Nick Xenophon Wants ‘Pokie-Leaks’ To Blow The Whistle On One-Arm Bandits

Nick Xenophon, who basically started his career by being a hugely anti-pokie machines, is joining with the GreensLarissa Waters and independent MP Andrew Wilkie in a campaign they’re calling ‘Pokie-Leaks’, in which they’re encouraging industry whistleblowers to come forward with info the politicians can then read out under parliamentary privilege.

They want whistleblowers to come forward with any info they’ve got about poker machine design, industry tactics and potential payment to politicians. Maybe they’re inspired by Derryn Hinch‘s similar strategy of outing sex offenders under parliamentary privilege – but this seems slightly less off-the-wall.
“This information needs to be out there in the court of public opinion,” Senator Xenophon said. “That’s where Pokie-Leaks comes in.”

Waters further discussed the goal of this working group. “Avoiding this kind of scrutiny is exactly why the gambling lobby donated hundreds of thousands to the old parties in the federal election,” she said.
“Until we get big money out of politics in Australia, the old parties will continue to serve their paymasters in the gambling lobby, and Australians will keep getting ripped off.”

So there ya go. We’ve got our own Edward Snowdens trying to work out why having a punt on the pokies is so bloody addictive.
Source: ABC News.
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