Counselling as a business opportunity

"There is nothing harder than the softness of indifference" Juan Montalvo

As an Australian, I am generally apathetic when it comes to politics.  We are the lucky country and when your community is safe, your friends and family have opportunity and you are healthy then life cruises by with the 6 to 10 year change in political colour.  However I find politics increasingly getting my attention as I am getting older.  Now what started as a general blog on 'thoughts' is becoming a political expression for me.  This has started to really raise prominence after I read 'Side Show' by Lindsay Tanner.  If you want to get depressed with the state of politics in this country, this is a great read!

The groan this week was the Opposition Leaders remarks regarding the proposed poker machine reforms at a Sydney Leagues club.  The issue, he said, is not about regulating to protect problem gamblers but to put more effort (ie., money) into counselling. Are we that stupid?

The PM and her party has not covered themselves with glory when it comes to policy and reforms - the focus group, knee jerk reaction has cost us millions of dollars in poor decision making (ie., home insulation, live beef exports etc). However this statement by Abbot is truly dumb. One Independent Senator said "...it is like rescinding speed limits but give people more money for funerals".

I am not an advocate for a 'nanny state'.  I believe people should have their freedoms, be able to make choices and be responsible for their actions. I would like to be able to overtake a truck on the freeway at 105 kph and not get booked for making this judgement.  I don't care if someone chooses to have a smoke in a pub.  I am ok if  someone decides to go swimming at a beach with a white pointer on the prowl.  But I do care when someone profits from an others frailties.  The poker machine industry is not about entertainment - it is about money and the statistics indicate that $5 billion from the $13 billion annual turnover comes from problem gamblers.  What is the cost to the community even after the pokies 'reinvest into the community'.  I just find it abhorrent.

If the clubs are relying on pokies profits to the extent argued by the lobbyists then their business model is wrong.  And by the way, James Packers comments on this issue would make his old man turn in his grave at his choice of tactics - he is seriously conflicted and has no credibility.  Its like me saying that the AFL should get rid of the salary cap such that the 'Pies (and maybe one or two others!) would win every premiership for the next 100 years. Hardly fair, but who gives a shit.

It is now a measure of how mature the electorate is on this issue.  It could be the 'Children overboard' issue that split the electorate and got Howard back, however I doubt it.  The majority of us are apathetic and unless there are problem gambler voters, then apathy will win the day.