July 10, 2013
Social cost of casino deal counted
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says the Sky City pokies for convention deal can still be stopped.
Legislation enacting the Government’s deal to give the Auckland casino operator more gaming machines and an extension to its licence in exchange for building a convention centre will have its first reading tomorrow.
Ms Turei says an impact report on the bill by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment highlights why people need to fight the plan.
"We now know they expect around 400 new problem gamblers as a result of the Sky City expansion. There is somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 additional people who will be affected, half of whom will be children, so there are serious social harms that will be inflicted on families and businesses and community organisations, and we need to stop it. There is no justification for this deal going ahead," she says.
The Greens have asked the speaker to allow MPs a conscience vote, which is traditional on bills involving gambling.
E kore e oti i te taha āpitihana ō pāremata tana rautaki kia korehāhā ai te pire petipeti ō te Kāwanatanga
E whakapono ana te kaiārahi i te rōpū Kākāriki, ā Metiria Turei, ka tāea tonutia te whakaaetanga i waenganui i te Kāwanatanga mē Sky City te aukati.
Ko te ngako ō te whakaaetanga nei, kia whai ā Sky City i ētahi miihini petipeti anō, mēnā ka whakarato ia i te pūtea mō tētahi whare hui hou ki Tāmaki Makaurau.
Hei tā Turei, e tika ana kia whawhai pau te kaha ki taua whakaaetanga, i te mea, ko te petipeti tētahi ō ngā taniwha e patu ana i ō tātou iwi.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd