Political Donations from Clubs Queensland and Queensland Hotels Association
Loading
Clubs Queensland and the Queensland Hotels Association have been making political donations to both Labor and the LNP in order to gain access to their political networking events. Labor charges $11,000 a year for these events, while the Queensland Hotels Association, whose members also operate poker machines, follows suit.
The ALH Group, one of the largest poker machine operators in Queensland, has donated to the LNP but not to Labor.
Star Entertainment has previously donated to both the LNP and Labor, but has not made any donations since early 2019 when it contributed $23,300 to Queensland’s opposition party.
Labor’s mayoral candidate, Tracey Price, who has been accused by the LNP of wanting to share City Hall with the Greens, has stated that she does not support the minor party’s policy.
Concerns About the Greens’ Policy on Community Clubs and Pokies
“The Greens should not punish our community clubs by reducing a local revenue stream in a measure that won’t address problem gambling and will only damage the good work being done in clubs across Brisbane,” said Tracey Price, Labor’s mayoral candidate.
Price further added, “Banning community clubs with a council lease from having pokies for those residents who want to use them will only mean lost revenue for them. Those customers will then go to the local pub or hotel instead. This will double down on the LNP’s continual neglect of community clubs, which have been consistently underfunded by the 20-year-old LNP council.”
LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner declined to answer specific questions about the policy, with a spokesman stating that the council received no revenue from poker machines and only “processed the club leases.”
“The regulation of gaming machines is a state government matter,” added Schrinner’s spokesman.
About the Author
John Smith is a passionate gamer and writer who loves exploring the world of gaming. With years of experience in the industry, he aims to provide informative and engaging content for fellow game enthusiasts.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the political donations made by Clubs Queensland and the Queensland Hotels Association to both Labor and the LNP. These donations allow them access to political networking events, with Labor charging $11,000 a year for participation. We also highlighted concerns raised by Labor’s mayoral candidate, Tracey Price, regarding the Greens’ policy on community clubs and poker machines. Price emphasized that this policy could negatively impact the revenue of community clubs and redirect customers to local pubs or hotels. LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner declined to comment on the policy, stating that gaming machine regulation falls under the jurisdiction of the state government.
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
