Maori Party urges Addington not to monetise misery
te-pati-maori
Mon Jul 05 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Maori Party urges Addington not to monetise misery
Monday, 5 July 2010, 10:01 am
Press Release: The Maori Party
Te Ururoa Flavell - Sponsor of the Gambling Harm Reduction Bill
Rahui Katene - Maori Party MP for Te Tai Tonga Sunday July 4, 2010
Maori Party urges Addington not to make money from misery
The Maori Party says introducing pokie machines at Addington Raceway will put too many Christchurch families in harm's way.
"I can understand that the South Island racing industry needs more money, but sucking every last dollar from our families and their children, is not the southern way," MP for Te Tai Tonga and Christchurch resident Rahui Katene said.
"Many farmers, many small and big businesses in the South Island are going through tough times as well but we don't see them cry out for pokie money, we don't see them create misery for others so to save themselves.
"The people of Christchurch are a proud people and I sincerely hope they and the Christchurch City Council maintain their 'sinking lid' policy on gaming machines."
Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell, who is sponsoring the Gambling Harm Reduction Bill, said he was disgusted with the idea of putting pokie machines trackside so to generate millions of dollars to keep harness racing veterans from looking for bigger money elsewhere.
"Taking millions of dollars out of the pockets of so many families and into the hands of a few is outrageous," Mr Flavell said.
"Addiction to pokie machines has a devastating impact on families, especially Maori whanau and low income communities.
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"I see Addington's idea as an attack on Christchurch's Maori and the poor who are unlikely to be the ones sipping fine wine and wearing fancy hats while the race is on. And that makes me sick."
More than 70 percent of people with gambling problems are seen because of their addiction to pokie machines.
Some statistics:
* There are about 5000 problem gamblers in Christchurch
* Between 7 and 17 people are directly and negatively affected per problem gambler
* The wider Canterbury community gains about $37million annually through various trusts. However these benefits are offset by the harms gambling causes either to the individual who has a gambling problem and their family/whanau and associates, or to the wider community through crime and dishonesty occurring related to gambling.
(Source: Christchurch City Council, Summary of the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) 2009)
ENDS
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