The chaos that surrounds gambling policy in Canberra might look like a government that has lost control of the debate. But in reality it plays into the hands of Chief Minister Andrew Barr, who can watch secure in the knowledge that the more the clubs industry fights among itself and the more it is forced to argue for the right to operate eftpos machines, the easier it will be for him to get what he wants: Poker machines in the casino, a 20 per cent reduction in machine numbers, and the marginalisation of the main industry group that waged such a dangerous campaign against him at the last election.
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The powers amassed in this debate are significant. Clubs are not only important in the fabric of the community, not least in the sporting codes they support, they are big business. Poker machines are a very significant source of revenue.
One of the big groups in Clubs ACT is the Raiders, sorely compromised by a gambling commission investigation into its handling of addicted gambler Laurie Brown, who says she lost $230,000 in Raiders clubs with no intervention.
The powerhouse in the breakaway clubs group is the CFMEU-owned Tradies, whose influence in the Labor Party is profound.
The Labor Party owns its own club group, with Wayne Berry, former parliamentarian and father of deputy chief minister Yvette Berry on its board.
In this exquisite balance of power, fuelled by heartbreak, revenge, loyalty, influence and economic survival, don't expect Labor to bring major change to the pokie-dependent clubs industry. A reduction from 5000 to 4000 machines, long touted as a target but never realised, would be a significant achievement in itself, but may come with a suite of concessions to clubs.
Mr Barr's move to allow poker machines in the casino has merit. If you were starting again, that is the only place you would allow them. And in return, Mr Barr will extract some much needed revitalisation of the city precinct. But making it happen is proving complex and divisive.
Ths issue is also a lightning rod for some explosive critiques of Mr Barr from within. Former Labor chief minister Jon Stanhope has blasted Mr Barr's refusal to deal with Clubs ACT as "petulant" and his negotiations instead with the Tradies group as a "gross conflict of interest". Now, longtime Labor insider Jeff House has labelled the government's proposed ban on cash from eftpos machines as a "vindicative, lazy, retaliatory shot in the dark".
The pair's criticisms, while vehemently expressed, are well founded. Mr Barr should quit his petty refusal to deal with Clubs ACT. It is not for the chief minister to decide who will represent any industry. Mr Barr won the election and should have community sentiment on his side in the pokie debate; he does not need to exact revenge for a campaign against him. Aligning himself with the Tradies group does, indeed, look far too cosy, and will colour any outcome with a justified layer of distrust and cynicism.
He should also unhook his gaming minister from having to participate in his retaliation against Clubs ACT. Mr Ramsay should deal with the clubs industry group, not boycott it out of obedience to the chief minister. But pity the gaming minister. He is new to the job, straight into cabinet at the last election. He came from the church and the social sector, where questions of right and wrong are not sullied by the cynicism, compromise and power games of politics.
