Coroner & Legal
Liberals Back Old, Destructive Loser. The Blackmail Threat …
The Liberal Government was given a very simple choice by MONA, embrace the new Tasmanian economy or fall back into step with their familiar old allies and major donor, Federal Hotels.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein knows that if the government truly wanted to help MONA establish its high rollers’ casino, it could – that is what Parliaments are for. It would take an amendment to the Gaming Control Act to remove the exclusivity clause – the license to print money which has cost low income Tasmanians so dearly.
It would seem that the State Liberals have picked their side and are – once again, as the old parties always do – preparing to march to Federal Hotels’ tune.
Treasurer Gutwein waxed lyrical about the government’s relationship with Federal Hotels, but could only say he’d met with Mr Walsh once. He has not so far met with the Tasmanian Council of Social Services (TasCOSS) to hear their concerns about the damage poker machine are doing in our community.
This government has no mandate to extend the monopoly Deed but it does have the power to back in MONA if it chooses.
David Walsh deserves our thanks for taking such a strong, self-sacrificing stance against pokies in our community.
• Andrew Wilkie: Federal’s blackmail threat Federal Group threatening to abandon $100 million worth of development in Tasmania is blackmail and just the sort of corporate behaviour we have come to expect from the poker machine industry. The pokies industry buys political favours and preys on the most vulnerable. It’s used to getting its way and no doubt thinks that all that’s needed for an extension to the monopoly Federal Group poker machine licence is to throw a few threats around, scare a few politicians and call in a few favours. That’s certainly the way things have been done in Tasmania up until now and it remains to be seen whether this state government is any different. Four out of five problem gamblers are affected by poker machines in particular. They routinely suffer terrible hardship, as do their families and loved ones, and often even resort to taking their own lives. Federal got its monopoly licence to operate poker machines in Tasmania through a secret process and at no cost. When the licence comes up for renewal, it must not be reissued without a transparent tender process open to all businesses.