LABOR DUMPS BET ON POKIES

BEC’S BOMBSHELL

LABOR has sensationally dumped its plan to ban poker machines from pubs and clubs, with leader Rebecca White now saying the policy was a “point in time” commitment.

Instead, Ms White said she planned to pursue harm-minimisation strategies when the new pokies licence agreement is introduced to parliament by the Government.

Premier Will Hodgman said “it’s all about politics and not about beliefs for Rebecca White” — while the Greens labelled it a “betrayal”.

LABOR says it will focus on minimising the harms caused by poker machines after sensationally dumping its plan to ban them from pubs and clubs.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White told ABC Hobart yesterday that Labor’s controversial policy was a “point in time” commitment that could no longer be pursued because the Liberals were negotiating an agreement that would extend poker machine licences to 2043.

She indicated her party would not block such legislation once it was introduced to parliament but would work with what was presented.

“We haven’t seen the legislation that’s required to give effect to their policy and we haven’t seen evidence of them negotiating a new deed with the Federal Group,” Ms White said.

“The fact of the matter is, once they do that, we’re not going to be able to continue to pursue our policy on removing poker machines from pubs and clubs because there’ll be a new deal struck until 2043.”

University of Tasmania corporate governance expert Tom Baxter said this was untrue.

“Today’s government can’t stop a future state parliament from legislating to amend pokies law — particularly not this government given its fluid parliament,” Dr Baxter said.

“So legally, Ms White need not change pokies policy, especially not now, before the Government releases all its changes for parliament to consider. As such, Labor’s policy change is more for political, than legal, reasons. That’s its prerogative, but don’t pretend it’s a legal obligation.”

Clark independent MHR Andrew Wilkie noted that Tasmanian Labor members had voted in support of the party’s policy at its state conference after the election.

“This is a really grim day for this state because we know from polling that about four out of five Tasmanians want either no poker machines or less poker machines,” Mr Wilkie said.

“This was a policy that actually reflected the strong public view, and for state Labor to buckle under bullying from federal Labor, I think it’s unconscionable behaviour from federal Labor and I think it’s a spineless response from Tas- manian Labor.” Premier Will Hodgman said Ms White’s backdown showed “it’s all about politics and not about beliefs for Rebecca White”.

“You either believe in it or you don’t, and Rebecca White herself said they would continue to fight on this cause, that they believed in what they took to the election, but now a year on have abandoned that position,” Mr Hodgman said.

The Community Voice on Pokies Reform Coalition, made up of 60 organisations, said it would continue to speak out against the harms caused by poker machines.

“The majority of the Tasmanian community wants pokies out of their local pubs and clubs,” the group said in a statement. “The election result has not changed this.”

Labor’s policy change was “a betrayal of every Tasmanian who voted for Labor on the basis of a position of principle”, Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said.

“It’s a betrayal of those disadvantaged individuals, families and communities harmed by poker machines in pubs and clubs,” Ms O’Connor said.

“It’s a betrayal of the community sector who has campaigned so hard for the removal of pokies from pubs and clubs, and backed in Labor’s position last March.”

Mr Hodgman yesterday did not commit to introducing pokies legislation to the Tasmanian parliament this year.

“We’ll do so when we’re able,” he said.