The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has welcomed a Herald/Nielsen poll that again confirms a majority of Australians support poker machine reform.
“Australians know that poker machines hurt families and that helps explain why poll after poll show national support for action consistently over 60 per cent,’’ he said.
Mr Wilkie said polls bounced around and he was not surprised support for the reforms had eased in NSW, the state which has borne the brunt of the pokies industry’s $40m disinformation campaign aimed at protecting its profits.
“So far the industry’s campaign has included misrepresenting the Salvation Army and the AFL, refusing to tell the whole story and in particular the introduction of low loss poker machines with $1 maximum bets, and hysterical claims about implementation costs, job losses and the impact on community groups,’’ he said.
Mr Wilkie said the reforms were progressing well and were on track to have passed into law by May next year.
“The pokies industry is hell bent on protecting its right to profit from human misery,’’ he said.
“But it continues to be completely out of step with the majority of Australians who say `enough is enough’.
“The time has come to help the 95,000 Australian problem gamblers who lose $5b each year on the pokies.’’
• SMH: Nine admits it was responsible for pokies comments
• Yesterday on Tasmanian Times: As Wilkie’s pokies deal looms, Federal Hotels says it’s been hit by a drop of income
• PRESSURE ON FEDERAL GROUP TO DROP RESISTENCE TO POKIES TRIAL
Treasurer Urged to Repeat Offer of State Trial
Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens have increased the pressure on the Federal Group to drop their opposition to trialling mandatory pre-commitment technology on pokies, by calling on the Treasurer to reopen negotiations with the Commonwealth to offer Tasmania to trial the technology.
Greens Gaming spokesperson, Kim Booth MP, said that Federal Hotels’ opposition had blocked previous efforts for Tasmania to host such a trial in Tasmania, but now Clubs Australia has stated publicly that they support testing the technology, the company was running out of excuses.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP wrote last week to Federal Group’s Managing Director, Mr Greg Farrell, urging the company to reconsider its opposition in light of Clubs Australia’s recent statements supporting pre-commitment testing.
“Now that Clubs Australia has had a change of heart about the need to test pre-commitment technology, the Federal Group are now isolated in its opposition to Tasmania holding the trial,” Mr Booth said.
“It is untenable for the monopoly holder on pokies licences in this state to remain the road-blockage in this important trial.”
“Last month’s release of the August pokies losses revealed Tasmanians had lost a staggering $18 875 750 in that one month alone. More that $215 million has been lost on pokies in the last 12 months, and that has gone into the coffers of the Federal Group as well as the State.”
“The damage caused by pokies and problem gambling can no longer be disputed. The only question remaining is what will be done about it, and the Greens are urging the Treasurer to reopen negotiations with the Commonwealth to repeat the offer of Tasmania hosting the trial.”
“The public interest must take precedence over the vested interest of the licence holder,” Mr Booth said.
Mr Booth said that the Greens are also pursuing their proposed $1 Bet Limit for Tasmanian pokies, which is currently being investigated by a House of Assembly Parliamentary Select Committee, and of which he is the chair.
