Pokies trial could be sunk: ClubsACT
Lisa Martin
A PARLIAMENTARY deadlock could spell game over for a proposed trial of poker machine reforms in the ACT, ClubsACT warns.
Negotiations with ClubsACT have stalled while the federal government seeks support in parliament to introduce its gambling reform legislation.
The Australian Greens and independent Nick Xenophon, who want stronger action on problem gambling, are likely to vote down the bill with the Coalition in the Senate.
ClubsACT CEO Jeff House said the parliamentary stalemate could push the trial back to the second half of 2013 and that could coincide with a federal election.
Mr House said that as every day passes, the trial was looking more and more unlikely.
"I'm waiting for parliament to pull its collective finger out of its collective arse (to make a decision either way)," he told AAP.
Clubs are also preparing for the possibility that mandatory pre-commitment could be taken off the table, if there's a change of government that would let the coalition dump the trial plans, he said.
"I'll be the first to jump up and down with glee for not having to do the trial," he said.
Gaming manufacturers warn the machines won't be ready for the trial until 2014.
Mr House said independent MP Andrew Wilkie, an anti-gambling campaigner, had contributed to delays by insisting the trial be written into the gambling reform bill.
"We were on track, then Andrew Wilkie made the trial a legislative thing ... until the parliament decides what to do, there's no point us continuing with negotiations," he said.
"The government and I could agree on something and then the parliament could move the goal posts."
He said the Department Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) was still doing some work behind the scenes but "pretty much everything was yet to be sorted out".
Comment has been sought from Minister Jenny Macklin and Mr Wilkie.
Australian Greens senator Richard Di Natale said there was nothing stopping ClubsACT and the federal government pushing ahead with the trial, independently of the gambling bill passing parliament.
The clubs industry might claim the window for a trial was closing but the industry could not be trusted because it had campaigned against mandatory precommitment from the outset, he said.
"The timing of the election is a bit of a red herring," he told AAP.
The Greens are pushing for poker machine bets to be limited to $1.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/pokies-trial-could-be-sunk-clubsact/story-e6frea7l-1226459874517
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment