FED:Abbott attacks pokies reform 'red tape'

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2011
FED:Abbott attacks pokies reform 'red tape'

Federal Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says the government's poker machine reforms will
involve an enormous amount of red tape .. given the relatively small number of problem
gamblers.

Clubs and pubs are fighting a proposal to force pokies' players to sign up for registration
cards on which they'd then set loss limits.

Labor has promised to introduce the mandatory pre-commitment scheme by 2014 .. in exchange
for independent MP ANDREW WILKIE supporting the minority government.

Mr ABBOTT has told Macquarie radio .. the last thing he wants to see is people putting
their livelihood through poker machines .. but the issue has to be addressed in ways which
don't further damage the social fabric.

And he says clubs .. and to a lesser extent pubs .. are an important part of that social fabric.

AAP RTV ag/jcd/ajw/

KEYWORD: POKIES ABBOTT (CANBERRA)

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