Perrottet blasts Carr over pokies legacy after Nazi uniform jibe

SMH  -  Tom Rabe   January 16, 2023

Dominic Perrottet has launched an attack on former NSW premier Bob Carr, blaming him for the proliferation of poker machines across Sydney while vowing to push his cashless gaming reform through cabinet before the looming election.

Perrottet said that Carr was responsible for putting a poker machine “on every street corner” of Sydney during his decade as premier.

The former Labor premier took to social media last week to call Perrottet “unelectable” following revelations he dressed as a Nazi at his own 21st birthday.

Asked to respond to Carr’s comments on Monday, Perrottet said he would not be taking lectures from the man he believes is responsible for allowing Sydney to be overrun by poker machines.

“Well, this is a former Labor premier, who left our state with a $30 billion infrastructure backlog and put pokie machines on every street corner. We’re still cleaning up his mess,” Perrottet said.

“He opened it up. We have more pokie machines in NSW than anywhere outside of Nevada, and who was responsible for that? The Bob Carr Labor government.”

Dominic Perrottet launched an extraordinary attack on former NSW premier Bob Carr on Monday, blaming him for the proliferation of poker machines across Sydney.

Responding to Perrottet’s comments on Monday, Carr said the premier’s attack on him over pokies was an attempt to turn attention away from his 21st birthday scandal.

“If anyone’s desperate for distraction, it’s this apology for a NSW premier. He is facing defeat, or rejection by his own party,” Carr told the Herald.

Carr added it had been close to 20 years since he stepped down as leader of NSW, and there had been seven premiers since.

Carr was premier in 1997 when the NSW government allowed poker machines into pubs, which now house tens of thousands of machines across the state.

Perrottet has vowed to introduce cashless gaming for poker machines across NSW, drawing fierce criticism from pubs and clubs lobby groups.

He said he was having constructive discussions with Nationals colleagues and would push the reform through cabinet before the March state election.

“I’m working through finalising the policy,” he said.

“The policy is cashless gaming in NSW. That is the policy, and we’re working through matters around that, and we’ll be close to having something to say about that soon.”

Treasurer Matt Kean backed Perrottet’s cashless gaming reform and took aim at “horrible cowards” responsible for anonymously suggesting a photo of Perrottet dressed as a Nazi existed.

“Well, I don’t know who it is, but these horrible cowards should come out of the swamp and put their name to these horrible smears,” Kean said.

“These people should have no place in Australian public life.”