Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens Gaming spokesperson
As the Federal Group monopoly deed comes to an end the Treasurer has a once in a generation chance to better protect our community.
It's heartening to hear the government's commitment consult widely on the monopoly deed by 2018, but that still won't be a mandate to extend. The government still needs to take this to Tasmanians at the next state election.
Today's speech by the Treasurer was delivered alongside the very machines in question. If he needed a reminder of the continued social and economic harms of pokies all he needed to do was slip next door.
Nearly $200M was lost to pokies last financial year. That is money from our most disadvantaged communities, money which could have been spent feeding and clothing families.
The Treasurer must consider the mandatory pre-commitments, $1 bet limits and a roll back of poker machines from our communities as part of the government's "open and transparent process".
Over the next six weeks, Tasmanian eyes will be on Treasurer Gutwein to see whether he is up to the challenge.