In other news.....
Abbott frees gambling industry from reform The Coalition will rely on the clubs and gaming industry to develop support and counselling services for problem gamblers if it wins government.
Gambling reformers are dumbfounded by plans for the pokies and club lobby, which vocally campaigned against federal poker machine reforms in the hung Parliament, to form an industry advisory group.
They say any group should include gambling experts and community groups that work with problem gamblers.
An Abbott government would also scrap a trial of controversial measures designed to curb problem gambling on Australia's poker machines.
Earlier this month the Coalition released its problem gambling policy, which focuses on improving counselling for problem gamblers as well as gradually introducing voluntary precommitment and banning online bookmakers from offering credit.
Under the Coalition's plan an industry advisory council, comprising representatives of clubs and gaming venues, will report to the minister quarterly.
It will develop a plan for counselling and support for problem gamblers.
Chairman of the Churches Gambling Taskforce Tim Costello was ''very disappointed and disturbed'' by the policy.
''This is Dracula in charge of the blood bank,'' Mr Costello said. ''There is no question they are going backwards on pokies reform.
''The pokies lobby shouldn't have such power over Coalition policy.''
Monash University public health expert Dr Charles Livingstone said the industry had a vested interest in making sure reforms did not hurt profits.
''Gambling is the new tobacco, and governments will eventually realise that you cannot work with people with such a massive interest.
''The industry always focuses on it being the problem of individuals, not a problem caused by the machines,'' Dr Livingstone said.
Pokies reform was one of the largest issues in the hung Parliament, with independent Andrew Wilkie threatening to bring down prime minister Julia Gillard's government unless a mandatory precommitment scheme - a system to force all punters to preset how much they were willing to lose on the pokies - was rolled out.
The proposal was vehemently opposed by the pokies and clubs lobby, which mounted a vocal campaign against Labor MPs in marginal seats. The Coalition also opposed the scheme.
After Peter Slipper quit the Coalition, Labor dumped the proposals and legislated to offer punters the option to preset how much they would lose. It also began work on a trial of the mandatory scheme in the ACT, which the Coalition will not continue.
Mr Wilkie said he was ''disappointed but hardly surprised'' that the opposition would overturn poker machine reform.
''The fact is, we need better and more powerful ways to address problem gambling, and that must include changes to machine design,'' he said.
Greens gambling spokesman Richard Di Natale, who pushed for a $1 maximum bet limit on all pokies, lashed the industry's close involvement.
''At least Labor tried, when push came to shove they caved in, but what you see from the Coalition is them effectively becoming cheerleaders for the pokies industry,'' Senator Di Natale said.
''You now have an industry advisory council made up of the pokies industry that is writing the Coalition's problem gambling policy. The fox is well and truly in charge of the hen house.''
Families Minister Jenny Macklin said: ''Any plan that doesn't tackle pokie addiction is not a credible plan''.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/abbott-frees-gambling-industry-from-reform-20130826-2smct.html#ixzz2dEtos4qO
I particularly liked the Dracula quote. In what universe is this a good idea? What's next? Anti-tobacco campaigns ran by tobacco companies and anti-drinking measures run by alcohol companies? You may have a legitimate disagreement over how much regulation the government should do but i think almost anyone would say letting tobacco companies regulate anti-smoking measures would result in ineffective measures (even if you dont believe in them). This is no way to get effective prevention and help out there.
It's an issue i feel very strongly about this election. Pokies and gambling are addictive and a huge drain on society. The coalition do have some commendable measures as mentioned in the article but this one is just plain bonkers.
Quote from another article about the greens policies (highlighted):
But it could provoke a new war with the cashed-up clubs industry, which previously waged a campaign against Labor. They claimed Mr Wilkie's policy was a "licence to punt" that would hurt communities.
Mr Wilkie made pokies reform a condition of his support for Julia Gillard after the 2010 election.
He got some changes but it fell short of the radical overhaul he wanted, and he withdrew his support for Ms Gillard.
The Greens last year accepted the Government's policy and a voluntary system in a bid to get some changes.
But Senator Di Natale said restricting machines to a maximum of $1 a spin and jackpots to no more than $500 to make them less addictive was "unfinished business".
He said people could lose only $120 an hour compared with some machines where losses now can amount to thousands of dollars.
"It is the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to reduce the harm from these machines," Senator Di Natale told the Herald Sun.
"Mandatory pre-commitment is not as good as $1 bet limits because it affects everybody as it requires everyone to set a limit before they play the pokies.
"But 88 per cent of recreational gamblers already spend less than $1 per spin when playing pokies for an hour or two on a night out.
"There would be no change for them. Problem gamblers are the ones that bet more than $1 per spin.
Problem gambling means kids go hungry at night, families break up, people lose their homes," Senator Di Natale said.
The Coalition opposed a mandatory system and was examining options to help problem gamblers.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news/greens-to-bet-on-poker-machines-reform/story-fncynjr2-1226685214222#ixzz2dEvSXgQW
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