❓ Mr. Millman asks the Premier about protecting Lotterywest from international betting organisations like Lottoland. The Premier confirms legislation to ban such organisations and criticises the opposition's stance on competition in the gaming industry.
AnsweredQoN 698Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOTTERYWEST
698. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for
Kalamunda, I acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's gallery of the
year 6 leaders of Mundaring Primary School, together with their accompanying
teachers.
I refer to the significant support
that Lotterywest provides to hundreds of community groups across Western Australia,
including, in my electorate, the Mount Lawley Neighbourhood Toy Library, which
recently received a $10 000 grant from Lotterywest. Can the Premier outline to
the house why this government is taking measures to protect Lotterywest and
ensure that it can continue to support these grassroots organisations; and, can
the Premier advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who currently does
not share this commitment of putting community organisations ahead of
international betting organisations?
698. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for
Kalamunda, I acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's gallery of the
year 6 leaders of Mundaring Primary School, together with their accompanying
teachers.
I refer to the significant support
that Lotterywest provides to hundreds of community groups across Western Australia,
including, in my electorate, the Mount Lawley Neighbourhood Toy Library, which
recently received a $10 000 grant from Lotterywest. Can the Premier outline to
the house why this government is taking measures to protect Lotterywest and
ensure that it can continue to support these grassroots organisations; and, can
the Premier advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who currently does
not share this commitment of putting community organisations ahead of
international betting organisations?
AnswerView source ↗
We will be bringing in legislation
to ban organisations such as Lottoland from operating and advertising in Western
Australia. All they do is take money away from this state and give nothing back
to community organisations in our state. Western Australia has Lotterywest,
which is the envy of other states. It is an independent body that provides
grants to community organisations across the state, which are provided by the
proceeds of lotto tickets that people might buy—Lotterywest tickets,
scratchies and the like. Last financial year, more than $260 million was given
back to the community, including some money to the health system, for sport and
a range of other things. But $104 million of that was in direct grants to local
community groups all over Western Australia. We
see that our role is to defend that model. We think the Lotterywest model is a good
model in our state. It has been around for decades and it is the envy of
the rest of the country. Lotterywest provides grants to organisations such as
Rocky Bay, to which it has provided around $5 million in support. It has given
the St Vincent de Paul Society millions of dollars in support and it has also
provided millions of dollars to the Independent Living Centre WA, which
provides disability equipment. In the Leader of the Opposition's
electorate, Rossmoyne Community Kindergarten received $208 000 and the Rotary
Club of Willetton received $8 000. Surf Life Saving clubs and all these sorts
of organisations around Western Australia have received support from
Lotterywest. We will bring in legislation to try to stop the scourge of
Lottoland and other synthetic lotteries that do not provide anything back. I was
shocked yesterday to see that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal
Party will not support this legislation. I was shocked and appalled that the
opposition did not indicate support for the legislation. What he said was this —
An opposition member interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It has been
read in, my friend. The negativity just oozes out. This is what he had to say —
� I am in favour of competition.
You can't stop progress, you
can't stop competition even in the gaming industry.''
That is what the Leader of the
Opposition said. That says to me that the Liberal Party does not support it. We
are saying that we will bring in these laws and we will pass them through this
house. We want to see the Liberal Party stand up for Lotterywest.
Around 700 newsagents and
proprietors sell Lotterywest products around Western Australia. We will be
contacting these small business people who sell these products around Western Australia
to ask them to support us in what we are doing, and ask them to put pressure on
the Liberal Party, and I assume the National Party, to support these laws so
that we can favour Western Australia over international bookmakers who rip
money out of Western Australia. All I can hear from the Liberal Party is this
bleating in favour of these international bookmakers; they are not in favour of
Western Australia.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : All I can hear
is this bleating in their favour. We will be contacting those small operators
to ensure they understand that these laws are coming in to help our state. We
want their support. We want to support small business and Lotterywest in our
state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. Member for Carine, I call you
to order for the third time.
to ban organisations such as Lottoland from operating and advertising in Western
Australia. All they do is take money away from this state and give nothing back
to community organisations in our state. Western Australia has Lotterywest,
which is the envy of other states. It is an independent body that provides
grants to community organisations across the state, which are provided by the
proceeds of lotto tickets that people might buy—Lotterywest tickets,
scratchies and the like. Last financial year, more than $260 million was given
back to the community, including some money to the health system, for sport and
a range of other things. But $104 million of that was in direct grants to local
community groups all over Western Australia. We
see that our role is to defend that model. We think the Lotterywest model is a good
model in our state. It has been around for decades and it is the envy of
the rest of the country. Lotterywest provides grants to organisations such as
Rocky Bay, to which it has provided around $5 million in support. It has given
the St Vincent de Paul Society millions of dollars in support and it has also
provided millions of dollars to the Independent Living Centre WA, which
provides disability equipment. In the Leader of the Opposition's
electorate, Rossmoyne Community Kindergarten received $208 000 and the Rotary
Club of Willetton received $8 000. Surf Life Saving clubs and all these sorts
of organisations around Western Australia have received support from
Lotterywest. We will bring in legislation to try to stop the scourge of
Lottoland and other synthetic lotteries that do not provide anything back. I was
shocked yesterday to see that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal
Party will not support this legislation. I was shocked and appalled that the
opposition did not indicate support for the legislation. What he said was this —
An opposition member interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It has been
read in, my friend. The negativity just oozes out. This is what he had to say —
� I am in favour of competition.
You can't stop progress, you
can't stop competition even in the gaming industry.''
That is what the Leader of the
Opposition said. That says to me that the Liberal Party does not support it. We
are saying that we will bring in these laws and we will pass them through this
house. We want to see the Liberal Party stand up for Lotterywest.
Around 700 newsagents and
proprietors sell Lotterywest products around Western Australia. We will be
contacting these small business people who sell these products around Western Australia
to ask them to support us in what we are doing, and ask them to put pressure on
the Liberal Party, and I assume the National Party, to support these laws so
that we can favour Western Australia over international bookmakers who rip
money out of Western Australia. All I can hear from the Liberal Party is this
bleating in favour of these international bookmakers; they are not in favour of
Western Australia.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : All I can hear
is this bleating in their favour. We will be contacting those small operators
to ensure they understand that these laws are coming in to help our state. We
want their support. We want to support small business and Lotterywest in our
state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. Member for Carine, I call you
to order for the third time.
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