Rebuke to gaming addicted Govt

Jeremy Halcrow | 25 September 2007

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Connect 09: special update

Funding for the Connect 09 mission was passed at Synod yesterday, but not before a special announcement by Archbishop Peter Jensen about last week's vote.

Archbishop Jensen announced that there had been an error in counting last week, and that Liz McCoy’s proposal for a percentage funding formula rather than a flat charge on parishes was actually successful – passed 205 votes to 185.

An amendment requesting that Dr Jensen and his team facilitate partnerships between parishes to further Connect 09 was passed before the Synod agreed to the motion moved by the Rev Jim Ramsay to ‘enthusiastically’ endorse ‘the campaign of evangelistic contact with all people in the Diocese’.

Sydney Anglicans have sent a strong rebuke to the NSW Parliament for its addiction to gaming revenue, as part of a raft of motions which also tackled the problem of gambling within the church.

In a motion moved by Karin Sowada the Synod objected ‘strongly to the introduction of Keno machines into pubs as announced by the NSW Government’.

The motion, unanimously passed by Synod, also urged the Government to ‘reduce its reliance on revenue from gaming machines’ to help those families and individuals in the grip of gaming addictions’.

The Synod also passed a second motion commending ‘with acclamation’ the ‘bold initiative against the tide of revenue raising from gambling’ undertaken by Peter Holmes a Court, who proposes to remove gaming machines from South Sydney Rugby Leagues Club.

The Rev Shane Rogerson, rector of nearby Cooks River parish, who moved this second motion told Your.sydneyanglicans.net that the gaming industry was ‘way too close to Government on this matter’.

“In the last 5 years the Iemma government has received $450,000 in political donations from the gaming industry and a further $1 million from powerful lobby groups in the pubs and clubs association’.

Mr Rogerson said at the heart of the issue was ‘not a debate on the virtues of games of chance’ but ‘covetousness, greed and the exploitation of the poor’.

Church raffles

The Synod continued its strong stance against gambling by stating that Anglican churches should not use ‘raffles or other games of chance as methods of raising funds’.

An amendment from the Rev Philip Wheeler from Christ Church Gladesville sought to ‘encourage all ministers to teach their congregations about the dangers of gambling in all its forms and to encourage contentment, generosity and good stewardship of our God given resources.”

In speaking to the amendment, Mr Wheeler said, ‘gambling is a huge problem in our society… portrayed as harmless fun’ and ‘sadly, what is in our society is also in our churches’.

“We must strengthen people to stand against society,” he said. “You don’t just refute error by prohibition but also by teaching what is true.”

Mr Wheeler cited evidence that about 1 million people live in households impacted by a problem gambler.

“We are entertaining ourselves to death. Gambling is ruinous to individuals and it ruinous to families,” he said. “We can’t be loving our neighbour and seeking to take away his income.”

In the end, this amendment was put separately because it was addressed to ministers and not parish councils, and passed as the fourth motion on the gambling issue.