Minns and Perrottet should join forces to take on clubs lobby, say Greens

The powerful clubs lobby would fail to mount a successful campaign against marginal seat MPs if NSW Labor leader Chris Minns backed Premier Dominic Perrottet in his push to overhaul gambling, say the Greens and key independents.

Minns says he is prepared to reform the state’s lucrative gambling sector but only after the impact on the industry is fully calculated, citing the effect sweeping reform could have on the 127,000 people employed by pubs and clubs.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the community was “sick of the pervasive influence of pokies on politics”.Credit: Dean Sewell

However, the Greens’ gambling harm reduction spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann said Minns was ignoring the substantial social impact of problem gambling and was intimidated by ClubsNSW.

Faehrmann said research from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation found that for every $1 lost to gambling about $1.20 in social costs is incurred.

She said the community was “sick of the pervasive influence of pokies on politics” in NSW and wanted politicians to step up and “rein in this out of control industry”.

“Chris Minns has asked voters judge him on Labor’s pokies stance without having one in the first place. Right now, he may as well be asking the voters to judge him on his lack of courage to stand up to the gambling industry,” Faehrmann said.

In one of their major election policies, the Greens want a “super tax” on poker machines which would add $3.4 billion to the state’s coffers over five years, as well as a poker machine reparations fund to invest in communities most impacted by gambling.

The Greens want poker machines phased out of pubs over five years and from clubs over 10 years, leaving NSW in the same position as Western Australia, which only allows pokies in a casino.

Faehrmann launched the Greens’ policy at the Petersham Bowling Club, which ditched pokies in 2006 but has continued to thrive and remain profitable.

There would be financial support for small pubs and clubs to help establish alternative revenue streams and a mandatory state-run cashless gambling card, with harm reduction measures including pre-commitment of time and spending, and a statewide exclusion register.

George Catsi, president of Petersham Bowling Club, which abandoned pokies in 2006 but continues to thrive.Credit: Wolter Peeters

“It’s no secret that ClubsNSW is issuing threats to the major parties about their election chances if they go against their demands and throw their support behind a cashless gambling card,” she said.

“That’s why it’s beyond frustrating that Chris Minns refuses to stand with Dominic Perrottet on gambling reform and neutralise any campaign that ClubsNSW might run in marginal electorates.”

Key independents – Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper and Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr – have demanded a commission of inquiry into gambling. Greenwich has said his support for a minority government would be dependent on backing a cashless gaming card.

“Chris Minns has two options; one he stands with Perrottet and neutralises any campaign from ClubsNSW or he admits that he is going to accept campaign support from an industry that gains profits from money laundering and problem gambling,” Greenwich said.

Minns said Faehrmann’s assessment of his position on cashless gaming was inaccurate.

“Cate Faehrmann is wrong: Dominic Perrottet has released no reform plan. The Greens want to ban poker machines altogether. Labor wants a sensible approach based on evidence,” he said.

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