Headline: SkyCity deal could lead to family breakdown, crime and suicide
MPs need to look at their consciences and decide if they want to vote in a deal that will cost people their financial wellbeing, jobs, and lead to their children missing out on food and clothing and increase the risk of suicide
The SkyCity deal could lead to an increase in relationship breakdowns, depression, suicide, reduced work productivity, bankruptcies, and gambling-related crime according to the Government’s own assessment of the deal, the Green Party said today.
A Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) released on the deal between the Government and SkyCity considers it likely that the additional opportunities to gamble, presented by the concessions being offered to SkyCity, could increase the incidence of problem gambling and associated harm for New Zealand society.
Figures in the RIS indicate the deal will lead to nearly 400 more problem gamblers and 14,000 more people suffering negative effects from others’ problem gambling.
“MPs need to look at their consciences and decide if they want to vote in a deal that will cost people their financial wellbeing, jobs, and lead to their children missing out on food and clothing and increase the risk of suicide,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.
“I can’t think of another piece of legislation that causes so many known harms yet delivers so few benefits.
“This is immoral legislation. All MPs in good conscience should vote against it. Politicians voting to pass this legislation will be voting to massively increase social harm.
“With such enormous risks spelt out for them in black and white it would be wrong for MPs to support this deal.
“Government MPs, and the Government’s support partners, such as John Banks and Peter Dunne have an opportunity to stop this harm from happening.
“The Government’s own numbers show there will be nearly 400 more problem gamblers and 14,000 New Zealanders hurt by others’ problem gambling as a result of this dirty and dangerous deal.
“The increase in gambling opportunities represented by additional machines and gaming tables allowed for in the SkyCity deal will lead to more related harm for the wider Auckland community.
“The Government’s own sanitised report points out that the harm resulting from any increase in problem gambling could result in relationship breakdowns, depression and suicides.
“The children of problem gamblers will also suffer,” Mrs Turei said.
“Problem gambling has ripple effects which extend beyond the problem gambler and can drag down their wider families and Whānau.”
Link to Regulatory Impact Statement – http://www.med.govt.nz/about-us/publications/publications-by-topic/regulatory-impact-statements/mbie-regulatory-impact-statements/NZICC-RIS-June-2013.pdf
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