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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-27 Daily Xml
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FLINDERS CENTRE FOR GAMBLING RESEARCH

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (15:27): I commend the member for Adelaide on raising the issue of the sexualisation of girls and, with her call for bipartisanship, I am sure she will be pleased to join with me in congratulating the Premier, the former attorney-general and the member for Ashford when acting in her former role as minister for youth for providing considerable grants to keep Young Media Australia alive at a time when the Howard government simply de-funded them and could not be interested in these issues at all, despite many representations from Young Media Australia. I am pleased that this matter is now on a bipartisan agenda.

The issue I wanted to raise today was to follow up on a question I asked earlier this week of the Minister for Families and Communities who was pleased to announce earlier this week the formation of the Flinders Centre for Gambling Research. I think many people know that another problem of the modern era is gambling although, unlike the sexualisation of girls, gambling as a problem has been around in our community for many years. Unfortunately, in my view, recently the focus has been on poker machines and the harm done by this form of gambling. However, in my childhood I dealt with many people who were impoverished as a result of their father's occupying too much of their time at racecourses, and a considerable social deprivation and devastation occurred as a result of that.

About 1.6 per cent of our population has serious gambling problems and the importance of the Flinders approach is that they are dealing with the behaviours relating to gambling. I have been sad that recently so much attention has gone to having clocks on walls, putting limits on this and limits on that, how many machines operate in a particular venue, etc. and has not focused on why it is that people gamble, what form of gambling it takes, what social conditions might lead to the gambling, and what behavioural issues and mental health issues are involved. They have simply spent too much time focusing on the machine and whether they go bing or bang or sing hallelujah.

Flinders University, on the other hand, has been researching the behaviour relating to gambling and, on the basis of scientific research, has looked at how we can develop models to prevent problem gambling and how those who are unfortunately entrapped can be assisted to overcome the behaviour. As I said, it is the behaviour that they focus on. They use mainly cognitive behavioural therapy, with people being exposed to the gambling risk so that they learn how to reject it and move on.

Their mental health is assessed during this program and any support relating to their mental health provided. As we know, one of the reasons for bringing the treatment of mental health and physical health more closely into alignment is that many people with mental health problems also have physical health problems, and we are developing a much more unified approach to the treatment of people with mental health difficulties who, almost invariably, have physical health problems. The Flinders model, of necessity, also brings in any physical problems that might be present.

The figures that we have about the gambling revenue to the state show that, for many years, the introduction of clocks and limits on bangs, and what have you, really did not have any impact on the growth of gambling, let alone the amount of gambling. What did have an impact was the prevention of smoking in gambling venues, and we all knew that would happen. However, again, that was a temporary halt and things have moved backwards and the trend is again upwards.

So, the focus of this government, in conjunction with Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, on a treatment program that involves an individual in looking at their situation, engaging their family to help them overcome problems and moving on very successfully to a situation where they can avoid gambling, is to be commended.

Time expired.

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