Cynical move to win power

POKIES IN PUBS AND CLUBS

THE Labor Party’s cynical vow to eradicate poker machines is jumping on the bandwagon of a not-so-popular idea subscribed to by a few well-knowns. Pokies can be addictive and cause people who can’t afford it to lose a lot of money. But banning pokies is a band-aid solution. Are we going to ban betting on horse and dog racing, AFL and other sports? How about Lotto? Close the casinos?

The policy overlooks financial benefits for the government, from which we all benefit. At least poker machines are self supporting, and provide income for hundreds, unlike horse racing which holds its hand out every year for public funding. This shows how desperate Labor is to win, but we’ve all seen the mess they made last time. Do we want to repeat that, especially when Tasmania has been under the Liberal Government riding the crest of a financial wave?

Leading the way

AT last, Tasmania’s Labor Party has announced a policy to remove poker machines from pubs and clubs by 2023 ( Mercury, December 13). At last we have political recognition that those addictive pokies have devastating health and social effects, leading to poverty, suicide attempts and even prison.

Tasmania can lead the way by recognising public health effects. Every inquiry, Productivity Commission, CWA, point to adverse effects and show no positives. Australia Institute research shows pokiefree communities are better off financially, with money returned to local businesses, and governments lose little initially, and gain later. Where does Premier Will Hodgman, who warned it would cost jobs, get his information? He’s wrong here and not listening to his community. The $55 million to encourage businesses to voluntarily retire machines, and redeploy workers, shows Labor is serious. It should draw many voters back to Labor, now showing spine and leadership.

Nanny state

I DON’T frequent the pokies and sympathise with those people who are addicted. I wholeheartedly agree with Greg Farrell, we are becoming a nanny state. Should we shut pubs because people get drunk, take cars off the road because they injure people, maybe take half the politicians out of their jobs because they are hopeless? I think not.

We need these businesses because they employ thousands. Get off your bums and tackle health, unemployment and public housing.

Think outside the square

I’LL be voting Labor come March. Great courage from Rebecca White, may she lead Tasmania out of the wilderness. This Liberal crop are like the federal mob, a donothing government that maintains the status quo. No change means big business, multinationals and wealthy keep doing what they do best, making money and paying minimal tax. If certain pubs and clubs can only survive by pokies, leave and let the smarter operators give us great A new way to have your say themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website. food, drinks, music and entertainment, darts and eight-ball clubs. Get involved in sports and community groups, think outside the square. Relying on money from people who can least afford to lose it is a very poor business model.

How many jobs

GREG Farrell surely must be trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public if he is going to say many of the 2100 jobs in his organisation would go under the Labor Party scheme. How many of his workers work in a pub or club that would be affected? I would say a lot less than many. Greg your comment really does not reflect the will of the people on this matter.

Don’t tell me what to do

I WILL not be voting for a political party that tells me what do with my time and money, though it is really hard to decide who to vote for, there really is not a lot of choice. Removing the pokies would be punishing the vast majority for the very small minority. There has been talk about the millions of dollars that are lost on pokies not being spent in the community. What about the millions of dollars in wages and other business expenditure that would not be spent by gaming venues if pokies were removed and staff and suppliers of gaming venues lost their income and also the real possibility that some venues would close altogether?

Ruthless

RUTHLESSNESS, in today’s political climate is apparently the one quality needed to be a prime minister. Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have exuded it in spades in the dying days of 2017.

Fortitude

UNLIKE the state Liberals we have a Labor Party with intestinal fortitude to tackle the pokies problem. All the doom and gloom from pubs and clubs is all hot air. They survived without them and West Australia still does.

Wrong end

If millions of taxpayer dollars are to be channelled into salmon farming, I personally would rather it be directed to finding an environmentally sustainable solution for what comes out of the rear end of farmed salmon than subsidising what goes into the mouth (Mercury, December 12).

Wrong field

SORRY, did I miss something? Isn’t Saul Eslake an economist? Since when did he become an expert on education?

Off the boil

I REDUCED my hot water usage by a quarter and great news, my power bill only went up by 80 per cent compared to last year. Is it any wonder the public dislike the Aurora elite with their big pays and even bigger bonuses.