The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, today introduced into Federal Parliament a Private Member’s Bill that would rein in poker machines.
“I’ve introduced this Private Member’s Bill today because it’s beyond time that the Parliament acted on poker machine problem gambling,” Mr Wilkie said.
“We know that between $10 billion and $12 billion is lost every year on poker machines and that by some estimates 40% of that comes from problem gamblers. So the fact that the previous Parliament did so little, and this Parliament has refused to act at all, is simply unconscionable.
“But no wonder when we look at the enormous donations that both the Labor and Liberal parties receive from the poker machine industry. Who can forget the $75,000 that the industry donated indirectly to then Liberal social services spokesperson Kevin Andrews. And the Labor Party even owns poker machines in Canberra.
“Yes, modest reform was achieved in the last Parliament. But that was quickly overturned by the Abbott Government, with Labor support, in a dreadful disregard for the community and poker machine problem gamblers in particular.
“Let’s hope the Government and Opposition see sense and bring on this Bill for a proper debate. They could have it through both Houses of Parliament and law by the end of the week if they wanted to.”
The Bill would implement the recommendations made by the Productivity Commission in 2010 including, among other things, $1 maximum bets and mandatory pre-commitment.
The speech can be viewed at http://andrewwilkie.org/home-page/wilkie-takes-pokies-reform-to-the-parliament-again/.
Andrew Wilkie, Independent MP for Denison
