BILLBOARD BLITZ
POKIE VENUES TAKE ON LABOR
PUBS and clubs are ramping up their fight against Labor’s policy to ban pokies from establishments other than casinos by launching a new advertising blitz.
A number of pubs and clubs are erecting Liberal Party billboards above their premises as the state election draws nearer.
THE fight against Labor’s bid to ban pokies from clubs and pubs is ramping up.
A number of pubs and clubs are erecting Liberal Party billboards above their premises in a new advertising blitz as the state election draws nearer.
Two watering holes in Hobart — the Welcome Stranger Hotel that has a licence for 24 machines and the Globe Hotel, which has a Keno and UBET licence — have already put the billboards up and the Mercury understands more are on the way across the state.
A Liberal Party spokesman confirmed the push.
“It’s hardly surprising that pubs and clubs want to defend their livelihoods by displaying Liberal campaign material, given Labor and the Greens want to shut them down,” the spokesman said.
Labor last month announced it would make Tasmania the first state to remove poker machines from pubs and clubs under a $55 million, fiveyear phase-out if it wins government at the State Election, which is expected in early March.
A group of about 100 pubs and clubs launched a “Love your Local” campaign earlier this month to raise awareness about the policy.
Last week, 83 pubs and clubs were signatures to an ad- vertisement in the Mercury that said Labor’s shadow treasurer Scott Bacon had “backflipped” on his position on pokies in the past by supporting and championing Labor’s policy.
The Tasmanian Hospitality Association has said it would also be happy to campaign against the party on the issue.
The Mercury understands funding of the billboards will be on a venue-by-venue basis, with the Liberal Party to pay for some from its election war chest and pubs and clubs also prepared to chip in.
Labor’s plan involves $20 million being set aside for transitional support for venues who would lose their machines, as well as a $25 million loan pool to provide long-term, low-interest loans and grants for staff retraining and development.
Mr Bacon said Labor would work with the businesses affected if elected, regardless of the campaign against the party’s policy.
“Labor stands ready to work with them if we win the election,” he said.
“The same applies to the Tasmanian Hospitality Association who we continue to work with, despite the policy difference over poker machines.”
The Federal Group — which holds a monopoly on poker machines until 2023 and owns 12 of the highest-turnover pokies pubs in Tasmania — has also launched a campaign against the push to confine them to casinos that will feature 11 company employees telling of fears around jobs.