Pokies: pernicious, prevalent - and yet still permitted

OPINION: Veteran protester John Minto has tackled more causes than there are colours, and in Auckland earlier this year he was trying to drum up a mallet-wielding army. His target? Pokies, labelled by Mr Minto, as a scourge on society, "which mindlessly corrupt low and middle-income communities". Why the mallets?

Because, he said, ordinary builders' hammers were too lightweight for a job which called for a much more damaging response. If politicians would not listen to community concerns, it was time for direct action, he mused.

If owners and legislators would not pull the plug, the next best way to stop the machines was to smash them.

The Minto approach, or course, was all about making a political point and was never meant to be taken literally. There is a difference between chanting slogans and mashing others' property with mallets. In Nelson, the anti-pokies cause is being fought not with heavy-duty hammers or by inciting illegal acts but with some less destructive weapons from the protests manual: protest marches, letter-writing, threats of boycott and a possible legal challenge in the High Court.

Most of the current noise about the pokies issue is in response to the intention of Brewers Bar owner Peter McGrath to operate nine of the machines in the pub he is reopening in Victory Square. It is a highly-charged and divisive issue, with many similar elements to another perplexing trend – the proliferation of off-license liquor stores. Both involve a clash between those operating businesses dealing in legal but restricted and often addictive products, and community opponents who see the harm they can bring and don't want them anywhere near vulnerable communities.

One reason Mr McGrath seems to have drawn down the wrath of the community is that his venture is being set up following a change to a Nelson City Council policy, allowing the machines near kindergartens, playgrounds and parks – all of which are in close proximity to his bar. However, pokie machines were previously operated at the same premises when it was The Pickled Parrot in the Park, which closed several months ago. One view, which might yet be argued in the High Court, is that the council process leading to its policy change was flawed – a point the council staunchly rejects.

Given the pernicious nature of the gaming machine industry the community angst is understandable. Nelson and New Zealand would be better places if pokie machines didn't exist. Though a case might be made for attempting to get rid of gambling altogether, the machines seem particularly mindless and dispiriting. Sport and other activities once propped up by tobacco companies did not fall over when rules around sponsorship were tightened, and the returns to the community from pokies do not justify their presence, either.

However, none of this is Mr McGrath's fault. As of June this year, there were 241 machines in Nelson city (less than the total permitted number of 285) and 190 in Tasman (limit 220). Just a few blocks from his bar, the Post Boy Hotel has its own pokies parlour. Those campaigning against him on behalf of Victory – many of whom don't live in the area – might consider widening their focus rather than unfairly focusing on one individual.

- © Fairfax NZ News