Tariana Turia

Maori Gambling Workforce Awards night

Sorrento in the Park, One Tree Hill, Royal Oak, Auckland

Hon Tariana Turia, Associate Minister of Health

Tuesday 1 September 2009 Whoever came up with your theme in celebration of Gamble-Free Day, of 'planting seeds for whanau ora' is a genius.

Of course, on one level it makes perfect sense.

Here we are at Sorrento in the Park; on One Tree Hill in Royal Oak - it'd be hard to avoid the inevitable association to growth; to regeneration and to flourishing in full bloom - which is exactly what my aspiration for whanau is - to thrive and realise their full potential.

Problem gambling - and the devastating consequences as demonstrated in relationship breakdown, financial ruin, psychological distress, criminal offending, imprisonment and suicide severely compromises the potential of our whanau; - and today is as good a day as any to say, that we choose to leave it all behind.

On another level, when I think of the recent revolution of maara kai, it seems to me that the concept of planting seeds for whanau ora is a wonderful allusion to how we can address the chronic problem of gambling.

You will no doubt be aware that the emergence of maara kai - food gardens - has sprung up as a response to the grim reality of recession.

As families struggle to put food on the table, communities are coming together to recreate a way of life known to many of us in the years gone by.

I well remember the pride we had in our marae gardens - the satisfaction of being able to grow our own produce; to eat from our gardens; and to manaaki our manuhiri.

In fact the phenomenon of maara kai is traced back to pre-colonial times, when gardens would last a whole year; when planting was determined by the moon; when whanau could be self-sufficient and sustainable in caring for their own.

The scourge of gambling is the polar opposite of the rise of the maara kai.

Unlike our gardening histories, prior to contact with non-Maori; tangata whenua had no history of traditional concepts of gambling indeed there was no word for gambling in the Maori language.

David Grant has described the introduction of gambling by the new settlers as "cultural baggage" - baggage which has been disproportionately associated with Maori.

And so here we are today, recognising that Maori are two to three times more at risk of problem and pathological gambling than non-Maori; and that Maori youth are six times as likely as non-Maori to develop gambling problems.

Instead of leading to self-determination - gambling creates more and more reliance on gaming machines to be the panacea for all.

If we take into account the ripple effect of each individual problem gambler having a direct impact on at least five people; we're looking at close to 250,000 people adversely affected by Maori problem gambling.

Or more to the point - by problem gambling experienced by Maori. The moment we start defining gambling as a Maori problem is the moment we normalise or internalise gambling as being part of who we are, and I flatly refuse to do that.

Instead, I am a believer in considering gambling as what Dr Lorna Dyall describes as a social hazard.

Dr Dyall compares the intervention of new games such as 'Risk' or 'Powerball' as on a par with the introduction of any biological or chemical hazards that are likely to place people at risk, in danger of loss or injury.

She describes these games of chance as social hazards which require the same extent of licencing, management, monitoring and ongoing research to assess the full social, economic and cultural impacts.

So how do we plant the seeds of hope to radically transform such a bleak landscape, littered by the cultural baggage and social hazards of gambling, into one in which whanau ora will flourish?

I read an interesting quote by African-American activist, Malcolm X, which helps point out a way forward. He said, and I quote

"There is no better than adversity.

Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time".

The seed of optimism we can find in every case of problem gambling, is I suggest, the promise of whanau ora.

There is no dispute over the fact that gambling is extremely destructive to individuals, whanau and communities in the way in which it impacts on the quality of life for whanau; and inhibits their capacity to control and manage their own lives.

Conversely, the answers may lie in whanau ownership and accountability of the problems of gambling.

Occasions like today are a wonderful expression of how the strength of whanau wrapped around individuals can help to provide the pathway out.

Gamble Free Day is a day which promotes action against gambling harm by utilising the power of the people - tonight, for instance, whanau throughout the land will be eating out in venues sponsored especially for gamble free day.

In other areas, awareness with groups such as Maori Women's Welfare League; community and marae settings; Maori wardens and others are called on to support whanau to move outside of the casinos and pokie parlours.

There is one more interpretation of your theme - planting seeds for whanau ora - that I want to refer to.

And that is the concept, that while hope springs eternal that the promise of whanau ora will be the most effective tool to encourage Maori to escape the grips of a gambling addiction; perhaps the more effective strategy is for whanau themselves to take collective responsibility to step up to the plate, and focus on the reduction of gambling related harm right across their whanau.

And there's a particular project that I have in mind!

All of the research tells us that gambling is supply driven - that is that gambling activity is strictly related to the density of gambling opportunities in one's neighbourhood.

The vast majority of machines and venues are located in more deprived areas; and unsurprisingly, problem gambling has a disproportionate effect on those who are more socially economically deprived - of which of course in Aotearoa, Maori are over-represented.

We know that half of all problem gamblers live in the most deprived areas; whereas only 20% of the total population live in the most deprived areas.

I would like to plant the seed that whanau get together and build on their collective position of power, to get on the agenda of every District Council; to investigate the connection between local level access to gambling venues and problem gambling.

We all need to take a stand; to protect our communities from further harm; to take responsibility for the wellbeing of our communities.

The opportunity for the seed of hope to transform into the flower of the joy, is to stand up on this Gamble Free Day and to declare problem gambling a social hazard.

That was why I was so delighted to accept the invitation from Hapai Te Hauora Tapui to acknowledge and encourage best practice in Maori public health and clinical services; to provide inspiration and to raise awareness of problem gambling.

What you have done in establishing this inaugural Maori Gambling Workforce Awards Dinner is to take the power back; to put it in our hands.

I want to particularly acknowledge Ngati Whatua, for your consistent generosity of spirit as mana whenua, in welcoming us into your rohe; as you have done for decades and centuries to hosts of others.

I want to congratulate Raukura Hauora o Tainui; Waipareira; and Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua for the expression of kotahitanga you have illustrated in collaborating together in the fight against gambling.

And finally I honour all of the problem gambling workforce for the mahi you have all achieved in advancing the path to whanau ora.

I congratulate all our winners to come; I commend all of you for the efforts to get here tonight; and I pay my tribute to whanau members who have taken the step to leave gambling behind.

Ultimately it is your courage to put gambling aside that plants the greatest seed of whanau ora in our communities and enables all of our environments to flourish.