Wilkie 'let down' by pokies turnaround

23 Jan 2012, 11:02 am   -   Source: AAP
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Mr Wilkie conceded the reforms were still remarkable and would make a difference to problem gambling. (AAP)

Mr Wilkie conceded the reforms were still remarkable and would make a difference to problem gambling. (AAP)

Jilted independent MP Andrew Wilkie says it's possible the federal government never intended to carry out his plans for poker machine reform.

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Jilted independent MP Andrew Wilkie says it's possible the federal government never intended to carry out his plans for poker machine reform.

And he has labelled the broken promise a trashing of democracy.

Mr Wilkie tore up his agreement of support for Labor after it announced on the weekend it was backing down from introducing a mandatory pre-commitment scheme by the end of 2014, in favour of a year-long trial in the ACT.

The Tasmanian MP said he doubted the government's intentions.

Last week he met with WA National Tony Crook, who told him the government had only approached him once about supporting the legislation.

"He had barely been lobbied," Mr Wilkie told ABC Radio on Monday.

"So there is a prima facie case that the government was never going to honour it."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the plans have only been watered down because of a lack of numbers in the parliament - but Mr Wilkie begged to differ.

"If it had been put to the test, the numbers would have been there," he said.

"We shouldn't be trashing our democracy by doing compromise deals and backroom deals outside of the chamber."

Labor's new approach to pokies reform includes making all new poker machines manufactured from 2013 pre-commitment ready, a $250 daily limit on ATM withdrawals at clubs and electronic warnings on machines by 2016.

Mr Wilkie conceded the reforms were still remarkable and would make a difference to problem gambling.

However, he will cease his weekly catch-ups with Ms Gillard and warned the government to tread carefully in its future interactions with him.

"It's a much more fragile one-seat majority than it had previously, there's been much said about (Speaker) Peter Slipper, (Labor backbencher) Craig Thomson - something else could happen," he said.

"The government would be quite foolish to burn me."

 

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Your Comments

politicians!!

Rashid - from WA, 4 months ago

It shows how naïve Wilkie is to have trusted “Politicians” to keep their promise. The ink on “watch my lips” and other broken promises is not even dry yet. The CLUB lobby is a very strong lobby and they don’t care the social implications of problem gambling. There is no such thing as responsible gambling or it would not be called Gambling. Politicians are Programmed for breaking Promises. That is why they are in politics. Wilkie is not a politician yet.

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