a letter from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission asking them to pay out their entitlements or face 10 per cent compounding interest daily. So it appears that the left hand is not speaking to the right hand. On 26 April the government responded to the media story about it, saying venues in financial hardship could apply to defer payments. That does not seem like the action of a government that wanted to do anything about it until they were actually called out for in the media. So it was already in the works but just a coincidence that the minister’s release in part was word for word about this motion.

I note Ms Copsey’s thoughtful contribution in which she acknowledged that some people in this place and the other place talk about motions being meaningless. I think somehow this motion just so happens to be on the notice paper for debate the day after the government backflipped and sent out a media release announcing their backdown on this exact issue. It is just a pure coincidence; it just happened to happen. David Davis very well highlighted how the Premier personally botched entitlements in his time as gaming minister. I thought Mr Ettershank had a very thoughtful contribution, and it sounded like he was agreeing with the motion all the way up until he said he was not, for some reason. I think Mr McIntosh quite rightly acknowledged the government’s investment in RSLs, and that is welcome.

Matthew Bach: In terms suspiciously similar to Ms Terpstra.

Evan MULHOLLAND: I will take the interjection from Mr Bach and also note that the contributions of Mr McIntosh and Ms Terpstra were remarkably similar. It might have been sent through by the Premier’s private office – the exact same speech.

We are supportive of the government’s investment into RSLs, but what I want to know is: what happens to the $300,000 the Glenroy RSL has had to pay in legal fees, going back and forth with counsel and with this government, in order to fight them on these payments of entitlements which they cannot legally use? This is a commonsense motion. The government in their actions just yesterday showed that they are supportive of this motion, and I appreciate and I am very grateful for that support. Just speaking to Ken White today, speaking to the Glenroy RSL community and people in the Glenroy community, they are appreciative that the government have – dragged kicking and screaming – finally come to their senses on this very, very important issue.

Council divided on motion:

Ayes (16): Matthew Bach, Melina Bath, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, David Limbrick, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nicholas McGowan, Evan Mulholland, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell

Noes (22): Ryan Batchelor, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Katherine Copsey, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, David Ettershank, Michael Galea, Shaun Leane, Sarah Mansfield, Tom McIntosh, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Georgie Purcell, Samantha Ratnam, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Sheena Watt

Motion negatived.