4 June 2019

Profit from racing takes priority over good democracy, people and gambling harm

The Salvation Army is extremely disappointed that the Government is prioritising profit and propping up New Zealand’s racing industry over people and problem gambling harm.

In urgency, the Government is passing the Racing Reform Bill. To The Salvation Army’s surprise, the Government has only given the public 3 working days (after a public holiday) to make submissions to this Bill.

“Where is good democracy and giving people and communities a fair go, so they can share their views about this Bill? This is an unfair process, especially as we believe the effects of destructive gambling harm have not been adequately assessed in this Bill’s process” says Lt. Col. Lynette Hutson from The Salvation Army Addictions Services.

“Our staff have had to work over the long weekend to prepare this submission. Profit should not supersede good democratic processes and truly understanding the effects of gambling harm.”

In summary, The Salvation Army wants to highlight:

The unfair timeframe for written and oral submissions to this Bill (3 working days);
The Government’s own Standing Orders state the ‘normal’ period for submissions is a minimum of 6 weeks for submissions;
The Department of Internal Affairs states that the tight timeframe has meant drawbacks in the analysis, particularly regarding the costs and financial implications of the Bill, and that the specific package of reforms proposed in this Bill has not been directly consulted on.

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