That this House notes:
1. The recent University of Tasmania report evaluating the social, cultural and economic contribution to the community of the Australian Live Music Industries;
2. That a detailed model of consumer spending estimated the Live Music Industries contributed approximately $15m to the national economy last year;
3. That the report indicates a cost-benefit analysis of available data found investment in live music delivers a return of $3 for every dollar spent;
4. The benefits of a thriving live music scene to performing and aspiring musicians, providing a platform for creative expression along with an avenue for employment and income;
5. The sad fact that Tasmania’s live music scene has dwindled significantly since the rollout of poker machines into pubs and clubs;
6. The comments by Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Senator Barnaby Joyce, attributing the spread of poker machines to the decline in the live music scene;
7. That in 2011 the Third Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania found the costs of problem gambling to the State were between $51m and $144m;
8. That revenue from poker machines has continued to fall each year, indicating that legislating in their favour is not the savviest choice for state governments; and
Further, this House calls for:
9. The Liberal government to take heed of the growing plethora of research and data comparing the benefits of gaming machines with live music industries on the community and economy, and begin a process of legislating to remove pokies from Tasmanian pubs and clubs.