The hearing concerning the Sky City gaming convention continues and it continues causing a lot of controversy about gambling in Australia. According Trevor Mallard, the Labor MP, the organizations that offer problem gambling services were gagged and were not given the chance to express their opinions. The Commerce Select Committee is currently hearing the different submissions on the Sky City Convention bill that will determine whether the bill will go ahead or no.

Mr. Mallard has stated that the different organizations that hold public health contracts and offer problem gambling services, and this includes their own staff, were blocked from giving their submission and evidence to the Commerce Select Committee. He added that the people who work first hand with those who suffer from problem gambling know the real damage of gambling in Australia and how will this new deal add fuel to the problem. He then said that it is absolutely anti democratic that these organizations who should have their say to be silenced like this.

On the other hand, Steven Joyce, the Economic Development Minister, has stated that the opponents of the deal are free to express their opinions and present any evidence they see fit. He added that different groups would certainly have varied opinions on the matter. The people who are against the idea will not come and say that we are better off without the deal but they will express their worries and concerns from the results that can happen due to the deal. His opinion that the best thing is to go through the submission process, which is exactly what the select committee is currently doing. This is why there should not be a commentator on every submission because the committee will look at all of the evidence and the submissions, so there is no need for speeches to accompany every single submission.