Wilkie’s game of chance shaky

January 19, 2012


The pressure is on. A sign outside a Tamworth hotel asking New England Independent Federal MP Tony Windsor to consider his position over the proposed poker machine reforms. Gunnedah's gambling venues could be in for a reprieve with news that Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has backed down on his demands for poker machine reforms.

The Nationals Duty Senator for New England, John Williams, said Mr Wilkie’s support for the Federal Government was dependent on a mandatory pre-commitment system starting in 2014.

In an interview in March last year he said, “The agreement I did reach with Julia Gillard, which I will hold her to, that there will be mandatory pre-commitment systems rolled out on every poker machine in the land commencing in 2014.”

Mr Williams said on numerous occasions Mr. Wilkie made it clear the agreement was not negotiable.

“Prime Minister Gillard has effectively broken her word under heavy pressure from many of her MPs who know the introduction of the poker machine mandatory pre-commitment system will go down like a lead balloon in their electorates,” he said.

Clubs Australia, however, says if mandatory pre-commitment is still introduced then a proper trial needs to take place before it is fully implemented.

Clubs Australia Executive Director Anthony Ball said that it was not too late for the Government to work with clubs to have a full and proper trial of the technology.

“The introduction of mandatory pre-commitment without even a trial would be a sizeable breach of the very clear terms Andrew Wilkie signed with Julia Gillard in September 2010,” Mr Ball said.

“The same agreement also stipulates that an independent study be commissioned to establish the impact of a reduction in problem gambling on other
revenue flows and individual spending behaviour.

“This report was due by the end of 2011. The failure of Andrew Wilkie to produce this report is the first breach of his agreement with the Prime Minister on gambling reform.”

“It’s clear the barrier to a trial of mandatory pre-commitment is Andrew Wilkie. The Productivity Commission recommended a trial and yet 18 months on clubs stand alone in supporting a trial,” he said.