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Drawcards SOUTHS owners Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a
Court, and Whitlams lead singer Tim Freedman, are at the top of Fairfield
Councillor Thang Ngo's wish list as he prepares to launch a community problem
gambling forum. Fairfield RSL Club is set to host its Problem
Gambling Forum on November 25 but Cr Ngo said the event was being held in
a "pokie palace'' and could not properly address the issue. "I'm not doubting the intention of the club
- I'm doubting its effectiveness,'' Cr Ngo said. "You would never have an alcoholics
anonymous meeting in a Jim Beam factory yet they are holding this on grounds
that are not neutral. "You would expect there will be people with
gambling problems who will want to attend but to get to it they will have to
walk past the very things that have ruined their lives.'' Cr Ngo was also critical of his own council's
response to recent applications by the Canley Heights RSL Club and Cabra-Vale
Diggers for 56 and 34 more poker machines respectively. He said the council did not make a submission
against the increases, despite having a policy explicitly saying it would in
every instance. Cr Ngo said he would ask Fairfield Council to
host the event but if his request was not met he would organise it on his own. He said the Souths owners, with their plan to
make their club poker machine free, and Freedman, with his song Blow Up The
Pokies, would make great ambassadors for the forum. Apart from the big-name drawcards Cr Ngo said he
would also invite academics, counsellors and current and recovering gambling
addicts to take part. Fairfield RSL chief executive Anthony Sobb said
as there were people with gambling addictions, the club, as a responsible
corporate citizen, was hosting the forum to help address the problem. “We are taking responsibility for the way we
run our business and we can't do that unless we admit there is a problem,'' he
said. “I can understand why people would be
concerned at our involvement but we can't polarise this issue. “We need to take a wholistic approach and
include everyone.'' Mr Sobb said it was critical people knew
gambling could become addictive and that there were support services like the
Salvation Army's Problem Gambling Centre in Fairfield to help. Mr Holmes a Court's and Mr Freedman's management
did not comment before the Fairfield Advance's deadline yesterday. |