Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

Can I put it to you, Minister—and I note this isn't your portfolio—I don't think the government has received any expert evidence in relation to this three-month cooling-off period after BetStop or the 14-day cooling-off period after someone opens their account. I don't think any expert evidence was received in relation to the three advertisements an hour, because I don't know of any expert who, having read all the submissions, is opined that any of these measures are going to be efficient or effective to achieve their purpose.

This has been one of the fundamental issues with this whole process. This is a compromise package. It is not informed by evidence. It is not informed by the evidence of the experts who have been studying gambling addiction for decades. That is what the experts are telling us.

Inducements are invidious. All of the research indicates that inducements lead to bigger bets, higher frequency gambling and greater gambling harm. All of the evidence suggests that. I commend the members who provided their views with respect to the Murphy report in relation to the importance of banning gambling inducements. One of the other factors that was raised in that report was the impact especially on young people—the impact on young Australians. We're talking about 600,000 children. The statistics tell us 600,000 children under 18 are actually engaging in online gambling. It's horrendous. And one of the issues with these inducements of free bets and the bonus bets that you referred to is that they distort the cost of gambling in the minds of those young people, and it lures them in and causes huge gambling harm.

This is my final question. Minister, you're a decent person. I've got no doubt about that. I know you don't have carriage of this matter, but what do you say to the agencies in Queensland who are the not-for-profits, the faith based organisations like St Vincent de Paul—Vinnies—the Salvation Army and Anglicare? They are always there helping Queenslanders in need, in their direst hour, and always there to pick the pieces up and do whatever they can. They have given a collective cry from the heart to ban gambling inducements and ban gambling advertising. What do you say? How do you defend this compromise package to those faith based organisations?