Clear policy
Contrary to the claims of Reginald Sadler (Letters, 13/5), the Victorian Greens have a clear policy on poker machines and gambling in general.
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The first principle of this policy states: “People are entitled to choose to gamble. Increased gambling has lead to increased crime and public cost and must be regulated”. The Australian Greens Victoria will work towards a substantial reduction in the proportion of the population with gambling problems by:
a) Poker machines set at a $1 bet limit per spin, $20 machine load up limits and $500 jackpot limits, as recommended by the Productivity Commission;
b) Improved voluntary pre-commitment and mandatory pre-commitment for high technology machines;
c) Capping cash winnings payable by machine at $100, and winnings payable by a cashier at $250, with additional winnings being payable only by cheque;
d) Ban on provision of cash withdrawal facilities and services at pokies venues; and
e) Ban incentives to gamble, including free food and drinks.
Greens policy also demands: “A systematic reduction in revenue derived from gambling, with set goals over time”, because state government revenue should not depend upon gambling revenue, and government has a conflict of interest as regulator and taxing authority, a conflict which has interfered with good governance.
Greens policy is far too extensive for me to reproduce here, so I urge Reginald Sadler, and anyone concerned by his spurious comments to check for themselves.
Freedom of thought is indeed a fundamental right, as is freedom of expression.
It is, however, the responsibility of anyone exercising these rights to seek to fully inform themselves of the available facts, lest they misinform others. I hope Mr Sadler can agree.
Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk
Looking forward not back on power
Reports that Hazelwood brown-coal power plant in Victoria closed partly because the Victorian government tripled the royalties on brown coal and partly because of the Renewable Energy Target are misleading.
In fact, its owner, the French company Engie, closed the plant because it was nearing the end of its technically and economically serviceable life.
To keep it operating efficiently would have required a non-viable $400 million investment.
Engie is also shifting away from coal and into renewables in its international operations.It has also been raised that Britain subsidises its fossil-fuelled power plants.
However, Australia does likewise, to the tune of about $5 billion per year.
The common criticism of renewable energy plants is that they are they subsidised, expensive and intermittent.
But the reality is they produce no emissions, their "fuel" costs nothing, the building costs, particularly of solar plants, are decreasing quickly, and their intermittency will also decrease and finally disappear as battery technology improves and its cost decreases, and as the use of pumped hydro and solar thermal technologies increases.
It has been well and truly established that the infamous blackouts in South Australia had nothing to do with the use of renewable energy and everything to do with severe storm conditions and malfunctions in the management of the energy distribution system.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
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