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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2547 ..
MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Proposed new clauses 6A and 6B
MS TUCKER (5.10): I move:
Page 4, line 37, insert:
"6A. How the Commission must perform its functions
The Commission must perform its functions in the way that best promotes the public interest, and in particular, as far as practicable-
(a) promotes consumer protection;
(b) minimises the possibility of criminal or unethical activity; and
(c) reduces the risks and costs, to the community and to the individuals concerned, of problem gambling.
6B. Community consultation
(1) In performing its functions of reviewing legislation and policies in order to make recommendations to the Minister, the Commission must engage in community consultation.(2) The Commission's annual report must describe the processes of community consultation used by the Commission.".
Basically, the amendment outlines how the commission must perform its functions in a way that best promotes the public interest. In a way, some underlying principles are being set out here to guide the work of the commission. As I have already said, the Productivity Commission argued that this should be the underlying rationale for regulating the tax on gambling industries, due to the enormous impact that problem gambling has had on individuals.
MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (5.11): I do not actually oppose this amendment, but I do want to put on record a concern I have about this matter. I said before that I felt that it was important for the commission to encompass some idea of developing the industry within
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