Wilkie secures pokie tech reform
- 03 September, 2010 08:49
- Comments 6
Tasmanian independent MPm Andrew Wilkie, has won a commitment from Prime Minister Julia Gillard that Labor would enforce an overhaul of poker machine technology if Labor takes Government, involving what is called “pre-commitment technology” being applied to the gambling devices.
As part of his deal with Gillard which will see him support a Labor Government, Wilkie told reporters in Canberra this afternoon — in a press conference broadcast by the ABC’s News 24 channel — that the pre-commitment technologies would be implemented by 2014 under a Labor government.
The so-called pre-commitment additions to poker machines enable gamblers to log in to poker machines via smartcards, USB thumb drives and other devices that will identify them to poker machine networks. They allow poker machine operators to minimise gambling problems by, for example, setting limits on how much money gamblers can spend.
Wilkie said Gillard had given him a commitment that if a Labor Federal Government couldn’t get the state governments to agree to the implementation, it would force the issue through legislation.
“The Federal Government is prepared to create legislation to force the states to act on gambling and poker machines in particular,” he said.
Wilkie said with the login technology in place, individual settings for the whole system could be easily changed to suit each gambler and drive an overall improvement in their lives.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also “saw the value in pre-commitment technologies”, but the discussions with Labor contained more detail, Wilkie told the press. “I was left with more confidence that the ALP had the wherewithal to pull it off,” he said.
One item on Wilkie’s priority list that he discussed with Gillard was the National Broadband Network, but he did not immediately disclose what the content of his discussions with the PM on the matter was — although he did note he had discussed all items on his list with Gillard.
Wilkie is a former Greens candidate, although he stood this election as an independent. Harm minimisation of gambling through pre-commitment technology is also a Greens policy. Further information about how the Greens sees the matter is available on the party’s site.
Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, who has long campaigned for poker machine reform, immediately hailed the agreement as a victory, speaking to the press after Wilkie’s own disclosure.
- Bookmark this page
- Share this article
- Got more on this story? Email Computerworld
- Follow Computerworld on twitter
-
Amazon Web Services personalizes CloudFront web hosting service
-
CeBIT 2012: Will NBN speed up freight delivery times?
-
Coalition NBN better or worse?
-
Coalition NBN better or worse?
-
CeBIT 2012: Will NBN speed up freight delivery times?
-
Windows 7 for Seniors for Dummies®
-
Excel 2007 All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies
-
Windows 7 for Dummies® Dvd+book Bundle
-
Computers for Seniors for Dummies, 2nd Edition
-
Office 2007 All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies
-
Windows 7 for Dummies®
-
Teach Yourself Visually Windows 7
-
Office 2007 for Dummies
-
MYOB Software for Dummies 6E Australian Edition









Comments
Mick
Yet another incompetent who thinks the govt should have the right to interfere in people's lives.
Get RID of this 'nanny-state' mentality, we are effing SICK of it.
DB
Cigarettes and Alcohol are bigger problems and destroy more lives, why doesn't he try to ban them. Like proabition in the US.
This guy has to be careful his electorate will re-elect him (maybe).
Gillard has not kept her word to the gaming and poker machine industry about consutantion, she will do anything to stay in POWER.
Why did Wilky suggest the 1 billion figure to the coalition ?
masealake
Will Julia Gillard’s Labor Party government fixed voters voices, pains and crying?
Australia citizens now enter a very challenging political era for 70 years in the 2010 federal election, many reforms are demanding by voters are looking for a change with anger to share fairer resources supplied lives from the re-elected Labor government?
Australia social fabric repair long over due? The historical hung parliament demonstrated deep in voter’s heart a fixed must to carry on in vision and action immediately:
Voters’ voices do not hear?
Voters’ pains do not ease?
Voters’ cries do not care?
1. Poverty will not be phase out if no fairer resources to share;
2. Illness will not be reducing if no preventive measurement in real action;
3. Agriculture will not be revitalize if urbanization continuing its path;
4. Housing affordability will not be reach for young generation if government continues cashing from young generation debt by eating out the whole cake of education export revenue without plough back;
5. Manufacture industry will shrink smaller and smaller if no new elements there to power up to survive;
6. Employability will not in the sustainable mode for so long as manufacture and agriculture not going to boost.
Ma kee wai
(Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)
masealake
What democratic societies should learn lessen from Australia election 2010:
1. What voters crying for reforms not just parliament, but for all department?
Voter’s pains did not link to high income Politicians and Bureaucracy.
The Australia historical hung parliament demonstrated the big gap of inequality society between the small educated elite groups who get highest pay by talk feast used mouth work controlling live essential resources of the country in every social platforms against the biggest less educated groups who get lowest pay by hands work squeezed by discriminative policies that sucking live blood from individual poor/less wealth off?
Voters’ voices do not hear?
Voters’ pains do not ease?
Voters’ cries do not care?
Voter is crying for department reforms over 70 years that resulting a 2010 Hung Parliament?
An iceberg example of voter’s crying:
“……it seem to me there was an unfair to treat me when the merit of “Claim for Disability Support Pension or Sickness Allowance” form in detail clearly defy 15 hours classify the cut off point for acceptance, when comparing to my early assessment completed in June this year that it has the merit less than 8 hours (0-7) work capacity due to my long term medical impairment since an injury occurred in 2005”…….
It was disappointing where the push of Parliament reform that mainly to brink good news to all MPs by the individual MPs during this year historical hung parliament in 70 years, and the reform did not including all Government Departments where it would directly brink good actions to all voters/or people?
Ma kee wai
(Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)
Valerie
My family have been affected by gambling and drinking.
The solution is not to support the people who work in setting up these machines, to get money to support a certain foot ball club in Tasmania.
There is an undercurrent that is running in Tasmania that should be investigated.
masealake
Why believe coalition economic plan works without revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries??
It’s all about power and money most Politicians and parties wanted above all and after all election?
Just listen how Barry O'Farrell convincing voters: "People are our asset. They are our greatest wealth and they should be given the opportunity to pursue their dreams?" On the issue of economic management, Mr O'Farrell was asked what he thought was the state's greatest source of wealth, given NSW lacked a resources industry.
Take a look below the link subject: “Time for Action” in “Healthy Active Life” program that convert Broken hill into a Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy? Link with http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=20747&mycomm=ES
... .
When we look at what today’s shrinking industries, such of agriculture (34% of fruit and 19% of vegetables imported); manufacture (10.5% by 2005–6) destructed by John Howard’s coalition government.
Will you then still believe Mr Barry O'Farrell’s coalition opposition announced positive and practical policies which will help revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries for create more sustainable jobs, and innovative export products?
Remember, it’s not one person to construct or destruct the whole lots of industries, it’s the matter of whole political party/government?
Will you also believe there were only 1-2 Politicians responding to this greatest “Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy model”?
Why the most Politicians do fail their own test in spend little brain work to revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries who with $1.65 million Tax payer’s money each annual spending for?
Masealake (Member of Inventor Association QLD)
Post new comment