❓ The WA government firmly opposes introducing poker machines, citing increased problem gambling in Victoria as a cautionary tale. They accuse the opposition of leaving the door open to their introduction.
AnsweredQoN 8Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POKER MACHINES
Can the minister inform the house of the likely impact of the introduction of poker machines on the Western Australian community? Mr M. McGOWAN
Can the minister inform the house of the likely impact of the introduction of poker machines on the Western Australian community? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Southern River for that question. In the 1980s the levels of gambling spending per capita in Victoria and Western Australia were similar. They were of a reasonably low level compared with the levels in New South Wales, which had introduced poker machines. Since then, Western Australia’s level of gambling spending per capita has remained relatively static and is still much the same as it was in the 1980s. In the interim, Victoria has introduced poker machines and its spending per capita on gambling has more than doubled. The amount per capita spent on gambling in Western Australia is about $460 per annum, and in Victoria the equivalent figure is more than $1 130 per annum per person. As a result, there is more than three times the incidence of problem gambling in Victoria than there is in Western Australia. A recent study done by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, an independent agency, found that if poker machines were introduced into Western Australia, there would be 11 250 extra problem gamblers in this state. The Carpenter government has examined these figures and has indicated very clearly to all the people who have expressed an interest in this matter that it will not introduce poker machines into Western Australia. The government has made that very clear in meetings with Mr James Packer, and I have made it very clear on the numerous times I have met Mr Bradley Woods. The government’s view is crystal clear. However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Southern River for that question. In the 1980s the levels of gambling spending per capita in Victoria and Western Australia were similar. They were of a reasonably low level compared with the levels in New South Wales, which had introduced poker machines. Since then, Western Australia’s level of gambling spending per capita has remained relatively static and is still much the same as it was in the 1980s. In the interim, Victoria has introduced poker machines and its spending per capita on gambling has more than doubled. The amount per capita spent on gambling in Western Australia is about $460 per annum, and in Victoria the equivalent figure is more than $1 130 per annum per person. As a result, there is more than three times the incidence of problem gambling in Victoria than there is in Western Australia. A recent study done by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, an independent agency, found that if poker machines were introduced into Western Australia, there would be 11 250 extra problem gamblers in this state. The Carpenter government has examined these figures and has indicated very clearly to all the people who have expressed an interest in this matter that it will not introduce poker machines into Western Australia. The government has made that very clear in meetings with Mr James Packer, and I have made it very clear on the numerous times I have met Mr Bradley Woods. The government’s view is crystal clear. However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
I thank the member for Southern River for that question. In the 1980s the levels of gambling spending per capita in Victoria and Western Australia were similar. They were of a reasonably low level compared with the levels in New South Wales, which had introduced poker machines. Since then, Western Australia’s level of gambling spending per capita has remained relatively static and is still much the same as it was in the 1980s. In the interim, Victoria has introduced poker machines and its spending per capita on gambling has more than doubled. The amount per capita spent on gambling in Western Australia is about $460 per annum, and in Victoria the equivalent figure is more than $1 130 per annum per person. As a result, there is more than three times the incidence of problem gambling in Victoria than there is in Western Australia. A recent study done by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, an independent agency, found that if poker machines were introduced into Western Australia, there would be 11 250 extra problem gamblers in this state. The Carpenter government has examined these figures and has indicated very clearly to all the people who have expressed an interest in this matter that it will not introduce poker machines into Western Australia. The government has made that very clear in meetings with Mr James Packer, and I have made it very clear on the numerous times I have met Mr Bradley Woods. The government’s view is crystal clear. However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Southern River for that question. In the 1980s the levels of gambling spending per capita in Victoria and Western Australia were similar. They were of a reasonably low level compared with the levels in New South Wales, which had introduced poker machines. Since then, Western Australia’s level of gambling spending per capita has remained relatively static and is still much the same as it was in the 1980s. In the interim, Victoria has introduced poker machines and its spending per capita on gambling has more than doubled. The amount per capita spent on gambling in Western Australia is about $460 per annum, and in Victoria the equivalent figure is more than $1 130 per annum per person. As a result, there is more than three times the incidence of problem gambling in Victoria than there is in Western Australia. A recent study done by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, an independent agency, found that if poker machines were introduced into Western Australia, there would be 11 250 extra problem gamblers in this state. The Carpenter government has examined these figures and has indicated very clearly to all the people who have expressed an interest in this matter that it will not introduce poker machines into Western Australia. The government has made that very clear in meetings with Mr James Packer, and I have made it very clear on the numerous times I have met Mr Bradley Woods. The government’s view is crystal clear. However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
I thank the member for Southern River for that question. In the 1980s the levels of gambling spending per capita in Victoria and Western Australia were similar. They were of a reasonably low level compared with the levels in New South Wales, which had introduced poker machines. Since then, Western Australia’s level of gambling spending per capita has remained relatively static and is still much the same as it was in the 1980s. In the interim, Victoria has introduced poker machines and its spending per capita on gambling has more than doubled. The amount per capita spent on gambling in Western Australia is about $460 per annum, and in Victoria the equivalent figure is more than $1 130 per annum per person. As a result, there is more than three times the incidence of problem gambling in Victoria than there is in Western Australia. A recent study done by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, an independent agency, found that if poker machines were introduced into Western Australia, there would be 11 250 extra problem gamblers in this state. The Carpenter government has examined these figures and has indicated very clearly to all the people who have expressed an interest in this matter that it will not introduce poker machines into Western Australia. The government has made that very clear in meetings with Mr James Packer, and I have made it very clear on the numerous times I have met Mr Bradley Woods. The government’s view is crystal clear. However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
However, I note that on the weekend Mr Bradley Woods made some comments to the Sunday Times Magazine that he was absolutely confident that it was only a matter of time before poker machines came to Western Australia. We have made it very clear to him that it will not be our government that introduces poker machines to Western Australia. Where is he getting this information from, Mr Speaker? It is quite clear that he is getting it from the Leader of the Opposition and some of his shadow ministers. The Leader of the Opposition has left the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. He may be from New South Wales but he has not learnt the lesson from New South Wales that these things are very bad for the community. The member for Murdoch has been saying that poker machines should come into Western Australia. Both a senior shadow minister and the Leader of the Opposition are leaving the door open to poker machines in Western Australia. The public can be absolutely clear that the opposition is leaving the door open to poker machines; the government is opposed to them.
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