You have let us down badly

LABOR POKIES BACKFLIP

I AM deeply disappointed at Tasmanian Labor’s about-face on pokies. For a short while we were able to hang on to the illusion that there really were politicians who cared more about the people they represent than their powerbrokers.

For a short while we could imagine that we really did have a choice to make when we came to the ballot box, between the lazy greedy cynicism of the Liberals and the possibility of a better, more caring community-minded government.

You have let us down badly, and we are all the poorer for it.

Lame-duck policy

SMALL wonder that Labor has backflipped on their pokies ban policy. It was a lame-duck policy that was rejected by the voters. Shooters Fishers and Farmers also were opposed to it on a number of grounds but most importantly on harm minimisation grounds. There are already citizens addicted to online gambling. Part of the profits from pokies could go to gambling addiction education programs. Sending gambling money overseas does not benefit these programs or local employment. pokies menace. I guess Rebecca White’s interstate counterparts must have intervened and put pressure on her to prioritise other policies. Rebecca White should have stuck to her guns on her original policy, to rid pokies from the suburbs and return them to casinos where they belong.

Such an ethical and moral Bill would have given our families a better quality of life and Rebecca White would have been a heroine. I was happy for Rebecca White to be a strong leader but not any more, she won’t get my vote now. We want leaders who do not only see the destruction in our communities but also clean the mess up. It hurts anyone and everyone to lose money or bread on the table and it’s traumatic to see our vulnerable being robbed blind. It’s not the people’s fault, they are mere guinea pigs. The onus is on Premier Will Hodgman and his government and cabinet to save our people from this devastating pokie plague. to remove pokies from pubs and clubs, I would then advise my client to sue the Australian Government for expropriation in breach of the treaty between Hong Kong and Australia. Expropriation is unlawful unless it is accompanied by full compensation. Over the course of a 20year deal, this would likely amount to several billion dollars in forgone revenue. The judgment debt, if demanded immediately, would probably be sufficient to bankrupt the state of Tasmania.

And there’s more

SURPRISE, surprise! The Laborials are binning their anti-pokies policy. As if that’s not enough, they are now reluctant to support a review into political party funding. No guessing who will be filling their coffers this election. One-arm bandit democracy.

Out of touch

STATE Labor is totally out of touch with the majority of the community by not making poker machines in pubs and clubs an issue at the next state election (“Labor pulls pin on pokies ban pledge”, Mercury, February 9). We will now continue to be run by the gaming industry and big business and ensuring the widening gap between the haves and have-nots in this state. Labor is not for the struggling Tasmanian and is in concert with making a Liberal win next time around.

What a day to do it

WHO was responsible for the closure of Campbell St so a crane could be dismantled on the busiest weekend Hobart experiences every two years. The Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the Hobart Cup, the Hobart Regatta and Hobart is bursting at the seams. Nothing short of a disgrace, as is the management of Hobart traffic in general.

Licence testing

THERE would be more licences handed in if the State Government brought back licence testing for over-90s. They like the Duke are waiting until something happens. They think they are bulletproof.

Vision missing

I WAS disappointed by the Prime Minister’s National Press Club address yesterday. It was for those of us who feel menaced and endangered. There were no visionary policies especially about climate change. No wonder Australians have stopped listening to him.

Thailand ban?

IS it time to boycott Thailand — from fish sauce to travel? What can we do to make them see sense?