Shut The Pokie Takeaways - Now

Press Release

Tuesday 19 June 2012

MANA Leader Hone Harawira

“We’ve sprung an illegal pokie operation” said MANA leader Hone Harawira, “And Internal Affairs says they can keep going until they get a licence!”

Harawira said that MANA vice-president John Minto had noticed a pokie venue operating illegally in Otara – one of New Zealand’s poorest communities. “So last month we wrote to the Department of Internal Affairs asking why a takeaway shop had been allowed to run 18 pokies since last year without a licence”.

“Last week DIA wrote back to tell us they’d cancelled the licence but they’re going to let them continue to operate so they can appeal to the Gambling Commission”.

“What the hell do you have to do?” said Harawira “First of all we do DIA’s job for them by springing these rip-off merchants and then DIA tell us they’re going to let them keep running”.

Harawira said that as soon as illegalities had been identified, DIA should have called in the police immediately and closed the operation.

“The Minister of Internal Affairs Chris Tremain should get up to Auckland, shut the place down, and sack the clowns he’s got up there protecting criminal activities”.

Harawira said that MANA’s own investigation suggested the venue had been operating illegally since October/November last year.

“I’m buggered if I know what DIA’s been doing since then but that place has taken more than $500,000 out of one of the poorest communities in the country (a pokie takes on average, $48,000 each year) and I want it to stop … now”.

ENDS

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