Independents for Canberra candidate Thomas Emerson at the party’s campaign launch. Photo: Supplied.
Independents for Canberra (IFC) have called for a ban on political donations from the gambling industry, its first policy announcement after its official campaign launch on Friday (6 September).
IFC’s announcement highlighted Labor’s links to the industry, saying its proposal would outlaw electoral expenditure and loans and donations to political parties from the 1973 Foundation, an ACT Labor investment vehicle that previously received funding from the Canberra Labor Club, which has four venues across the capital holding a total of 436 poker machines.
Last week, an ACT Greens motion in the Legislative Assembly also called on ACT Labor to sever ties with the 1973 Foundation, claiming this was a way for the major party to indirectly benefit from poker machine revenue, even though it no longer received direct cash donations from the Labor Club.
“Australians are the biggest losers when it comes to gambling harm in the world, and the ACT is dragging its feet on meaningful reforms to protect our community,” IFC said in a statement.
“Alongside NSW, the ACT has the highest per capita presence of poker machines in the world. Twenty per cent of poker machines in the ACT are located in venues affiliated with the Labor Party.”
The ACT Electoral Commission’s public register of financial gifts reveals both ACT Labor and Canberra Liberals received donations from clubs and organisations linked to gambling in 2023/24.
However, the register also shows that IFC received $5000 from Jeremy Wilcox, manager of the RUC at Turner, a venue with 31 pokies.
When asked about this donation from Mr Wilcox, IFC leader Thomas Emerson said: “In early February, before we had endorsed candidates or established our policy platform, we received a $5000 donation from a community member who runs a club. Although this contribution was made in a personal capacity by a Canberran passionate about local politics, under our proposed policy, such donations could become prohibited.
“We are calling for a ban on donations from individuals and entities connected to gambling, which could include one of our own early donors. The question is: is ACT Labor willing to do the same?”
Independents for Canberra campaign launch at the Old Canberra Inn. Photo: Supplied.
Mr Emerson also criticised what he sees as the slow pace of gambling reform in Canberra.
“This week, the Chief Minister baulked at reforms to tackle gambling harm on the basis that people can always just cross the border and lose their money in NSW. That’s like opposing climate action in Australia on the basis that carbon is being emitted freely in China. It’s not exactly courageous political leadership from the ‘most progressive government’ in the country,” he said.
“We’re hearing concerns that certain political parties in the ACT are too closely connected to the gambling industry to make clear-headed decisions on protecting our community from gambling harm.”
Around 150 supporters attended the party’s campaign launch at the Old Canberra Inn to listen to speeches from federal Independent Senator David Pocock, Tanya Keed (outgoing chair of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body) and Mr Emerson.
“If [the major parties] actually just implemented their policies, you probably wouldn’t need independents,” Senator Pocock told the crowd.
“We’re being left behind … there’s a real opportunity at this election.”
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