Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share 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.