Everyone
is trying to pressure Opposition Leader Rebecca White to make up her mind what
to do about poker machines post 2023, the government even bringing on a motion in
Parliament a few weeks ago to try to embarrass her. A few weeks even a month or
two isn’t going to make an ounce of difference.
All
too often the overwhelming social arguments against poker machines are trumped
by the gambling industry’s mantra of jobs jobs jobs. It’s important the bogus
economic arguments are fully understood by Ms White.
Dear Ms White
You were right to
delay framing a new position on EGMs until the Joint Committee presented its
findings based on the latest evidence. That was the aim of the inquiry.
From a policy
viewpoint an inquiry becomes pointless if trying to confirm predetermined
policies drives the process. Fortunately
the Chair managed to keep focussed.
Confirmation bias however
dominated the approach of both the Liberals and the Greens, culminating in Ms
Courtney’s dissenting report arguing that
the significant reduction in EGMs in pubs and clubs recommended by four of the
other five committee members would have “devastating economic and employment
impacts on many businesses and communities..”.
Recommendations are
supposed to be based on evidence presented. No evidence was offered by non EGM
businesses stating withdrawal of some or all EGMs from communities would have adverse
effects let alone devastating ones. Communities clamouring to retain EGMs to
prevent devastation were also conspicuously absent.