The Liberals have shown support for a lobby group’s advertisement against poker machine removal from pubs and clubs which opponents say politicises Anzac Day.
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In the ad by the Love Your Local group, Glenorchy RSL president John Chivers said if poker machines were taken away from the club, it would need to close its doors and cancel its Anzac Day commemorations.
It featured 74-year-old returned serviceman Ted Wilson who emotionally states he visits the club six days a week to be around friends.
“Without it, I’d be lost,” he said in the ad.
The Community Voice on Pokies Reform coalition spokesman Jonathon Bedloe said Anzac Day had been used as a political tool by those against Labor and the Greens plan to restrict poker machine gambling to the state’s casinos.
“The men and women who fought for Australia wouldn’t approve of this politicisation of Anzac Day,” he said.
“Anzac Day is far bigger than having poker machines in the local club.”
RSL Tasmanian president Terry Roe labelled the Glenorchy RSL’s participation in the ad “disappointing and inappropriate”.
“I would like to reassure the members that ANZAC Day is not reliant on whether sub-branches have poker machines – commemorative services will go ahead regardless of the results of the elections in March,” he said.
“There is a bit of disrespect to those from the Boer War, World War I, Korea and all our servicemen and women who lost their lives for the country by linking them to the political issue of gaming machines in clubs and pubs.”
Mr Roe said few of the state’s RSL clubs had poker machines in their venues.
He said he would like to see the advertisement withdrawn.
Premier Will Hodgman said RSL members were right to speak out against the policy.
“This is an RSL club, supported by lawful gaming activity,” he said.
“If those gaming machines are pulled out, we are told that the club will shut. I think that’s distasteful.”
Labor Leader Rebecca White said the claim by the Glenorchy RSL was offensive.
“It’s not up to the Glenorchy RSL to cancel Anzac Day and they can’t legitimately claim that they can’t run Anzac Day because they don’t have poker machines,” she said.
“It’s absolutely distasteful. (Anzac Day) should not be discussed in the context of poker machines ever again.”
Labor has pledged $55 million to help businesses adjust to poker machine removal should it win government with $5 million dedicated towards helping RSL clubs which have poker machines transition business models.
