When it comes to clubs policy, the Greens are pulling all the strings, Shadow Minister for Gaming and Community Clubs Mark Parton said today.

Despite commitments to the contrary, Labor has agreed as part of their power sharing agreement to a number of the Greens’ clubs and gaming policies, including further reducing the number of electronic gaming machine licences, and introducing $5 bet and $100 load up limits.

“During the election, both the Liberal and Labor parties promised a moratorium on machine reductions and on regulatory and tax change in this space,” Mr Parton said.

“The Greens didn’t and after getting less than 14% of the vote, Labor have now capitulated to their junior coalition partners.

“In July, I warned:

‘Labor’s gaming policies are almost irrelevant … the only way that Labor can govern will be to enter into a power-sharing agreement with the Greens. When that agreement is drawn up … do you think Mr Rattenbury is going to slow down here in this particular space?’

“Clearly, Labor knows that giving into the Greens’ demands will lead to the closure of clubs. This puts the 1700 people employed in ACT clubs at risk of losing their jobs,” Mr Parton concluded.

“The agreement uses phrases like ‘a just transition for workers’, ‘retraining for employment in new jobs’, and ‘worker entitlements are secure in business transfer or winding up’.