Independent and opposition senators yesterday forced Government to adjourn debate on a bill to regulate the gaming and betting industry when it became obvious their required support was not forthcoming.
There were many heated moments as Government tried, with the moral support of several industry employees who were physically present in Parliament, to convince the Opposition and Independents of the need to support the measure.
But that was not to be as the leader of the independent benches, Helen Drayton, accused the Government of being “farse and out of place” and “disrespectful,” noting that the Parliament would be dissolved next week.
In a brief contribution, Drayton said the matter should be referred to a Joint Select Committee of the Parliament. But she said she was “not a happy camper today.”
Drayton said she “winced” when she heard Finance and the Economy Minister Larry Howai tell legislators that the measure was intended to protect the country. She said it was because of the increased possibility of money laundering occurring in this country that the bill required thorough scrutiny and should not be rushed.
In response to another claim by Howai in his presentation that it could lead to job security for many employees in the industry, Drayton said she was “tempted to say that the Government can’t be serious.”
She recalled that the Government brought gambling legislation in 2013 which “sanctioned gambling in every nook and cranny of the country.” She said that promoted the spread of the one-armed bandit called the cocaine of the gambling industry.
“Government can’t be sincere in bringing what is supposed to be important legislation in a manner that denies the senators adequate time to study the bill,” she argued, noting the bill had implications for the banking sector and crime in the country.
Pointing out that the Government had also come “at the midnight hour with four other bills to be studied and debated,” Drayton said, “If the Government has no respect for senators, then at least have respect for the people who gave their time and energy in the drafting of this legislation.”
She then responded to a published comment made by the Leader of Government Business in the Senate Ganga Singh about the senators not wanting to do work.
“I think it is farse and out of place, moreso when we spent 12 hours yesterday drafting legislation,” she said, adding that Attorney General Garvin Nicholas had “publicly admitted that the Government brought legislation that was badly drafted.”
“I am tempted to say it is the midnight hour for them (but) they ought to have more respect,” she repeated.
Miscalculation
In an interview with reporters after he adjourned the debate on the bill in the Senate, Singh said he spoke of the existence of a bicameral system of Parliament in the country, which results in a symbiotic relationship between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
He said the House passed several bills last week which required the attention of the Senate this week. He said last Friday all members agreed to increased sittings for the rest of the session, which concludes next week.
He said on Monday some of the senators seemed not to have taken into account what was said last Friday. But he said he never said that senators did not like to work.
“What I said was that when you sign on as a senator you did not sign on for one day per week. You have to work as the work becomes available. That is what I said,” Singh added.
He said Drayton was free to express her concerns, but it was now unlikely that the bill would be completed before the session ended next week.
“The problem is that in the confined space we have for the term ending on June 17, we have very little room to manoeuvre.”
He said the measure was brought because the PP Government gave a commitment to deal with the regulation of the gambling industry.
More Info
The explanatory note to the bill said it was intended to provide for the establishment of a Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Commission for the purpose of regulating the gaming and betting sectors which are, both on a global and national level, vulnerable to infiltration by money launderers and terrorist financing. The note says, the commission shall establish a licensing framework which will aid in minimising the potential for money laundering and terrorism financing, due to the stringent criteria that will have to be met by anyone desirous of obtaining a licence permitting them to work in the gambling sector. It is recognised, too, that these sectors have the potential to contribute meaningfully and positively to the national economy if regulated effectively, by creating employment prospects not only in the sector but in other sectors servicing that sector, thereby creating greater tax revenues.