THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside Greece email: VEMA
[email protected] JANUARY 2008 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 In this issue... Our Primate’s View “ ‘TIS THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ” PAGE 5/23 Dangerous 2007: A year addictions of frustration in Greece The Sydney Morning Herald says the letter, of the law, and should be rejected by PAGES 14/32 - 16/34 government needs to reduce its addiction state and city authorities. If necessary, the to tax dollars from pokies, asking if it is regulations should be tightened”, wrote the listening to vested interests instead of Sydney Morning Herald. voters. Star City, which is owned by Tabcorp, “It was only a matter of time before the enjoys exclusive rights to operate a casino in loophole in last year’s state legislation NSW. In return, it owes a duty of care to the banning smoking indoors at licensed pre- significant proportion of its patrons who are mises was exposed.” problem gamblers. The Iemma Government A room with as little as 25 per cent of its also needs to do more to reduce its addiction floor area and 10 per cent of its ceiling ex- to tax revenue generated from pokies, now posed to the open can be classed as open more than $1 billion a year. If it does not, the space. Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who has The Sydney Morning Herald wrote it was expressed concerns about problem gamb- only a matter of time before the loophole in ling and the states’ reliance on revenue from last year’s state legislation banning smoking it, should act to achieve tighter and more indoors at licensed premises was exposed.