State member for Tweed, Nationals MP Geoff Provest, will today lead a debate in the NSW Parliament on the threat to the registered clubs posed by Gillard Labor’s pokie pre-commitment plan.
Mr Provest who, before becoming an MP, spent 27 years in club management, told the Legislative Assembly that clubs are ‘the backbone of our communities’.
“It is deplorable that the Federal Government has done a deal with an Independent from Hobart [Mr Wilkie] to introduce a strange proposal on anti-gaming initiatives.
“It will put people out of work and destroy clubs, particularly in regional and rural areas.”
Mr Provest said the issue was vital for the Tweed because the region has a higher proportion of registered clubs than just about anywhere else in NSW.
“There is no evidence pre-commitment technology stops problem gambling, but plenty of evidence the upfront costs will force many Tweed clubs to close their doors permanently,” Mr Provest concluded.
