Skycity: National prostitutes New Zealand yet again
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Not only does an extension (to 2048) of Skycity’s licence unconstitutionally bind future governments, but this deal adds to the growing problem (I refuse to call it an “issue”) of gambling addiction in this country.
What on Earth is National thinking?! Is this the best they can do to grow the economy and create jobs???
Because it certainly seems that gambling is indeed one of the country’s “growth” industries,
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Acknowledgment: Statistics New Zealand – Gaming: an economically significant industry
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It is worth comparing the above graph with the timelime on the increase of different forms of gambling in this country;
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Acknowledgment: IBID
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Note the increase in gambling turnover sharply increasing from 1996, when Auckland’s Skycity casino opens.
The full National Government/Skycity deal is;
Key features of the SkyCity convention centre deal and what KordaMentha estimates they’re worth over 35 years:
* Extension of SkyCity’s casino licence, due to expire in 2021: $65m-$115m
* Additional 230 pokie machines: $95m-$115m*
* Additional 40 gaming tables: $72m-$101m
* More gaming tables that can be substituted for automated table game player stations: $77m-$109m
* Ticket-in, ticket-out and card-based cashless gaming technology on all pokie machines and automatic table games: $84m-$88m
* *Includes allowing up to 17 per cent of pokie machines and automatic table games (in restricted areas only) being able to accept banknotes of denominations greater than $20.
Acknowledgment: NZ Herald – PM defends 35-year SkyCity deal
It doesn’t take much imagination to consider the boost that this deal will give to Skycity’s turnover.
Key’s claim that this will create 1,800 jobs is dubious, to put it mildly, as his June 2012 NZ Herald report revealed;
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Acknowledgment: NZ Herald – “Puzzle of Key’s extra casino jobs”
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Once again, Key shows that our laws are for sale, if you happen to have the cash to buy a “good deal”. (I must remember that next time I get a speeding ticket…)
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What is the difference between a citizen bribing a policeman to evade the law – and a corporation paying a government to changing the law in return for building a convention centre?
And note that this is not the first time National has changed our laws in return for corporate favours;
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Acknowledgment: NBR – Warner Bros sought job law change to film The Hobbit in NZ
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A government that has a plan for economic growth and job creation would not need to stoop to advancing the profitability of what is inarguably a vice – and a particularly dangerous vice, which can destroy families and bring down companies, as addicts steal from employers (or their own business) to fund their habit.
One has to ask; what next? Deals with the Chow Brothers to expand their brothel-business? Deals with tobacco corporations to expand their operations and/or weaken our anti-smoking legislation?
What else is for sale to the highest bidder?
And is this really how New Zealanders see themselves – available for sale?
Is this the best we can do for ourselves, to become a nation of economic prostititutes? (No offence intended to sex-workers.)
Addendum
Some years ago, my partner and I were passing through Auckland on our way to Whangarei to meet up with friends. We stopped in to see Skycity – out first opportunity to visit the tower.
As well as going up the skytower and standing on the glass foot-block, seemingly suspended hundreds of metres over empty air, we had a ‘nosy’ into the casino itself.
I was expecting the casinos of James Bond novels and movies, with patrons dressed in smart, formal evening-wear; jet-black tuxedos and outrageously expensive and outrageously sexy gowns…
What I found were, for the most part, were local Kiwis dressed so far ‘down’, as to appear they had just come from working on their gardens. It was unnaturally quiet, with figures bent over table and pokie machines. There was no “atmosphere” of excitement… more one of fixated desperation.
James Bond would have sniffed his nose with disdain and walked out.
Which is what we did.
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John Key has another un-named source???
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Frankly Speaking... 
400 million dollars to get a 35 year monopoly to have the one and only casino in a city of a million plus with an international airport. That’s like 11 million a year. What a bargain.
Does OUR Government’s breathtaking arrogance know no bounds ? They change the law so that one of the biggest social parasites gets a red carpet to riches ride. Then they use their very own taxpayers as the economic safety net by legislating that if some other future Government should seek to change the deal the “Mums and Dad” Kiwi folk shall be shat on from a great height and be forced fork out 300 odd million dollars to John Key’s corporate mates. They have NO RIGHT to do this and they have even a lesser right to strong-arm Governments yet to be elected into a 35 year straitjacket deal with these faceless grubs !
What happened to their Free Market and Equal Opportunity Exploiters?
It’s the Cyprus solution. When you have stuffed everything up in a country and ya assets are headn for the hills, smokescreen pokies will keep the people dazed and confused…….
What happened to their Free Market and Equal Opportunity Exploiters?
Labour will never win an election. They wont have to. This Governments arrogance will see them defeat themselves.
You ask whats next, and suggest changes to make things better for the Tobacco industry. You are right on the money mate 😦
The TPPA being signed will allow multinational companies (eg big tobacco) to sue our government should we see fit to regulate their industry in a way that they feel affects their bottom line.
hmmm mm sounds very similar to the agreement just signed with SkyCity, is this just a primer for the TPPA.
I am so sick of this Teflon Slick salesman selling our country to the highest bidder 😦
You are right Frank, no government can bind a future government to set-in-stone laws, The whole point of a democratic election is to throw out a government who is passing laws counter to the wishes of the majority of the public. Bad law/s, change government, scrap it.
Do the Natz even know how to spell democracy? A multi-million dollar penalty if the contract is broken is another matter but surely no government should be allowed to put the next government in that situation. Anyone know anything about our unwritten constitution and contract law? If you read up about Treaties the same thing applies and there were a raft of treaties broken during WW2 for instance, the treaty between Russia and Germany comes to mind. Tiriti Waitangi was another matter….human rights and social justice issues come into play. I don’t mix in legal circles, avoid them like the plague, you just end up losing home, car, boat, children and the deposit one has on a grave 🙂 Just a passing thought, wonder what penalties are being written into TPPA without our consent.
Indeed, McClairy.
Henk Van Helmond on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/120071234727403/518422181558971/?comment_id=518424761558713¬if_t=group_comment) made this pertinent point; “Sky city could argue (if this is signed into law) that any future increase in company tax contravenes this law… this is scary… and should be opposed”.
One wonders – could a corporation sue a government if company tax was increased, thereby “impacting” on their profits?
This shows how ludicrous National’s Skycity deal is…
And yes, the Skycity deal has cast a further light on the TPPA and it’s implications.
TPPA could bypass cap on liability for tighter gambling laws | Scoop News
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1305/S00173/tppa-could-bypass-cap-on-liability-for-tighter-gambling-laws.htm
One organised crime group(national)supporting another organised crime group(the casino} another 1% policy from the 1% govt.What about us?