MP gives talk on pokies evil

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A LABOR MP has countered a Geelong rally against proposed pokie laws with his own from forum targeting council planning officers.
Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman said he wanted local government planners to understand the ramification of their decisions when approving poker machines.
“It’s more of a key stakeholder’s forum. We want to outline to planners and social policy makers exactly what’s happening at a grassroots level,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“When doing a planning approval for more pokies, planners need to know all the social dislocation involved in their decision. It’s money that doesn’t go into small business, doesn’t go into jobs and 40 per cent is from problem gamblers.
“Every time someone goes to a pokie venue they have to set their loss limit. It forces people to confront the question ‘How much will I lose this week?’
“This is why the pokie barons are fighting so hard against it – they know it will be effective. Why are they screaming so hard if it won’t impact on their profits?”
Mr Cheeseman said Federal Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin would attend with Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce chair Tim Costello.
Church representatives and staff from human services agencies Bethany and Salvation Army would present stories of clients addicted to poker machines, he said.
Mr Cheeseman scheduled the forum for Torquay Bowling Club on Thursday this week after the Independent went to press.
Clubs Victoria’s rally at Buckley’s on Monday night attracted 400 to 500 people, according to Geelong and District Football League president Neville Whitley.
He said some of the crowd came from Melbourne, Warrugul, Portland, Wallan and Bendigo.
Mr Whitley said the campaign would continue at a grassroots level.
“We need those at the rally to be the custodians and ambassadors of their pubs and clubs and get the message out to their patrons and members.”
Mr Whitley said the rally “sent the message out to government that mandatory pre-commitment was not the way to go”.
“State Government and the industry have their finger on the pulse in attacking problem gambling,” he said.
“The money this policy is costing the Federal Government could be better put into research and training for programs for problem gamblers.
“The industry already works closely with groups assisting problem gamblers.”
Mr Whitley said he planned to attend Mr Cheeseman’s forum “as an observer”.
The Clubs Victoria rally invited Mr Cheeseman and Labor Member for Corio Richard Marles but neither attended.