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Rhiannon urges Keneally: Regulate gambling industry for public good
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Cowra Community News 23 June 2010. GREENS’ MP, Lee Rhiannon, has urged the New South Wales Government to back the recommendations in the Productivity Commission report into the gambling industry.
“It’s time the Government regulated the gambling industry based on
public interest, not the amount of donations received from the gambling,
hotel and club industry,” Ms Rhiannon says in a statement released yesterday (Wednesday).
Read the article in its original context here:
http://cowracommunitynews.com/viewnews.php?newsid=5155&id=48
The commission’s final report, released yesterday, found 600,000 Australians play the pokies at least weekly and 15 per cent are considered problem gamblers.
Gambling losses reached just over $19 billion in 2008-09 but the social cost of problem gambling is estimated to be at least $4.7 billion a year.
“Premier Kristina Keneally should . . . announce her Government’s
support for the commission’s recommendations. With the looming crisis
caused by problem gambling, this would be the responsible position for
the Government to take,” says Ms Rhiannon.
“Problem gambling can result in homelessness, depression, child neglect
and the breakdown of families and relationships.
“Ms Keneally should move to immediately adopt the recommendations that require poker machines to not accept $50 notes and have all single bets limited to $1.
“These measures would reduce the risk of people becoming problem
gamblers.
“Over the past decade the gambling, hotel and club industry has donated
more than $7 million to Labor and more than $4 million to the Coalition
parties.
“The only group that wouldn’t want reforms backed by the Productivity
Commission are pubs and clubs that enjoy the financial benefits of the
social cost of problem gambling.
“The Productivity Commission also noted that in some jurisdictions, the
taxes on gambling revenue are too low – NSW is a clear example of this.
“The NSW Government just cut the tax payable on poker machine profits,
in a direct contrast to the recommendation from the Productivity
Commission.
“NSW Labor tried to sell the tax cut as a rescue package for small
country pubs, but it’s more likely a desperate grab for more donations
in the lead up to next March’s state election.
“Both the Government and the Opposition have a responsibility to the
public to stop wooing donations from clubs and pubs, and adopt the
recommendations of the Productivity Commission,” says Ms Rhiannon.
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