Then Port Arthur Historic Site Authority board chairman Barry Jones, right, with Greg Farrell and a model of the plan. Pic: Brand Tasmania, HERE
ANDREW Wilkie says he expects the poker machine industry will step up its campaign against him ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Julia Gillard to finalise poker machine reforms.
Ms Gillard will visit Hobart on January 15 to reach a final agreement on the detail of the reforms and how they will be implemented.
The Federal Government has just five sitting weeks before this year’s Budget to pass legislation that will include a national mandatory pre-commitment system, which will require poker machine players to set limits on their losses. Mr Wilkie has imposed a 2014 deadline for the scheme.
The independent Denison MP says he expects the looming deal will only increase the outcry of the poker machine lobby, which stands to lose an estimated $5 billion from problem gamblers.
“The industry has gone very hard last year but they’re running out of time,” Mr Wilkie said.
“I expect the industry to ramp up their campaign significantly, against the Government, against me, against Government members in key seats.”
Mr Wilkie said he was encouraged by the commitment the Government had shown in seeing through the reforms.
“There’s been a lot of commentary along the way, a lot of speculation, but I have felt from day one that the Government has a genuine interest in these reforms,” he said.
“There’s been no wavering at all from the Government, including the Prime Minister and Jenny Macklin, who is the main minister with responsibility for this.
“The meeting is at her suggestion and it’s for her and I to talk through some of the detail of the reforms.”
The Productivity Commission recommended in 2009 that mandatory pre-commitment and bet limits be introduced to address problem gambling, which it estimated affected about 15 per cent of the 600,000 Australians who gamble on poker machines each week.
Earlier, Nick Clark: $30m hotel plan stalls
FEDERAL Hotels has put its plans for a $30 million Port Arthur hotel on hold and has vowed not to build any substantial new projects until the outcome of gambling legislation is known.
Managing director Greg Farrell said yesterday the commercial risk for the company would be too high.
“Until the regulatory landscape becomes clearer and the full impacts can be understood, the company will not be progressing with any new substantial projects,” he said.
Denison independent MHR Andrew Wilkie lashed out at Mr Farrell’s comments.
“Federal Hotels’ threat to stop new investment in the state is just more hysterical scaremongering from an industry obsessed with its profits,” Mr Wilkie said.
“It will make no difference to my push for poker machine reform, including mandatory pre-commitment on high-loss machines. The reforms target problem gamblers and the only impact on Federal’s bottom line will be a reduction in the money it harvests from these unfortunate souls.”
It is expected that mandatory pre-commitment legislation will be passed by both houses of Federal Parliament by the time of the Budget in May.
Mr Farrell said three proposed major regulatory changes were hanging over the company’s head:
