Labor and Coalition block Greens call for Gambling Summit
Media release, Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Greens MP and gambling spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said today's vote by the Iemma government and the Coalition against a Greens call for a Gambling Summit puts on show their failure to address the escalating gambling crisis in NSW.
"The NSW government has held summits on alcohol, drugs and obesity but is refusing to initiate a Gambling Summit, despite increasing community concern about the negative impacts of gambling in this state", Ms Rhiannon said.
"Lee Rhiannon is hosting a public forum on gambling today at Parliament House, with speakers Gary Moore ex NCOSS Director; Rev Harry Herbert Responsible Gambling Fund; Gerard Byrne, Salvation Army and Kate Roberts, Gambling Impact Society.
"Perhaps it is the millions of dollars worth of political donations flowing from the gambling industry and pubs and clubs to the major parties that has led them to shy away from a Gambling Summit.
"I wrote to the government in September and again in November calling for a Gambling Summit but Gaming Minister Graham West has failed to respond.
"The Greens call for a Gambling Summit has been widely backed. For example, the Salvation Army, the LGSA, NCOSS, Wesley Mission, the Benevolent Society, the ACA, gambling counselling services and prominent academics have all given support.
"A Gambling Summit would allow experts, politicians and the community to bring forward a public health plan to deal with the growing crisis.
"The tide of public opinion is turning against the gambling explosion in this state. It is time the major parties listened and adjusted their policies as a result.
"In the last decade the Coalition has backed the Labor government in weakening laws to allow the gambling industry more and more concessions.
"Keno has recently joined the pokie explosion in pubs, Betfair is set to hit NSW and the recent Star City Casino deal expands gambling opportunities even further.
"For too long in NSW gambling has been treated as a revenue tap, with insufficient attention paid to its devastating impact for problem gamblers and their families.
"Now is the time to address the significant health issues associated with gambling in NSW", Ms Rhiannon said.
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