Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
At midday today, Tasmania’s pubs, clubs and casinos reopened their doors to patrons, including long suffering gambling addicts who’ve had a three month reprieve.
Since the start of the lockdown, an estimated $40 million has not gone in to these predatory machines and instead stayed in the pockets of mostly low income Tasmanians.
That money has gone back in to the community, it’s gone towards feeding and clothing children and supporting small businesses instead of into the pokies’ barons pockets.
It’s an absolute travesty that with small businesses already being smashed by the pandemic and around 20 000 out of work, the gambling dens are being reopened to suck money out of the pockets of some of our poorest people.
Gambling addiction feeds poverty, homelessness, family breakdown, child neglect and suicide.
Tasmania’s economy is on its knees and people are suffering, but the Farrell family and other wealthy venue owners are back to leeching off human misery.