Key facts
- NSW Labor will adopt a tougher stance on poker machines, including a moratorium on new licenses.
- Clubs with over $20m in poker machine profits will face increased taxes.
- The party aims to reduce gaming machines by 50% over 10 years.
- The motion was brought forward by Labor left mayor Darcy Byrne.
- The state party will lobby the federal government to prohibit gambling inducements.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is set to adopt a more stringent approach to poker machines, a policy expected to be formally endorsed by the NSW Labor conference. This move, driven by the party's left faction, includes a commitment to a moratorium on new gaming machine licenses, increased taxes for clubs earning over $20 million from poker machines, and a goal to significantly reduce the number of machines in the state by 50% over the next decade.
Darcy Byrne, the Labor left mayor of Sydney's inner west, expressed that the momentum for reform is becoming unstoppable, highlighting the societal impact of problem gambling. While the government is not directly compelled to legislate the motion, it signals a unified front ahead of the March state election.
The conference also saw internal party dynamics at play, with the Labor left attempting to force a debate on repealing protest laws. A motion to bring forward discussions on social justice and legal affairs, proposed by Angus McFarland of the Australian Services Union, was ultimately rejected after opposition from the right-controlled conference, with speakers like NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison and Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes voicing their views.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's address was marked by protests related to the conflict in Palestine, with demonstrators unfurling flags and banners. Albanese also criticized a perceived 'axis of grievance' forming between conservative parties. The state party's platform is also expected to include lobbying the federal government to prohibit all gambling inducements, aligning with recommendations from the late Labor MP Peta Murphy's inquiry into online gambling harms.