Kate Jones on second Gold Coast casino: Pokies must be sourced from existing local licences

Tourism Minister Kate Jones has revealed how the second casino planned for the Gold Coast will secure its pokie licences while slamming LNP ‘hypocrisy’ on the issue.

THE political gloves are off in the debate about a second casino on the Gold Coast with Kate Jones and the LNP slugging it out about poker machine licences.

The Tourism Minister today accused the LNP of hypocrisy on its stand on poker machines but the Opposition quickly responded, saying she was being misleading and trying to rewrite history.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington earlier this week told The Bulletin that “if elected, the LNP will rule out any new pokies on the Gold Coast”.

Ms Jones today said it had taken 18 months but the LNP was finally following Labor on its poker machines licence policy.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones has taken the gloves off in the casino debate, accusing the LNP of hypocrisy. Picture: AAP

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“Let’s be frank, if they have won the 2012 election, or the 2015 there would be a casino with 1500 more pokies on the Gold Coast on Wavebreak Island,” Ms Jones said.

“That’s what they have signed up to. Now all of a sudden, I have to listen to their holier than thou comments.”

Ms Jones said the debate about a global tourism hub showed up “the hypocrisy of the LNP” and that the party was “in chaos” with its Gold Coast MPs taking different positions.

“You have Deb Frecklington saying she supports an integrated resort development on the Gold Coast and then her members are all over the shop,” Ms Jones said.

“(Broadwater MP) David Crisafulli is not saying anything he is keeping his powder dry. “They’re trying to have a bob each way. They say one thing in the boardroom, one thing on the doorstep of a local.

“It’s about time the LNP came clean about whether they will continue to support an integrated resort on the Gold Coast given it was the LNP that first went to market in 2013.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington at Southport. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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“I’ve always said there will be poker machines. I just said they had to come from within the existing cap on the Gold Coast.

“No-one has ever said there will be a casino without poker machines. We want those machines to come from the existing stock on the Gold Coast.”

Ms Jones admitted the government in considering a GTH was “mindful” that The Star since 2011 had been granted an additional 1370 additional poker machine licences.

The former Newman Government had signed off on 870 new licences as part of the Queens Wharf proposal.

“That is why my government is saying they must come from existing market. We don’t want to create more machines like the LNP did when they were in government,” Ms Jones said.

Earlier this week during Question Time in State Parliament Ms Jones produced a brochure distributed before the last State election where the LNP committed to approving an integrated resort and casino on the Coast.

“This is a joke. They went to three elections without promising any caps to poker machines. I welcome Deb Frecklington finally catching up,” she said.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who is a big supporter of second casino, with Kate Jones. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Opposition Infrastructure spokesman Andrew Powell said Ms Jones was being misleading.

“The LNP ruled out a net increase in pokies on the Gold Coast on June 15 last year,” he said.

“This bumbling fool of a Labor Minister only ruled extra pokies out after sustained LNP pressure on the 2nd of August and even then tried to walk it back weeks later.

“Labor’s rewriting of history is a disgrace and shows the Palaszczuk government cannot be trusted.

“Instead of spreading lies, Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Minister needs to release the names of the 11 secret Gold Coast sites.”