Editorial: More choice for communities

It has been a pretty hectic last couple of weeks with the passing of the first reading of my gambling bill and the introduction of my supplementary order paper on the Alcohol Reform Bill. I want to focus this week's article on these two issues; mainly because they are two of the leading factors in our fight against social hazards and also because one of them is open for submissions.

My gambling bill, the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill, has had a flurry of opponents recently speak out against it. Their argument has been somewhat misleading and, as I've been quoted, constitutes "scurrilous scaremongering". I would also like to add that unless these groups have a more constructive way of improving this bill for the benefit of our communities who are at risk, then I see little value in meeting with them.

The purpose of my bill is to provide local communities with more power to determine where pokie machines may be sited and how the proceeds can be distributed. It also changes the responsibility for distributing pokie funds to provide an informed and democratically accountable distribution method. There are other benefits from the bill - it will end the inefficiencies, the lack of transparency and the risks of unethical behaviour that have been associated with gambling in the past.

I am also really keen to see that the greatest needs of particular geographical and ethnic communities are recognised in the distribution of the "community benefit" funds from pokies. It also allows for distribution of money to sports clubs and so on but in a far more focused and localised way, with more transparency in that process.

There have been concerns about the make-up of some trusts so the public submission process will probably give a better view on how the communities believe we can, in fact, ensure accountability and transparency.

I would like to use our neighbouring community of Kawerau as an example. They, on average, "invest" about $2 million per year into pokie machines. Yet in the 2005 DIA report, Where do Gaming Machine Profits go?, it was noted that Kawerau had received just under $150k in gaming revenue grants. That is less than 25 per cent of what they are entitled to.

The closing date for submissions on this bill is Thursday, June 21, 2012.

On to another issue of social harm, I recently submitted a supplementary order paper to the Alcohol Reform Bill, which proposes a number of significant changes.

Our team felt that the bill, was not quite up to scratch, so we put our thoughts forward through the paper and I am currently in the process of seeking support from the other parties.

Among a number of changes, we propose that proximity to schools be a criteria when granting liquor licences, that mana whenua be represented on local committees, and that alcohol in grocery stores and shops be invisible.

It will be a very busy next couple of weeks, but I am looking forward to taking our concerns to where they can be addressed effectively.

E hia ke nei nga mahi kua ea i nga wiki kua pahure. Ara ano taku pire petipeti kua paahi i tona panuitanga tuatahi, a, i taua wa ano, i whakatakoto au i taku pepa tapiri mo te pire inu waipiro. Ko taku mo tenei wiki, he wawahi i enei kaupapa, na te mea, ko enei take e rua etahi o nga tino hara e pa atu ana ki te iwi Maori, a, ko tetahi o raua kua whakatuwherahia mo te hunga e hiahia ana ki te tohe ki te whakaae ranei.

Kua whai hoariri taku pire, te Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Bill, a, ko etahi o nga korero e puta ana he he, he korero whakamataku hoki. Ko taku ki te marea, mena kaore koutou i te hiahia ki te whakatika i te pire kia whai painga te hunga e pa pouri ana, kaua e tono hui mai ki ahau.

Ko te tino tikanga o taku pire, kia ahei ko nga kaunihera a rohe me te mana whenua e tohutohu ma wai e whakatu mihini petipeti, me pehea hoki te putea o nga mihini e horahia ai ki te iwi. Ka waiho hoki kia tika, kia pono hoki te tohatoha o nga moni ki nga roopu e tono ana.

Kua rangona whanuitia nga awangawanga e pa ana ki etahi o nga roopu tohatoha putea, no reira, ma tenei pire e arahi i te iwi ki te whakaputa i aua whakaaro kia rongo ai tatou katoa i te tika me te pono o te tohatoha putea.

Kia titiro tatou ki a Kawerau, kei reira te tauira. Rua miriona tara ratou e whakapau ana ki nga mihini petipeti, a, e ai ki te ripoata o te Te Tari Taiwhenua, i whai ratou i te kotahi rau rima tekau mano hei putea tautoko mai i aua mihini. Heke iho i te 25 pai heneti tera o te putea i whakaratoa ki a ratou.

Tena, ka kati nga whakatakotoranga mo tenei pire i te Taite, 21 o Pipiri 2012.

Ki tetahi hara ano. Katahi ano ahau ka whakatakoto i taku pepa tapiri ki te pire inu waipiro, a, he maha nga rereketanga kua tonoa e taku pepa. Kaore te Paati Maori i te whakaae ki nga marohi o te pire, no reira i waiho ma tenei pepa e whakakaha i te pire, a, kei te rapu tautoko au i tenei wa i etahi atu paati.

Ehia ke nei nga whakatikatika ka whaia nei e matou. Ko te tata o te kura ki te wahi tono raihana hei kaupapa wananga, ka riro he wahi mo te mana whenua ki te tepu whakatau mo nga take waipiro o te hapori, ka hunaia te waipiro ki ro toa hoko kai hoki.

Ae, he wiki nui kei mua i te aroaro, engari ko te mea nui ka haria nga take motuhake nei ki te wahi e tika ai kia wanangatia.