Time to come clean Hawkins
National MP Judith Collins wants George Hawkins to come clean on the amendments to the Responsible Gambling Bill.
"It's an open secret that the Government is planning to take pokie machine proceeds off the pub charities that
currently run them and give the money to Local Authorities and the Lotteries Commission," says Judith Collins.
The Government will need the support of the Greens to achieve this and already Green MP Sue Bradford has stated that
too much pokie money is going to "adult male sport". Judith Collins says that Ms Bradford's wish that funding should go
to beneficiary advocacy groups should send shivers down the spines of every sporting body in the country.
National believes that the Labour Government, having received support from the Greens, is going to spring the
amendments on Parliament, probably during urgency.
"The Government is trying to beggar sporting and community groups by this move," says Ms Collins. "It's time for George
Hawkins to immediately release the amendments he is sitting on."