ELEANOR HALL: The owner of two of Australia's biggest gaming venues, James Packer, is the latest public figure to criticise the Federal Government's plans for laws aimed at combating problem gambling. In a speech to his company's AGM at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Mr Packer, publicly criticised the Government's push for mandatory pre-commitments for poker machines. He said the proposals will cost jobs, cut investment in the industry and offer no help to problem gamblers.
The independent Senator Nick Xenophon, a long-time anti-pokies campaigner, says asking James Packer how he feels about pokies reform is like asking Robert Mugabe how he feels about democracy. The Government says it's not surprised by Mr Packer's comments - it says it'll argue for the community's interests.
Alexandra Kirk spoke about the issue to Finance Minister, Penny Wong.
WONG: I think it's important that we remember what we're trying to do when it comes to problem gambling. This is about those few Australians who have an addiction to gambling, who are addicted to pokies, who we found, not us - the Productivity Commission, found spend on average $21,000 every year.
That's money that's not being spent on food, that's not being spent on housing, that's not being spent on families, but is being spent on addiction.
KIRK: But those in the sector with poker machines don't accept mandatory pre-commitment and they're fighting tooth and nail against it. You don't have any legislation yet which means that you can't run a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign. Considering the deep pockets of those campaigning against your reforms, do you really think that you can win this PR war?
WONG: Well Alex it is true that there are a lot of business interests who have a lot of money invested in gambling. They have argued this will affect their business interests. You would expect these people to argue for the interests of their business.
But the Federal Government has got a different role. We've got to argue to the interests of the Australian community, not the interests of particular companies.
KIRK: But Crown Limited has said theyd welcome to opportunity to help develop a more workable and effective gaming machine reform package. Will you take that on board?
WONG: I do find it interesting in this debate that there's a lot of people who have business interests in relation to gambling who say the Government's policy won't work. But at the same time they also say the Government's policy will damage their profits. It would seem to me there's a bit of an inconsistency in that.
KIRK: The man at the centre of the pokies reform push, Andrew Wilkie, says if you mandated a maximum bet of $1 and maximum losses of $120 an hour, that would spell the end of high-intensity pokies, then there's be no need for mandatory pre-commitment. Is that a solution to the problem?
WONG: I'm not going to get into the detail of this policy area, that's a matter for Minister Macklin and she is working through these details with interested stakeholders including business and obviously the states.
But again what I'd say is this; this is about vulnerable Australians so let's not lose sight of that. It's about giving vulnerable Australians who are addicted to pokies a tool to stop losses, to stop the sorts of losses that the Productivity Commission talked about of $21,000 a year on average.
KIRK: The Government lost round one of the campaign waged by the mining industry. In the face of their schmick campaign you had to water down your resource rent tax. Have you given yourself some wriggle room on pokies reform?
WONG: We've made very clear our position. Our position is as we have publicly stated. We want to have a tool which is mandatory pre-commitment, a tool to stop the losses for problem gamblers and that will require legislation.
In terms of the details, Minister Macklin is working through those.
KIRK: There are different ways to skin the cat, is that correct?
WONG: Look no, we have made clear our commitments and we will deliver on those commitments.
HALL: That's Penny Wong, the Finance Minister, speaking to Alexandra Kirk.
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