State government’s pokies reform legislation faces Upper House fight
The state government is ramping up the pressure on the Upper House to pass its gambling legislation, but the Greens say the Premier is lying about the expiry of the monopoly pokies deed.
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THE government has urged the Legislative Council to pass its controversial anti-pokies legislation without delay.
Debate on the legislation – which ends Federal Group’s statewide monopoly over poker machines among its reforms – will begin in the Legislative Council this week.
The Liberals’ proposals were a key plank of the party’s successful 2018 election campaign.
But opponents say the new gambling tax rates, which were kept secret until after the 2020 state election, will result in the state forgoing more than $240m in potential revenue over 20 years.
Attorney-General Elise Archer called on the Legislative Council to pass the legislation swiftly.
“The government doesn’t support that in going to an inquiry, we want to end the monopoly and if we don’t get this legislation through that threatens ... getting rid of that monopoly,” she said.
“So what the Upper House will only do is stagnate that process or indeed put that process entirely at risk of ending that monopoly.
“And what our reform does is puts money back into health and education, it secures the jobs of those in pubs and clubs and most importantly, it puts in place greater harm minimisation measures. So we would appeal to ... members not to refer this off to an inquiry, we need to end this monopoly.”
Labor MLCs are under considerable pressure from the party’s left faction to back an inquiry into the bill.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the government’s claims were incorrect.
“What we’re being fed by the Premier and his finance minister is a lie about the expiry of the monopoly deed, it’s all there in black and white,” she said.
“If the government was even half serious about reducing the harm from poker machines and gambling, the Treasurer could write to the Federal Group and tell them the party’s over and it would be over within five years.
“It is totally improper for the Premier or any Liberal to try to pressure the Upper House to do anything or not do anything on this legislation, given the extent of the harm that it will cause.”
Independent Meg Webb and Labor MLC Bastian Seidel said the legislation was complex and needed the sort of scrutiny only a committee inquiry could provide.
Pokies reforms face Upper House fight
THE Legislative Council is facing mounting pressure to hold an inquiry into the government’s controversial poker machine reform legislation.
Labor has not ruled out supporting an inquiry but the government said if the legislation was not approved, Federal Group would keep its pokies monopoly and that was “not acceptable”.
In a letter to all MLCs, Community Legal Centres policy officer Ben Bartl said the peak body believed the Legislative Council required more time to consider best practice harm minimisation.
“We therefore strongly recommend that the bill – and in particular the proposed harm minimisation measures – are referred to a committee of inquiry,” he said.
“Over the years our member centres have heard many tragic stories of the harms inflicted by problem gamblers, including families forced on to welfare, women violently assaulted by a partner frustrated at their gambling losses, and children not receiving child support because the money has been lost.”
CLC Tas and Anglicare Tasmania will brief MLCs on Wednesday ahead of the debate on the Gaming Control Amendment (Future Gaming Market) Bill
They want four harm minimisation measures, including a maximum $1 bet, reduced hours, a minimum speed of six seconds and a mandatory pre-commitment scheme.
Anglicare’s Dr Chris Jones said he wanted a “public health approach” embedded in the legislation.
Independent member for Nelson Meg Webb said the “industry-written reforms” were not supported by evidence and “utterly fail to deliver the best outcomes for our state, either socially or financially”.
“The only option is for the Upper House to fulfil its responsibilities to the Tasmanian people and send this bill to an inquiry for accountable scrutiny and assessment,” Ms Webb said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for positive change, so it would be shameful to see the government try and rush this bill through.
“Tasmanians would be rightly shocked to see Labor MLCs vote against simple and proven harm prevention measures like $1 bet limits. Who on earth would vote against making pokies safer for everyone to use, with no negative effect on recreational use or jobs?”
Labor spokesman Dean Winter said Labor members in the Legislative Council would move and support amendments “in line with our policy position”.
“We’ll consider any proposal for adjournment or inquiry on its merit,” he said.
Government minister Michael Ferguson called on Labor to “stop playing games with these things”.
“If that legislation is not approved in a timely fashion, Federal get to keep their monopoly and that would not be acceptable,” he said.
“The legislation needs to be dealt with this calendar year in order for us to commence the tender for the licensed monitoring operator.
“The Legislative Council knows how to do its business, and we’ll work with them and individual members as the case may be needed.”
Mersey independent MLC Mike Gaffney said he supported a decrease in the number of poker machines in Tasmania.
“There are enough questions being asked to warrant an inquiry on the financial implications of the legislation,” he said.
Murchison independent MLC Ruth Forrest said it was a “really complicated” bill and said the government should have introduced a clean bill.
“Any person using these machines are at risk and we need to adopt a public health approach,” she said.
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