Proposal to cut pokies

By Ed Merrison
THE State Government has dismissed a Liberal gaming plan and defended its own record on problem gambling in the face of criticism from local Opposition candidates.
Gaming Minister John Pandazopoulos disregarded attempts by Ferntree Gully candidate Nick Wakeling to promote a Liberal plan to cut poker machine numbers by 20 per cent, saying there was no evidence to suggest cutting numbers would reduce problem gambling.
Mr Pandazopoulos went on to defend the Government’s gaming reforms and what he called hard-hitting its media and community education programs.
“The Bracks Government has a strong record on addressing problem gambling,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
“Since coming to office in 1999 we have committed over $111 million to problem gambling programs, compared to just $13.9 million by the previous Liberal Government.
“The problem gambling prevalence rate has also halved to 1.12 per cent and more problem gamblers are accessing counselling,” he said.
But Mr Wakeling and Bayswater Liberal candidate Heidi Victoria continued to push the Liberal Plan for Responsible Gaming, which would cut pokies numbers from 27,500 machines to 22,000 when operators’ contracts expire in 2012.
The candidates said Knox was one of Victoria’s worst affected municipalities, with losses of $86.9 million to poker machines in 2005-06.
“Crime, financial hardship, bankruptcy, divorce and broken homes in Knox can no longer be viewed as an acceptable by-product of the gaming industry,” Mr Wakeling said.
Mr Wakeling accused Labor of becoming dependent on gambling revenue to fund major project blow-outs and glossy advertising campaigns.
The accusation was rejected by Mr Pandazopoulos who said: “We are ensuring the community benefits from the industry with over 85 per cent of Government’s gambling taxes – approximately $4.4 billion in the past five years – allocated to health and community projects across every region in Victoria.”
In the outer eastern suburbs, Mr Pandazopoulos said this had helped pay for a new $18.5 million emergency department and $5.2 million rehabilitation ward at the Angliss Hospital, the $25 million redevelopment of Maroondah Hospital’s 50-bed Mental Health Centre and a new $30 million palliative care and geriatric rehabilitation centre in Knox.
In addition, Mr Pandazopoulos said about $75 million a year from gambling taxes was distributed to community groups across Victoria from the Community Support Fund.
However, Ms Victoria pointed out that the Government’s Department of Victorian Communities Annual Report 2004-05 showed not one community group in the Knox area received a slice of the $75 million pie.
“Surely there are many worthwhile community groups and projects in the east that deserve funding.
“Communities like Knox, which have lost the most to pokies, have got the least benefit despite suffering the greatest social and economic disadvantage,” she said.