Big parties awash with pokies cashThe annual deluge of political donations data has been public since Wednesday morning and in media terms it proved to be a one-day wonder.
The $14 million spent by the tobacco industry fighting plain packaging legislation was the biggest single number that stood out, but the pokies industry could yet trump that number when the 2011-12 figures are finally released on February 1 next year. Pokies industry donations for 2010-11 got a brief mention in yesterday’s coverage and they certainly make for interesting reading when totalled up. Try this for size:
Labor pokies moneyACT ALPCanberra Labor Club: $613,511
Federal ALPAHA: 101,600
Clubs NSW: $27,500
Australian Casinos Association: $2266
NSW ALPSutherland District Trade Union Club (“Tradies”): $100,000
Clubs NSW: $79,850
AHA: $79,850
Victorian ALPAHA: $150,000
Crown Casino: $25,000
WA ALPBurswood Casino: $22,000
Total for ALP: $1.2 million
Liberal and National Party pokies donationsFederal LiberalsAHA: $105,000
Woolworths: $16,500
Clubs NSW: $15,000
NSW LiberalsAHA: $330,000
Clubs NSW: $207,000
The Warringah Club: $50,000
Star City Casino: $40,000
Harbour Beach Hotel: $11,000
NSW NationalsAHA: $125,705
Clubs NSW: 50,000
Star City Casino: $64,300
Victorian LiberalsAHA: $70,000
Victorian NationalsAHA: $50,000
WA LiberalsBurswood: $25,000
SA LiberalsAHA: $20,000
Total for Liberal and National parties: $1.18 million
How amazing that the industry managed to give almost exactly the same figure to the two major parties, both of which appear to be committed to Australians remaining the world’s biggest gamblers.