Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Candidate Responses - Alliance for Gambling Reform

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Candidate Responses

Candidate Responses

First Name
Last Name
Ward
Do you support reducing the opening hours of poker machine venues?
Do you support local governments having greater say on the granting or refusing applications for poker machines in their respective communities?

Do you support the banning of all sports gambling ads?

Will you pledge to not take any donations from venues or organisations that derive income from gambling interests?

Will you commit to reducing gambling harm in your LGA?




 
Which of the policies
referred to in our
Candidate Information Pack
do you support?
What is your position on poker machine policy?
Julia McCarthy Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I support gambling-free public space and I certainly back gambling-free community sport - I have young kids who participate in community sport, and I do not think sport and gambling belong together.
Stephen Batty Briars ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ NOT TO TAKE DONATIONS FROM THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY
Despi O'Connor Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ All of them. Decrease of hours of operation and look to decrease rather than increase numbers of EGM. Thank you for your work.
Belinda Rodman Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I would like to see gambling free public spaces, no gambling on community sport and no expansion of gambling venues into the community.
Dion Mullett Treloar Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I support all local government advocacy asks from your information pack. As a candidate endorsed by the Greens and someone who has lived in WA for 3 years (with poker machines limited to the casino), my poker machine policy is:
1. A substantial reduction in the proportion of the population with gambling problems by:
a. Poker machines set at a $1 bet limit per spin, $20 machine load up limits, and $500 jackpot limits, as recommended by the Productivity Commission;
b. Improved voluntary pre-commitment and mandatory pre-commitment for high technology machines;
c. Capping cash winnings payable by machine at $100, and winnings payable by a cashier at $250, with additional winnings being payable only by cheque;
d. A ban on provision of cash withdrawal facilities and services at pokies venues; and
e. A ban on incentives to gamble, including free food and drink.
2. A systematic reduction in revenue derived from gambling, with set goals over time.
3. Evidence based harm minimisation and product safety measures to reduce the development of problem gambling and to assist gamblers to limit their expenditure.
4. Develop gambling and harm minimisation strategies including for communities experiencing significant harms from gambling
5. A ban on gambling related hoardings, logos and other branding from sports and sports venues.
6. Reform of regulation and approval, including recognition and support for local Council and Community moratorium on new gaming machines.
7.  A planned reduction of poker machine licences in pubs and clubs leading to the elimination of poker machines in neighbourhoods.
8. National Standards to avoid interstate 'competition' undermining proper regulation.
9. A strong and genuinely independent statutory gambling regulator to minimise social and economic costs, and to protect consumers and the public interest.
10. Assess and address the full social and economic costs of gambling, including policing gambling-associated crime and money-laundering.
11. Ban political donations from the gambling industry. 
Wayne Hinton  Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I strongly support the reduction in the operating hours of poker machines. 
Peter Orton Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I pledge to reduce the harm caused to community through gambling abuse.
Jill Stanszus Briars ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ To not hold council events/activities at gambling venues
To not make council grants available to venues or organisations that operate EGMs
To not allow future poker machine on Council land, and plan and support the transition away from gambling use by existing venues
To make organisations that operate EGMs ineligible for rates discounts.
Discard the phrases 'responsiblegambling' and 'problem gambling' from council documents and discussions.
Shift to the public health narrative of referring to 'gambling harm'.
Position on Poker machine policy: it preys upon the addicted, poor and desperate.
Sarah Race Nepean ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I am not across all the detail yet, so I can not make a definitive statement as yet.. However, I do understand the harm that gambling can cause and am broadly supportive of your alliance's aims. 
Mark Davis Nepean ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I support the rights of people to access Poker Machines in a controlled and supportive environment. Poker machines are not suitable for everyone nor are they suitable for venues to rely on their revenue.
Hugh Fraser Nepean ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Poker machines are loathsome. The issue is not so much as to how to stop the numbers expanding but how to ensure their contraction by planning permit refusals for premises that have machines and ought be required to commit to a program of reduction. That is not as easy as it sounds and will probably require a planning scheme amendment approved by the State Government Planning Minister. Certainly use of council land or land for which the Shire is the land manager such as by lease or license - ought not facilitate machines and require reduction of existing numbers. That ought to be council policy.
Susan Bissinger Nepean ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Policies - I fully support all your policies however I would have preferred the blanket phrase "gambling harm" not replace "problem gambling" and "responsible gambling" as there are distinctive divisions between gamblers themselves.  I think "gambling abuse" is a far better term to refer to the actions of those who become addicted to gambling.   Most people manage gambling well, it seems "gambling harm" is the direct result of "gambling abuse" as not everyone suffers negatively from the gambling process.  I am totally aware of the negative impact gambling has on sections of our community, and therefore support your cause.
Poker Machine policy - I think the more check measures the better!  Ideally whole shires should be able to ban poker machines - I remember when you had to go interstate to use poker machines.
Simon Mulvany Nepean ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Poker machines are a malignant practice where the vulnerable are exploited . 
Claire Thorn Red Hill  ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I support gambling free public spaces, gambling free community sport, I oppose the expansion of gambling in our suburbs and towns.
I want advertising completely banned and more support for people addicted to gambling. 
David Gill Red Hill  ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ While gambling is an individual choice, addiction policies must be enforced. Concentration of gambling machines in low economic areas should be avoided and  'monopolies' with political power should be scaled back so that government dependence on income from gambling is lessened and future decisions will be more in line with community values.
Melissa Goffin Red Hill  ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Gambling is invasive and damaging and I would be keen to see more controls over where and how our vulnerable communities access these machines. I am particularly concerned with how frequently our children come into contact with gambling advertising. 
Simon Brooks Seawinds ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ All of the policies listed.  Our Shire is highly cogniscent of the harm that gambling causes and has been active in discouraging any further expansion of gaming machines. Advocacy back to the other two levels of Government is vital as local government is so often over-ruled in its decisions; particularly in terms of planning decisions that often seek to protect the interests of the local community. A winding-back of gaming machines needs to be introduced with the government being prepared to buy-back licences.
Simon Galli Seawinds ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Poker machines should only open after 6pm. Poker machine policy is to reduce access . Operating hours 6pm -11pm. Entertainment only.
george conrad Seawinds ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ All policies
Kerri McCafferty Seawinds ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I support all measures that reduce harm to our people, and pokies hurt our communities. I see no benefit to them at all. I will do all I can to address this issue in my community.
Michael Stephens Watson ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Reducing opening hours for Poker machine venues. give state government greater powers over Poker machine law sounds good to me too.  I think poker machines are a scourge of our society.
Stefan  Borzecki Watson ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ I am in favour of reducing all forms of Gambling especially the advertising thereof.