Coalition win hotel donations, O'Farrell silent on industry clean-up

Sunday Telegraph, article page 26, editorial page 43.

"Mr O’Farrell should be pushing to properly tax pokies revenue, wind

back the number of poker machines and close loopholes which still

allow smoking in parts of pubs," Ms Rhiannon said.

"The Labor government has gone soft on controlling the gambling and

hotel industry. During that time they have received millions of

dollars in donations.

"These donations appear to be shifting to the Coalition.

"Mr O'Farrell's failure to speak out on this issue suggests that the

hotel and gambling industry could now be developing a closer working

relationship with the Coalition.

"If Mr O'Farrell does not commit to winding back the excesses Labor

granted these sectional interests, the Coalition will remain tainted

by the almost half a million dollars it has accepted from the hotel

industry since the last election.

"While over the last decade Labor has outstripped the Coalition

parties in donations from the hotel industry last year there was a

major shift in this trend.

"The Greens Democracy4sale Project has found that from 1999 to 2009

the Australian Hotels Association and individual hotels donated $2.3

million to Labor and $1.5 million to the Coalition.

"In the last reporting period, July to December 2009, Labor received

no donations from the hotel industry while the Coalition picked up

$58,000. In the first six months of that year the Coalition received

$80,000 with Labor taking $67,000.

"Prior to that Labor was well ahead of the Coalition. In the last six

months of 2008 Labor received $59,000 compared with $3,255 to the

Coalition.

"Labor has built NSW's reputation as the gambling state. While Mr

O'Farrell has made many promises, he has failed to deliver on detailed

policy commitments to demonstrate any wind back to what Labor has

established.

"If Barry O’Farrell was serious about breaking the traditionally cosy

relationship between the government and pubs in NSW he would stop

taking donations from the hotel industry today.

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