By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths
Updated January 16, 2012 21:03:49
Video: Wilkie comments on pokies talks (ABC News)
Related Story: Wilkie tight-lipped after pokies meeting
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has moved to quell speculation that his pokie reforms have lost the Government's support, saying there is no doubt he and the Prime Minister are working towards historic changes.
"I'm working to achieve the agreement the Government has with me - simple as that," Mr Wilkie said.
"There is no doubt the Government and myself are working towards historic poker machine reform.
"That has not changed. We're now talking about the detail."
The Federal Tasmanian MP made the comments alongside independent anti-pokies ally Nick Xenophon in Adelaide.
The two men met for about two hours this afternoon to discuss the plans.
Doubts about the future of Mr Wilkie's gambling changes emerged after he met yesterday with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Ms Gillard has refused to clarify whether she still supports the measures, and Senator Xenophon has suggested they may fail because the Government no longer needs Mr Wilkie's vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
But the Prime Minister has hit back at Senator Xenophon, saying he is not in a position to know.
"In terms of Senator Xenophon's comments, of course Senator Xenophon was not in those discussions yesterday, so the people who best know how those discussions are going are the participants in them, and both participants - me and Mr Wilkie - describe [them] as constructive because they were," Ms Gillard said.
Mr Wilkie's support for the Labor minority government has hinged on changes which would force clubs to bring in pre-commitment technology and ask gamblers to specify how much they are willing to lose on the pokies.
Devastation
The Government had promised to pass the measures into law this year, but its support for mandatory pre-commitment has been clouded since Liberal MP Peter Slipper's defection to the Speaker's chair effectively gave Labor an extra vote in the House.
Senator Nick Xenophon says it is time to deal with the devastation wrought by poker machines.
"Here's a chance to do something to get it right," Senator Xenophon said.
"Politicians on both sides have been absolutely gutless on the issue of poker machines.
"They can't walk away from it because Andrew's brought it to the attention of the major parties by virtue of his key role in the Lower House."
Video: Plan questioned (ABC News)
Mr Wilkie later flew to Perth to meet West Australian cross-bench MP Tony Crook.
"I want to talk through the detail of the reforms, make sure that Tony Crook is informed of all the details so he knows exactly where we're at," he said.
"He obviously is one of the six crossbenchers. His support for these reforms is every bit as important to me as the other crossbenchers and I'd like Tony's support as well."
Senator Xenophon and the Greens are urging Mr Wilkie to change direction and instead support $1 maximum bets instead.
Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor have both criticised the idea of mandatory pre-commitment and are unlikely to support it.
Mr Windsor will only say he will look at the idea of $1 bets but wants to make sure it would not be too expensive for clubs to implement.
"I think the $1 bet suggestion is a lot easier to understand for people. I think people have difficulty understanding what mandatory pre-commitment actually meant in the first place," Mr Windsor told AM.
"Obviously putting a limit on the bet is more understandable... I think there'd be a lot more work to be done on any reform, particularly that involved great cost."
Clubs Australia says the industry is deeply opposed to $1 bets as well as mandatory pre-commitment.
Alternative
Politicians on both sides have been absolutely gutless on the issue of poker machines.
Senator Nick Xenophon
The Coalition does not support mandatory pre-commitment of gambling limits and families spokesman Kevin Andrews says he is yet to be convinced that the alternative $1 bet scheme would help problem gamblers.
"If all it means is that those people who do have a problem gambling - and they're a minority - spend more time sitting in front of poker machines and away from their families and other commitments, then this won't work either," Mr Andrews said.
The Greens have urged all parties to support the $1 bet arrangement, promoting it as a simpler, more effective change.
Leader Bob Brown says it is also more politically viable because the independents in the Lower House are more likely to support it.
"When you get to the Labor members they'll be listening, as I am, to the punters, the people who use clubs and who put some money through the poker machines and see this as a real option," Senator Brown said.
But he has warned against any compromise deal that may delay action on curbing poker machine addiction.
"Don't let's have this put off until after the next election. Don't let's have some trial or some other mechanism which puts it off. Let's get this action through the Parliament in the first half of this year," he said.
Wilkie in talks to keep pokies reforms alive - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
