The Liberal and National parties in New South Wales currently governing the state are yet to reach agreement on just how - or where - mandatory cashless gaming to address problem gambling will roll out across the state.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has indicated he wants a statewide rollout of the measures, but
NSW National Party leader Paul Toole told Flow on Thursday the Nationals are pursuing a different approach in regional New South Wales:
" ... we need to make sure that we are looking at the difference between a large venue in the city versus a small venue in the bush. And that's why we want to make sure, as the National Party, that we are protecting jobs, but we are also making sure that we are working with industry to be able to achieve some of those problems that were identified through the Crimes Commission.
"...what we're doing at the moment is probably there's lots of conversations that are going on. There's obviously a lot of moving parts to it. There are things that I've just said: no way. So I make no apologies for that. I stand up for regional New South Wales and I'll stand up for those venues across the state, and there are some factors and there are some things that I just will not even entertain at all. So there are some things where the Premier knows that I'm very strong on and won't agree with. So I've made those points very clear. But it is a moving feast at the moment. It does keep changing, but as I said, for any changes to occur, you've got to work with industry and that's exactly what the National Party will be doing."
The ClubsNSW chief executive was sacked this week for saying the premier was choosing his "conservative Catholic gut" over evidence in a debate about cashless poker machines.
Political parties have been under pressure to introduce cashless gaming after a NSW Crime Commission report found billions of dollars in dirty money was being laundered through machines every year.
On Tuesday, Transparency International Australia CEO Clancy Moore said:
"We also need stronger laws to stop corrupt officials, criminals and business people laundering money and hiding their abuses of power, through poker machines, casinos and real estate."
To hear the full interview with deputy premier Paul Toole, click the FlowNews24 podcast player below:
TRANSCRIPT
The following is an automatically generated transcript and may contain errors. Check against audio delivery.
LAMBERT:
Here on Flow FM, including at the 96.9 service out near Wentworth. We've got Paul Toole, the deputy premier, with us. How are you, Paul?
TOOLE:
I'm going very well. Good morning, Rikki.
LAMBERT:
Paul, great to see you out at Wentworth recently. What was the reason for your visit?
TOOLE:
Look, it was just, first of all, just to get it get over to the Wentworth community and just to catch up with council, talk to community. But while we were there, we were also able to make a number of significant announcements. And this is really important because as part of my trip, I'm actually on a, on a twelve day tour and I thought I wanted to start in the very far west of the state. So where better else to start than in Wentworth, which is about 1100 kilometres away from Macquarie Street in Sydney. And I was able to announce a number of different investments that are going to be going into that community. And one of the first ones we actually did, Rikki, was we had the Wentworth aerodrome and it actually has received around $8.4 million from the state government and we had the official opening of that upgrade and what you've now got in Wentworth is a 24 hours facility. It's got lighting, it's so good for aero medical services, it's so good for our businesses that are going to be flying in. And this is about really helping to drive economic activity within the town.
The other thing too is I also announced there $176,000 in one of our latest programs, and that's to even do further work on the hangers in that particular area. I also went and had a look at the Wentworth Hospital and where we're going to see the $30 million new hospital being built.
So this is an investment in health services, in health facilities there in the local area, and now we're going through those final concept designs for the new hospital. But this is about making sure that that community of Wentworth is given the best possible health care that is needed within the local area.
I ducked over to the showground as well, went over to the showground and we officially opened the new pavilion that's been built there. So. It's a $450,000 investment from the state government. We've also had the community that have put money in.
We had the Community Bank of Bendigo actually put money in towards the project. So I think in total, it was just over a million dollars, but really pleasing to be able to see the benefits that that's going to provide and that can now see art shows, displays, events and festivals happening within that facility as well.
And really nice to be able to see the work of that. And then I also announced a really big one, which is really going to put Wentworth on the map. I announced around just under $5 million and this is going to see a light show happening in Wentworth.
So it's going to happen on the plains out there. We see in Sydney, they've got the vivid light show. We know it brings a lot of visitors to the town, but we're going to see basically a vivid light show out there in Wentworth.
So this is going to see 80 lights being lit up. They're going to then play music, so they're going to be in different sequencing, but it's estimated to bring around 178,000 visitors to the area each year.
So now when you're talking about a $5 million investment bringing 178,000 visitors to the area each year, it's going to also create around $53 million in economic activity. So great to actually see that tourism attraction going to be right here in people's own backyard.
And finally, we had the Wentworth District Medical Centre as well. They've also received funding from the state government and that's actually to go towards refurbishing the Clinic. So just another great partnership there in trying to attract and work with the community there and actually trying to bring more doctors to town as well. So a lot of great announcements. Rikki. I know there's a lot to take in just there, but really pleased that the Nationals in government have been able to drive these programs which are actually reaching out to all of these communities, even though in the far west of the state.
LAMBERT:
I was waiting for Tim Shaw to join you and say, but wait, there's more, some fantastic announcements. The light show, I think that's sort of the new form of fireworks these days, isn't it? Is it involving drones or stuff projected off the ground or a bit of both?
TOOLE:
No, it's primarily on the ground. So primarily what they'll have is it's the best way of probably describing it is it's going to be these large lights, they're going to be sitting on a plinth, but then they actually then they play music and they light up at different times.
So I suppose it will depend on how the tempo of the music as to how quickly they light up in that sequence, or how slow they light up as well. But it's just going to be something absolutely spectacular and I had the opportunity to have a look at some of the diagrams and the pictures of it and it just blows you away and people would think, oh, why is it in Wentworth? Well, I say, why not? It should be in Wentworth. And I'll tell you, it's going to just help to bring more people to town. That means more heads on beds, that means more people eating out at cafes and restaurants and it helps to actually support businesses within the local area.
So just a great initiative and one that I was really proud to be there and to able to officially announce.
And we also had our wonderful Nationals candidate there as well, Peta Betts. She was there and seeing the announcements being made, but also knowing the benefits that this is going to provide back to the local community.
LAMBERT:
Now you got together with Peta Betts and understand from across the border, the new Nationals MP for the seat of Mildura, Jade Benham, joined you as well. I guess you're probably buoyed by what your Victorian Nationals colleagues have achieved in wresting some seats back from the hands of independents?
TOOLE:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think at the end of the day, every election is different, every seat is always going to be a tight one and I think we know that this election is going to be tight, but there is too much to risk by not actually having a coalition government being returned.
That's why we need the nationals returned in government because I don't want to go back to those days where we saw no investment happening in regional and rural New South Wales and we don't want to end up with a government that's actually got the Labor and the Greens and the independents who are actually making the decisions on behalf of our communities.
Because that's when we see no investment, that's where we see no money and that's where we see our communities missing out on their share fare funding.
LAMBERT:
Well, speaking of your candidate for Murray, Peter Betts, we asked her about what the National Party policy is on pokies. The Wentworth pokie industry has been a major contributor in the economy locally. What is the National Party position as opposed to where the peritay Liberals are wanting to go with mandatory cashless gaming?
TOOLE:
Well, I think we've made it very clear that our pubs and clubs play a pivotal role in our local communities and we know how important they have been over years. You have a look at those pubs and clubs. They have been evacuation centres during fires and floods. We also know that during COVID they are used as vaccination centres as well. And in some cases they're the only venue in a town or a community where people can actually come together for a large gathering.
And that might be for birthday parties, it might be for wakes, it might even be for weddings as well. So it's important that we actually acknowledge that. But I've always said that the road to get there to any type of change needs to be a sensible one.
And we need to make sure that we are looking at the difference between a large venue in the city versus a small venue in the bush. And that's why we want to make sure, as the National Party, that we are protecting jobs, but we are also making sure that we are working with industry to be able to achieve some of those problems that were identified through the Crimes Commission.
LAMBERT:
So you're talking about possibly a trial of the cashless gaming rolling out in the cities first and see how that goes before it lands in the regional areas like Wentworth?
TOOLE:
Well, Rikki, what we're doing at the moment is probably there's lots of conversations that are going on. There's obviously a lot of moving parts to it. There are things that I've just said: no way. So I make no apologies for that. I stand up for regional New South Wales and I'll stand up for those venues across the state, and there are some factors and there are some things that I just will not even entertain at all. So there are some things where the Premier knows that I'm very strong on and won't agree with. So I've made those points very clear. But it is a moving feast at the moment. It does keep changing, but as I said, for any changes to occur, you've got to work with industry and that's exactly what the National Party will be doing.
LAMBERT:
Sure is a moving feast. Dinner will be served in late March for the state election. Thank you so much, Deputy Premier Paul Toole, for joining us today here on Flow FM.
TOOLE:
Yeah, my pleasure. Thanks, Rikki.
Comments