White stands firm on pokies

LABOR Leader Rebecca White has defended her party’s continued failure to release a policy on poker machines in Tasmania.

The Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Future Gaming Markets released its report on Future Gaming Markets two weeks ago, calling for a sharp cut to pokies numbers.

The Government has backed a 5 per cent reduction on machines to 3680, while the Greens have called for the removal of electronic gaming machines in pubs and clubs.

Ms White said Labor was still talking to the poker machine industry and others.

“That’s what I committed to doing in the lead-up to the release of the report and that is exactly what I am doing now,” Ms White said. “Each of those recommendations needs to be considered carefully.

“There would have been no point in staging this inquiry if we did not take the time to properly consider the recommendations and test them.

“Neither the Liberals or the Greens have done that before pushing ahead with their own positions, which are not based on consultation and are not based on evidence.”

The current 15-year monopoly deal over pokies is held by Federal Group. It is due to be revisited in 2018 before it expires in 2023.

Ms White promised Labor would release its policy before the next state election.

Sarah Courtney, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, said voters in Pembroke would not know Labor’s pokies policy before they voted in next month’s by-election.

“This is a complete and abject failure of leadership from Ms White, and shows her to be inexperienced and completely unprepared to govern,” she said.