Wild Bill Stefaniak cries out for the sports clubs.

It would have been more altruistic if they hadn’t, at the same time, allowed the clubs to reduce their charitable contributions while maintaining their political ones.

I’d say Bill’s concern has more to do with his personal relationships with the Southern Cross club and various sporting clubs than the general well being of the Liberal party.

However, to be fair areaman, I would hazard a guess that the Libs also have some ‘comfortable’ relationships with some bigger clubs in town.

Sporting clubs will find over time that clubs will not be able to continually offer sustained sums of $$ – maybe that clubs are losing revenue $$ as more Canberrans discover more meaningful forms of entertainment other than the bells, whistles, lights of the pokies (heaven forbid!)

Good point Indi, there is a link between the ACT ALP and the Labor clubs, so it’s interesting to see that the libs are complaining that the clubs are losing to much revenue (which will affect the money that the ALP gets from the Labor clubs). The ALP is actually doing something that will be detrimental to their own financial best interests because it’s for the good of the community, what a shock.

Don’t forget direct link between the labour club and the labour party – such an amazing relationship clubs have in the ACT with “select groups” looking after each others interests.

There should be more open documentation of how clubs contribute to all community/political organisations in Canberra – the results would open your mind!

This was bound to happen on a federal and/or local level.

They spend so much money telling us gambling, smoking and drinking alcohol is bad for us; but the money outlayed for these campaigns pales in comparison to the revenue raised in taxes and mandatory contributions to ‘community/sporting groups’.

Maybe they shgould look for funding for the sporting groups by cutting funding to Gamblers anon. This will bring back a balance in the revenue and funding.

Looks like it has bitten them in the arse this time. That makes me feel good as a drinker, smoker and occasional gambler.

What will the Gov’t do when we all stop gambling, drinking and smoking? Society will crumble and the fit-for-lifers shall inherit the earth.

I’d like to see a full list of the ‘community’ groups supported by Southern Cross Club.

Is that link between Catholics and the Southern Cross Club true? Talk about hypocritical. Then again, Catholics are the biggest hypocrites anyway.

(Ralph, collapsed Catholic).

It’s not often I am in full agreement with you JohnBoy, but on this topic you have hit the nail on the head.

There’s only one thing worse than the proceeds of these pokie dens going to selected sporting groups and that is when the whole operation is run by a quasi religous organisation – eg Catholics/Southern Cross Club.

I wonder if the ACT government stipulates how much of each club’s pokie revenue has to go to community organisation?

In NSW the clubs throw a few pennies into community groups (usually the ones the board members are affiliated with) and spend the rest continuously renovating their pokie havens.