Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Tony Abbott hand in hand with top end of town

Joint Media Release with:

  • The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Assistant Treasurer
    Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Senator for Victoriaand Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity

Today’s latest thought bubble from Tony Abbott and the Liberals is a clear attempt to please big gambling interests.

The Australian Government has a plan to help problem gamblers and their families.

Our plan is based on the expert recommendations of the Productivity Commission.

The Government announced its support for pre-commitment almost 18 months ago. In May this year we announced a ban on the promotion of live odds and a review of the operation of the Howard Government’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

In contrast, the Liberals still don’t even have a policy. They have a grab bag of ideas – some of which are Government policy and others that are just more of the same ideas that have been tried again and again, and failed to fix the problem.

Tony Abbott will do and say anything to get the keys to the Lodge.

Tony Abbott is hand in hand with the top end of town who have been running a $40 million scare campaign against the Government’s changes to help pokie addicts and their families. We now know the price of Liberal policy.

Tony Abbott and the Liberals are always on the side of vested interests, and today’s announcement is no different.

We are committed to introducing changes in pokies venues, including mandatory pre-commitment, as well as banning the promotion of live odds and reviewing the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act.

Timeline on tackling problem gambling in Australia

This image shows A comparison of the Australian Government's steps to tackle problem gambling versus The Liberals steps.