NSW: Clubs reject state government's pokie tax offer

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2006
NSW: Clubs reject state government's pokie tax offer

SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - NSW registered clubs have rejected an offer on poker machine tax
from the state government.

About 1,000 delegates from clubs met in Sydney today and voted unanimously to reject
an offer by the government to exempt small clubs from the poker tax.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma had offered to introduce a $1 million annual poker machine
tax threshold, in a bid to neutralise the contentious tax issue before the state election
next March.

The offer also would have seen the tax on clubs which earn more than $20 million a
year rise to 36 per cent instead of 40 per cent.

Today, clubs also voted to set up a fighting fund to campaign against the government's
poker tax regime.

And delegates voted to recognise and appreciate the opposition's promise to freeze
pokie tax at 2005 rates.

AAP pj/tam/cdh/sd

KEYWORD: CLUBS VOTE

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