Gambling with the future When
Crikey covered the April Tasmanian election, we noted a lacuna in the debate. No one wanted to talk about the state's policy on gaming. You could watch the Tasmanian Council of Social Service discussing poverty in Tasmania, but no one save Greens leader Cassy O'Connor wanted to talk about the role of gambling. And as James Boyce points out in his book
Losing Streak, it's not even as though it brings in a huge amount of tax revenue for the state -- although it does contribute a decent amount to party coffers. Regardless, newly reelected Premier Peter Gutwein was able to withhold information such as the tax rates that would be applied to gaming until after the election.