No accord for Tassie pokies plan

THE Queensland Government has rebuffed a radical plan by Tasmanian Labor to remove pokies from pubs and clubs.

The proposal is dominating the Tasmanian election campaign and has sparked concerns of a rift with cashed-up clubs, for Labor around Australia.

Tasmanian Opposition leader Rebecca White has promised to remove all poker machines from pubs and clubs by 2023 if Labor wins the March 3 poll.

Queensland’s Attorney General Yvette D’Ath has ruled a similar move in Queensland, saying online gambling was a more serious concern.

Queensland caps the number of poker machines in pubs and clubs to 44,205 around the state. It is currently 1550 below that cap.