White says she sticks by pokies policy

LABOR has not changed its policy on poker machines, Labor leader Rebecca White said yesterday.

Labor campaigned heavily on a pledge to ban electronic gaming machines from pubs and clubs at last year’s state election.

But Ms White’s admission last week that the policy would not be pursued was described by some as a backflip. Ms White yesterday said her party had simply acknowledged the futility of trying to enact that policy given it had lost last year’s election.

“The Labor Party position hasn’t changed. We stand by the policy that we took to the election,” she said. “The unfortunate reality is that the Liberal Government won.

“From opposition we are unable to implement our policies whether it be addressing the housing crisis or what’s happening in our health system.”

Ms White said Labor was open to moving amendments to the Government poker machine legislation when it eventually comes before parliament.

“We stand by the policy that we took to the election. We haven’t abandoned the people who raised this as a really important issue,” she said.

“The Government won the election. Their policy is to ex- tend the licence for 20 years and to change the arrangements so we’ll see when they present legislation to the House what that looks like and we’ll scrutinise that properly of course. And all of these things will be negotiated through the Parliament.”

Treasurer Peter Gutwein said Labor’s leadership was in crisis.

“Rebecca White has fronted the media for the first time since dumping her pokies policy, and somehow the public now has more questions than it did before,” Mr Gutwein said.

“Instead of explaining her monumental backflip on her flagship policy, she seems to be backflipping on her backflip.

“Ms White either doesn’t know what she stands for anymore, or she stands for nothing.

“The simple question is still unanswered: What does Rebecca White believe in other than protecting her own failing leadership?”