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Thursday, 1 November 2012
Page: 12915

Ms MACKLIN (Jagajaga—Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Minister for Disability Reform) (09:17): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill is one of the two companions to the National Gambling Reform Bill 2012. The three bills form a package that give effect to key parts of the Australian government's commitment, announced on 21 January this year, to reduce the harm caused by poker machines to problem gamblers and their families.

The purpose of this bill is to impose a supervisory levy in relation to gaming machines. The levy is established by the National Gambling Reform Bill 2012, the primary bill in this legislation package.

The purpose of the supervisory levy is to cover the costs to the Commonwealth in relation to the administration of the three bills. The method of calculating the supervisory levy will be determined by regulations. The government will be consulting with industry in the development of the regulations.

The primary bill also allows arrangements which enable the regulator to charge fees for its services to the industry. A combination of fees for service and the supervisory levy will be used to cover the costs of administration of the bills.

The formal imposition of the levy in this bill arises from section 55 of the Constitution, which requires that laws imposing taxation deal only with the imposition of taxation.

Both this bill and the primary bill are necessary to establish the levy.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.