North Shore gambling vote needs to be re-held

Green Party Gambling Spokesperson Sue Bradford has joined other social agencies in criticizing North Shore City Council for allowing two city councillors who have links to businesses with pokie machines on their premises to participate in a council debate ( and vote ) against reducing the number of gambling venues on the Shore.

“I think there is a conflict of interest when such people get to vote on gambling policy. Mr Kevin Schwass owns a sports bar that operates pokies and Mr Tony Barker is a trustee of an organization that has pokies in a bar that it owns. It is splitting hairs for them to say that they have no pecuniary interest since they receive only a set fee for operating these machines,” Ms Bradford says.

“The reality is that pokies are a form of entertainment for bar patrons that helps to boost the takings across the bar, and is often an essential part of the income stream. By voting against reducing the number of gambling venues on the Shore, the Council has ensured that gambling outlets continue to be a widely visible and available attraction, thus benefitting all the operators involved in this sorry business.

“Gambling harms families and communities. It is ridiculous for Mr Schwass to liken the ‘knowledge’ that he brings to Council debates on gambling, to the intimate knowledge that people bring to decisions about heritage. To my knowledge, families and communities are not being put at risk when old buildings are being saved and restored.

“The North Shore City Council should now ask Messrs Schwass and Barker to absent themselves and put the proposal back on the Council agenda for further debate and another vote,” Ms Bradford says.

“I hope this controversy will encourage North Shore residents to become more involved in decisions about gambling policies that affect their community – and that voters will take a keen interest in where candidates stand on gambling issues when they cast their votes in next month’s local body elections.

“I will also be pressing for the Gambling Amendment Bill to include conflict of interest safeguards that will apply to local body councillors making decisions about gambling policy,” Ms Bradford says.