THE independent senator, Nick Xenophon, has urged the Productivity Commission chairman to clarify the organisation's recommendations to reduce problem gambling because he fears the Gillard government is ''cherry picking'' from its report.
The government says the commission recommended the best way to deal with problem gamblers was to provide a system for punters to preset how much they were willing to lose - with a trial of mandatory pre-commitment to be held in a state or territory, the policy now being pursued.
Senator Xenophon wrote to the commission chairman, Gary Banks, yesterday saying he was concerned the government was not accurately representing, and potentially misleading, the commission's advice.
''I do not make this request for any political end,'' he wrote. ''However, the commission's report into gambling is currently the 'gold standard' for research in this area and, as a long-time advocate for gambling reform, I believe it is vital that the commission's research and recommendations are represented accurately.''
A request from the Herald to speak to Mr Banks was declined because the commission does not comment on government policy.
Among the commission's 2010 report recommendations was that all pokies be limited to a $1 maximum bet in 2016, with a longer deadline for venues with fewer than 10 machines. A $1 bet limit was taken to the negotiation table by the independent MP Andrew Wilkie following the 2010 election but it was rejected by Labor and the Coalition. It was backed by Senator Xenophon and the Greens.
Other recommendations included boosting self-exclusion rules, improving warnings, trialling pre-commitment and beginning the rollout of pre-commitment technology from next year.
On Saturday Ms Macklin said that to introduce $1 bets on all poker machines would cost $1.5 billion because software, and some machines, would need to be changed. Senator Xenophon has since filed a Freedom of Information request asking for all costings on implementing a $1 bet limit.
Meanwhile the opposition MP Christopher Pyne has joined Senator Xenophon in raising concerns about whether the $37 million compensation package for lost revenue, during the pre-commitment trial for ACT pokie venues, would flow to ALP coffers. There are four Labor clubs in the ACT which donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the party every year. The government says this will be banned and policed through thorough audits.
''The PM should rule out receiving any donations from the ACT clubs for the next federal election,'' Mr Pyne said.
Clubs ACT still has not decided if it will facilitate the 12-month trial. The chief executive, Jeff House, said members would meet in mid-February to discuss the government's proposal.
There is also concern that the trial will be ineffectual unless surrounding NSW towns, such as Queanbeyan, which is effectively a suburb of Canberra, were included because punters would migrate to the unrestricted gaming there.
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