Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Gambling Taxation Bill 2023

Second reading

Council divided on motion:

Ayes (35): Matthew Bach, Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Katherine Copsey, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Jacinta Ermacora, David Ettershank, Michael Galea, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Sarah Mansfield, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nicholas McGowan, Tom McIntosh, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Samantha Ratnam, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt

Noes (2): David Limbrick, Georgie Purcell

Motion agreed to.

Read second time.

Committed.

Committee

Clauses 1 to 28 agreed to.

Clause 29 (16:17)

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Ms Copsey, I invite you to move your amendments 1 to 3, which test your amendments 4 and 5.

Katherine COPSEY: I move:

1. Clause 29, page 25, lines 16 to 18, omit the definition of Gaming Minister.

2. Clause 29, page 27, lines 26 and 27, omit the definition of Racing Minister.

3. Clause 29, page 28, lines 9 to 12, omit the definition of Victorian racing industry payment.

As discussed in my contribution on the bills earlier, we all can agree that the gambling industry should pay its fair share of tax. However, we should not see that revenue then being directed back into the harmful racing industry. My amendments seek to remove the Victorian racing industry payment.

David LIMBRICK: The Liberal Democrats will be supporting this amendment, although I have nothing against the racing industry per se, unlike the Greens who have a selective opposition to corporate welfare and we consider this corporate welfare. The Liberal Democrats oppose all forms of corporate welfare, so we will support this amendment.

Jaclyn SYMES: We will not be supporting the Greens amendment today. It goes without saying that the Andrews Labor government supports the racing industry and the many, many people that work in it. The Gambling Taxation Bill 2023 will increase the wagering and betting tax – the point-of-consumption tax – from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, which will apply to net wagering revenue effective from 1 July 2024, bringing the state into line with the rates that already apply in other states such as New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. We have publicly announced this already, and our intention is to pass through part of the increase to the racing industry with the racing industry’s share of revenue being 7.5 per cent of the current 15 per cent.

The government is committed to providing support for the racing industry in this way to provide long-term certainty for the industry, helping the industry to back jobs and events that bring millions of dollars each year to communities right across the state; many contributors in today’s debate have talked about their local racing clubs and the benefit that racing brings to particularly country towns. The Victorian racing industry, on that note, is a significant contributor to the state, adding $4.7 billion annually in economic activity and providing more than 35,000 full-time equivalent jobs. It is particularly important, as I said, to country areas where more than 100 clubs are supported by more than 70,000 participants and provide $2.45 billion annually in economic value to those areas.

It is certainly the government’s intention to not support these amendments, because they would be in direct opposition to the racing industry, which we are on the record as wanting to support through these important measures in the bill today. So we will not be in a position to support your amendments today, Ms Copsey.

Council divided on amendments:

Ayes (8): Katherine Copsey, David Ettershank, David Limbrick, Sarah Mansfield, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Georgie Purcell, Samantha Ratnam

Noes (29): Matthew Bach, Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Jacinta Ermacora, Michael Galea, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Tom McIntosh, Evan Mulholland, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt

Amendments negatived.

Clause agreed to; clauses 30 to 80 agreed to; schedules 1 and 2 agreed to.

Reported to house without amendment.

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (16:29): I move:

That the report be now adopted.

Motion agreed to.

Report adopted.

Third reading

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (16:29): I move:

That the bill be now read a third time.

The PRESIDENT: Just to alert the house, according to standing order 14.20, this bill requires an absolute majority. The question is:

That the bill be now read a third time and do pass.

Council divided on question:

Ayes (36): Matthew Bach, Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Katherine Copsey, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Jacinta Ermacora, David Ettershank, Michael Galea, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Sarah Mansfield, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nicholas McGowan, Tom McIntosh, Evan Mulholland, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Samantha Ratnam, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt

Noes (2): David Limbrick, Georgie Purcell

Question agreed to by absolute majority.

Read third time.

The PRESIDENT: Before we call the next order of the day, I acknowledge Professor Ken Coghill, who is a former Speaker, and I believe he has accompanying him – I hope it is the right person, because if it is not him I will be embarrassed – Mr Karl Kurtz, former CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures in the US. Welcome.

Just so people know too, the previous bill, pursuant to standing order 14.28, will be returned to the Assembly with a message informing them that the Council have agreed to the bill without amendment.