Labor has finally revealed their hand on gaming, with today’s release of the Committee report.
The report recommends a substantial reduction in the number of EGMs in Tasmanian hotels and clubs via a voluntary buyback mechanism.*
This is exactly what we exposed Labor as considering earlier this month.
Pointedly, Mr Bacon did not issue a dissenting report to those recommendations, which means he supports them and can only mean they are Labor policy.
It is laughable for Ms White to pretend they still don’t have a position on gaming when her Shadow Treasurer has agreed to the key recommendations.
In contrast, Government member Sarah Courtney dissented with the those findings which are not, and will not be, Government policy.
We do not believe that we should be spending taxpayers money to buy out jobs and potentially close down pubs and clubs, as the Committee, and Labor, are proposing.
Having said that, the Government will consider the report and the remainder of its recommendations and respond in due course.
*2. The Government adopt strategies to facilitate the reduction of a significant number of EGMs from Tasmanian Hotels and Clubs by the 1st of July 2023.
3. The Government devise a mechanism to facilitate a reduction of the number of EGMs in Tasmania post 1 July 2023 as required.
4. The Government work actively with communities that are concerned with the density of EGMs in their local area to enable voluntary mechanisms to reduce the number of EGMs.