'No pokies' say mayoral candidates

The two leading Christchurch mayoral contenders have committed themselves to getting rid of pokie machines.

Front-runner Bob Parker describes them as blight on the community" and favours an ongoing reduction because the funding they return comes from the poorest communities.

The other main contender Megan Woods says that she would like to get rid of them all, starting with the poorest suburbs.

David Coom, Regional Manager for the Problem Gambling Foundation said he was at a meeting of 21 candidates in the local government elections on Thursday and asked them,

"If elected would you work towards the eradication of pokie machines from the Christchurch community?"

He said every candidates hand went up, and several insisted on speaking on the issue.

On Friday Mr Coom put the same question to Mr Parker and Ms Woods who were not present at the meeting.

Problem Gambling Foundation CEO John Stansfield is pleased but not surprised at the position candidates are taking.

"Local government candidates have to keep their ear to the ground, "he says.

"Issues that are hurting communities come to the fore during elections.

Mr Stansfield says that Chistchurch had earned the unenviable label of the gambling crime capital of New Zealand in recent years and that candidates were reflecting community demands to do something about it.

"Local government needs more powers to control pokies. Councillors and Mayors are charged with looking after their communities but the existing law gives all the power to the owners of these unwanted machines.

"The large political parties get obsessed with what is going on in Wellington and lose touch with ordinary people and the problems they face"

Mr Stansfied says that now it is illegal for the pokie trusts to fund election campaigns he expects to see a lot more local government candidates taking a stand on the issue.

He points to Waitakere City where a "no pokies" ticket is standing for the Licensing Trust and says that he expects the issue will be an election feature in a number of areas where pokies are gutting local communities.