Reforms
I was sorry to see Julia Gillard fall on Australia Day – it’s strangely unsettling to see an adult stumble, and never more so than when it’s a person of power.

To my mind, though, a far more significant fall happened earlier in the week.
I understand the pragmatism behind Ms Gillard’s decision to dump her pokies reform deal with Independent MP Andrew Wilkie. She didn’t have the numbers in parliament to get mandatory pre-commitment legislation passed.
Continue reading "Pokies farce is Gillard’s biggest stumble yet" »
Now our Melbourne Cup flutters are out of the way it is worth investigating how it became valid political logic that the healthy fabric of Australian life would be shredded without big-scale gambling.

Not on horses, but gambling on pokies. Not by once-a-year punters or leviathan professionals, by low-income earners who can suddenly find their rent has disappeared down the maw of a gaming machine.
The glorified role of pokies is a political creation and it is total rubbish.
Continue reading "Pokie palaces are sucking the life out of communities" »
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Jay says:
Let’s get a few facts straight. After 8 years of the disastrous Cain/Kirner Govt it was Labor that introduced the Pokies in Victoria.We had to sell of the State Bank, GIO,electricity, gas and water and slash nursing,police and teachers.Let’s not forget the Brumby Govts brilliant myki card debacle and let’s… Read more »
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Pokie Madness says:
To be honest if I could get pokies installed ANYWHERE to help raise revenue for a small local business I would. I live in a small rural town that gets little or no help from the local council much less the state of federal government. This small town has an… Read more »
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