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MEDIA RELEASE
NICK XENOPHON M.L.C. INDEPENDENT NO POKIES
MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 4 March 2004
PREMIER’S RESHUFFLE BLUNDER MR. WRONG
·
Appointing the Minister for Racing
as Gambling Minister shows the Government isn’t serious about tackling problem
gambling. ·
Call on Premier to change ‘dumb
and dumberer’ decision.
No
Pokies MLC Nick Xenophon has slammed the appointing of Racing Minister Michael
Wright as the Minister for Gambling as well, as a “disturbing
sign that the Government isn’t serious about tackling problem gambling”. The
Minister for Gambling’s portfolio includes the Independent Gambling Authority
– a statutory authority specifically set up to reduce the harm caused by
gambling. Mr
Xenophon said: “I
have absolutely nothing against Mr Wright at a personal level.
But this appointment is wrong, wrong, wrong.” “By
having both portfolios Mr Wright faces a clear conflict of interest.
He will in effect have to behave like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Part of him is meant to promote a major form of gambling, while at the
same time another part is meant to reduce the harm caused by gambling.
It simply doesn’t make sense.” “The
Premier Mr Rann deserves the ‘dumb and dumberer’ award for the most
stupefying reshuffle decision.” Mr
Xenophon called on Mr Rann to reconsider the decision immediately so that one
Minister would not hold both portfolios. Mr
Xenophon also pointed to the landmark report of the Productivity Commission on Australia’s
Gambling Industries released in 1999 which stated that a ‘blueprint
for gambling regulation’ needed to be “underpinned by: avoidance of
conflicting objectives and
interests”.
Written and authorised by Nick Xenophon, 653 Lower North East Road, Paradise, SA 5075 |