Pokies reform facing a fight

Sue Bailey | Mercury | 8 November 2021  

Community groups and independent MLCs are pushing for tougher scrutiny of proposed poker machine reforms, but the government insists the legislation must be approved “in a timely fashion”.

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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