Necessary corrections

Letter to the Editor | Mercury | 10 November 2021  

GOOD to see support for appropriate scrutiny of the government’s gaming Bill by the Upper House (Editorial November 9), however correction is required on a few matters.

The government policy has never been publicly consulted on both the 2020 consultation on the implementation framework and 2021 consultation on the draft bill stated “Matters specific to the Policy itself are out of scope of this consultation process”.

Federal Group and THA literally wrote this policy in 2017, non-industry stakeholders have had no say in shaping it.

Labor extracted no concession on harm minimisation, the bill now includes a requirement for a report to be prepared on two measures that are marginal, expensive and unrealistic. All expert-advised measures that could be readily implemented were voted against by Labor and Liberal.

Tasmanians are unlikely to be aware of many concerning aspects of this bill, including the introduction of new gaming products into the state, changes to the powers of the Minister and a licence model in which renewal arrangements and sale of venues will create staggered end dates and lock this model in permanently. The government policy removes any future opportunity for industry-wide reform.

Meg Webb Independent MLC for Nelson

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