FED:PM stays firm on pokies reforms

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2011
FED:PM stays firm on pokies reforms

CANBERRA, April 12 AAP - Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she's committed to delivering
gambling reform this term, as the clubs industry ramps up its attack against the changes.

Clubs and pubs have launched an advertising blitz to fight a proposal that would force
pokies players to sign up for registration cards on which they then set loss limits.

Labor has promised to introduce the mandatory pre-commitment scheme by 2014 as part
of an agreement with Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie to support it in minority
government.

Mr Wilkie has threatened to withdraw his parliamentary support for the federal government
if parliament has not passed legislation backing the scheme by the time of the federal
budget in May 2012.

The opposition says that while tackling problem gambling is essential, the scheme would
threaten the future of clubs which play a vital role in their communities.

Ms Gillard said problem gambling caused "human misery" and no one should profit from this.

"I come from a part of Melbourne where we know what it's like to see people who put
so much money into poker machines that they break the family budget, they can't feed the
kids, they end up with their houses being repossessed by the bank," the prime minister
told reporters in Canberra.

"People like to have a bet but I don't think they like to see their fellow Australians
suffer, so it's the right thing to have an appropriate package to tackle problem gambling."

Ms Gillard said she intended to honour her agreement with Mr Wilkie.

AAP pjo/sb/dep

KEYWORD: POKIES GILLARD

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