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February 29 2012
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, will not support the Government’s draft National Gambling Reform Bills 2012 until the troubled Canberra trial is remedied and/or until $1 maximum bets are legislated. ``When the Prime Minister reneged on her written commitment for meaningful poker machine reform I indicated in-principle support for the Government’s watered down proposal,’’ Mr Wilkie said. ``But from expert advice I better understand now that the Government’s plan to trial mandatory pre-commitment in the ACT is problematic. And this compromises the Government’s Bill because the weak measures in the legislation only have value if they are the stepping stone to good reform.’’ Mr Wilkie said the location of the trial is problematic. ``Canberra is not a typical poker machine area and there’s also the likelihood of leakage into New South Wales,’’ he said. ``Moreover the planned trial is too short to give accurate data while at the same time it could be seen as an industry delaying tactic. Also the involvement of the poker machine industry in the design and conduct of the trial risks throwing up misleading results. ``There is also the significant matter of the conflict of interest on account of the Labor Party being set to profit from the very large sum of public money that will paid to Clubs ACT.’’ Mr Wilkie said the proposed reform also misses the opportunity to include the Productivity Commission’s recommendation that $1 maximum bets be rolled out with mandatory pre-commitment. ``In light of all this I’ve decided to only support the Government’s watered down poker machine reform package if the problems with the Canberra trial are unambiguously fixed. ``I’ve raised these concerns this week with the Minister for Community Services, Jenny Macklin, and she has made a commitment to work through the issues which gives me hope that the trial can be remedied. ``But if the Canberra trial can’t be remedied then the Government’s Bill must be amended to include the requirement for poker machines to be $1 maximum bet capable in addition to pre-commitment capable, and for that $1 maximum bet capability to be activated in the event of a negative trial result of pre-commitment.
February 24 2012
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has welcomed the release of the Commonwealth Grants Commission report that clearly demonstrates the $340m he secured for the Royal Hobart Hospital is a great deal for Tasmania. The CGC report today shows that Tasmania’s GST revenue is set to rise by $94m from $1.7b to $1.8b. (p.4) The impact of Health and Hospitals Fund payments to Tasmania – which includes funding for cancer centres as well as the $340m Mr Wilkie secured for the RHH - led to a correction of just $59m in GST payments to the state. (p.84) ``Given the choice of hundreds of millions of dollars to redevelop the RHH and improve cancer services in Tasmania or $59m in extra GST this year, I know what I would choose,’’ Mr Wilkie said. ``It is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Tasmania’s history and will provide a much-needed boost to the slowing state economy, providing jobs and confidence for the business community during hard times,’’ he said. ``This is money Tasmania would not have received if it wasn’t going ahead with the redevelopment.’’ It is on the public record that the State Government’s submission to the Commonwealth Grants Commission argued there was no argument for exceptional treatment of the RHH funding. ``Like all other federal infrastructure payments for projects including the Kingston Bypass, school halls and upgrades to the Launceston General Hospital, the RHH redevelopment money is taken into account when the Grants Commission carves up GST between the states to ensure fairness,’’ Mr Wilkie said. He said the Grants Commission’s finding vindicates his previous statements that the $340m payment for the RHH redevelopment would have a minimal impact on GST payments to Tasmania. ``This financial year Tasmania will receive an estimated $1.08b in federal Special Purpose Payments,’’ he said. ``This will result in a correction of $114m in GST payments to the state next year on account of the horizontal fiscal equalisation process, which is broadly consistent with recent years and not significantly different to the example I provided in my media release of 5 December. ``The Greens and AMA’s irresponsible, alarmist and politically-motivated claims that all but $7m to $12m of the money would be clawed back in GST payments were plain wrong. ``For the Greens and AMA to single out the $340m for the redevelopment of the RHH and not highlight the impact of other federal infrastructure funding for hospitals in Launceston and Burnie on Tasmania’s GST share proves they are simply engaged in political mud slinging. ``The $340m for the RHH has had NO negative impact on the state budget and has not caused the recent health cuts.’’ February 23 2012
I am not going to judge Kevin Rudd based on media reports today claiming his supporters told Clubs Australia last year that Mr Rudd would overturn my poker machine reforms. I look forward to speaking to him personally in due course. For the record, it was the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who instigated the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into problem gambling and it was the current Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who reneged on her written agreement with me to introduce meaningful poker machine reform. February 11 2012
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has secured $8.7 million for the re-development of the King George V sports and community precinct at Glenorchy. Mr Wilkie said he was delighted to welcome the Minister for Regional Australia, Simon Crean, to Tasmania to make the announcement on behalf of the Federal Government. “I would also like to acknowledge the Prime Minister who has shown great interest in the project since I first raised it with her about a year ago. “In mid-2011 she provided $120,000 for the Glenorchy City Council to prepare a business case, and for some time since then given me confidence that funding would be forthcoming,” Mr Wilkie said. Mr Wilkie said the project would bring wide-reaching benefits to the local community. “The Denison electorate had been dreadfully neglected for many years because it was a safe Labor seat. The idea for this project in particular has floated around for ages so it’s fantastic to finally be able to help make it a reality,” Mr Wilkie said. The project will also provide much needed economic stimulus to the local economy. The business case predicts the development will inject $30 million during construction and then $13 million a year into the economy. Mr Wilkie said he hopes much of the project construction work will be able to go to local businesses in the area. Mr Wilkie said the project will turn an assortment of run down facilities into a vibrant centre for sport and other community activities. “Building the community is a vital role for governments and politicians. This project will help a broad range of sports, including at junior levels, as well as community groups including the Migrant Resource Centre and the Transport Museum. “Importantly, funding for the project is available this financial year and, unlike the recent Bellerive upgrade announcement, it is not dependent on any co-contribution by the State Government,” Mr Wilkie said. January 21 2012
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has withdrawn his support for the Federal Government due to the Prime Minister’s failure to honour her agreement on poker machine reform. ``I can no longer guarantee supply and confidence for the Government because the Prime Minister has told me she can’t honour the promise to introduce mandatory pre-commitment on poker machines by the end of 2014,” Mr Wilkie said. ``Consequently I regard the Prime Minister to be in breach of the written agreement she signed, leaving me no option but to honour my word and end my current relationship with her Government. ``Frankly, a deal’s a deal and it must be honoured. Our democracy is simply too precious to trash with broken promises and backroom compromises. So I will walk, take my chances and so be it. ``As someone said to me this week, millions of people are concerned about poker machines, but everyone should care about politicians being true to their word. ``Moreover the Government has failed to seize the opportunity to enact genuinely meaningful poker machine reform. This Parliament presents a remarkable opportunity to finally do something about poker machine problem gambling and its devastating social and financial damage cost. But instead the Government took the easy way out. ``The Government’s explanation that it doesn’t have the numbers is simply wrong. The legislation should be debated in the Parliament and tested on the floor of the House. After all, that’s what democracy is supposed to be about.’’ Mr Wilkie acknowledged that the Government is pursuing limited reform and expressed the hope that this first step would lead to meaningful reform. ``I will not stand in the Government’s way because I do feel that in the circumstances it would be better to achieve at least some reform. ``The push for pokies reform has not failed,’’ he said. ``Poker machine problem gambling is now a hot topic, polling shows a strong groundswell for reform and the Commonwealth is set to intervene in gambling regulation for the first time in our history. ``But our foothold is small, so it’s more important than ever that pressure is kept on the Government to deliver the reform package announced today and eventually much more. ``Some people will ask why I would still withdraw my support for the Government when it’s progressing reform. ``But the issue is not that the Government is not progressing poker machine reform. Rather the issue is that the Government has decided it can’t deliver on the reforms it agreed to, which I’ve insisted repeatedly were the basis for my ongoing support and which I’ve honoured since the agreement was made some 16 months ago.” Mr Wilkie added that in relation to matters of confidence, it’s in the public interest for parliaments to be stable and go full term. ``I will only support motions of no confidence in the event of serious misconduct and not support politically opportunistic motions. I will consider budget measures on their merits. ``As far as I’m concerned it’s still early days in the campaign for reform because too many people are being hurt by the pokies and the vast majority of people are looking to their elected representatives to do something about the problem. ``This and future governments must be forced to understand that this is just the start. The millions of people affected adversely by poker machines now and in the future deserve nothing less than our full support to minimise the damage. ``I will continue to push for mandatory pre-commitment and $1 maximum bets.’’ |
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