Opposition has bet each way on pokies

29/4/04
The State Opposition must come clean on its plans for allowing pokies in Western Australia, Community Development Minister Sheila McHale said today.
"The Gallop Government has never swayed from its stance of no pokies in WA," Ms McHale said.
"But the Opposition is hedging its bets with the Opposition leader Colin Barnett and his shadow minister Barry House at loggerheads over the Liberal Party's official policy.
"The shadow minister not only wants pokies at Burswood Casino but also in pubs and clubs, while the Opposition leader ignored his own party's position statement to say first he had an 'open mind' only later to back down and say he did not support pokies inside or outside Burswood.
"The Opposition leader has to decide whether the Liberal Party stands for keeping WA free of the dark social scourge of pokies or will be seduced by the lure of tax revenue from these machines."
Ms McHale said it looked as if the Liberal Party was opening the door to use poker machines as its cash cow if elected to govern.
"The public needs to be absolutely clear about the huge social consequences of introducing poker machines," she said.
"We stand for no pokies because the effects are devastating."
Minister's office: 9213 6900