Media Release: Premier Prepares to Break Pokies Election Promise

October 17, 2024

Premier Prepares to Break Pokies Election Promise

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Independent member for Nelson Meg Webb MLC has slammed revelations the Rockliff Liberal Government has commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to review the impacts of the promised mandatory pokies pre-commitment card reforms, saying it is a clear attempt to undermine the current Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission’s implementation process underway.

“The commissioning of another report outside the established pokies pre-commitment card process underway confirms the Rockliff Government has been captured by the gaming industry and is dancing to the pokie barons’ tune,” Ms Webb said.

“It is clear the Premier is preparing to break the Liberal’s election promise to deliver a mandatory pokies pre-commitment card as recommended by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission, and within the agreed timeframe of 2025.

“The Tasmanian community will not be fooled by empty Government promises of taking harm minimisation seriously, if the planned national-leading pokies card reform is undermined, watered down or delayed in any way.

“The evidence tells us pokies pre-commitment cards are an effective and direct way of tackling losses and harm caused by pokies addiction.

“Any industry which relies on making money from addiction to be viable, is not worth the paper its political donations may be printed upon.

“Nor should an industry reliant on addiction revenue be the beneficiary of secretly commissioned reports seeking to undermine the implementation of publicly consulted reforms.”

Ms Webb said the only reason the community even knows this other report has been commissioned is because it was flushed out by Parliamentary questions, and then belatedly divulged at 7:30pm at the end of a long sitting day, safely after media reporting deadlines.

“Then-Treasurer Michael Ferguson made the election promise on behalf of the Liberal Party during a March ABC Radio interview ‘to not shift’ from the pokies pre-commitment card including the Gaming Commission’s delivery timeframe.

“Premier Rockliff must uphold that election promise, and guarantee that the Deloitte Access review will not hinder or override the current pokies pre commitment card process underway by the gaming Commission.”

Following her initial letter to the Premier on Tuesday this week, Ms Webb was a co-signatory to subsequent joint correspondence sent to the Premier yesterday calling for an urgent guarantee his government will deliver the promised mandatory pokies pre-commitment card as recommended by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission, and within the 2025 timeframe.

Attached: Copy of MPs’ Joint Letter to the Premier, dated Wednesday 16 October 2024.