Minister’s mail ‘hots up’ on casinos
From in
LES BLOXAM in To Anau
in le Anau
The Minister of Tourism (Mr Talbot) admitted yesterday that his mail had “hotted up” since his appeal for public reaction to his support for a casino in New Zealand. Speaking at the opening of the South Island Promotion Association’s annual conference at Te Anau, Mr Talbot said he realised that many New Zealanders were against casinos, but he said most of the objections were on moral grounds. Fears that a casino would bring with it an increase in crime were not supported by statistics in Tasmania, where the crime rate had actually fallen since the Hobart casino was opened 10 years ago.
A casino would have to be part and parcel of a total entertainment centre and sited in a gateway city such as Christchurch. A second casino could be established in a resort area. “I would like to see greater public discussion using proved facts and figures,” Mr Talbot' said. “It will then be easier for the
Government to make a decision.” The Tourist and Publicity Department had estimated that'a casino could earn New Zealand $l2 million annually in foreign exchange. Mr Talbot said later that the Government had set no date yet for considering any plan to legalise casino gambling in New Zealand. “I am not pushing it at this time,” he said. “I would like to see more public discussion and reaction. It is not going to be an easy one to get through. I have to temper my enthusiasm to. reality.”
Mr Talbot said he was aware of figures given at the conference yesterday by another speaker that international tourists to Tasmania represented only 4 per cent of the State’s total number of visitors. The remaining 96 per cent were all Australians from other states. Mr Talbot said Tasmania could not be related to New Zealand because it was "tucked well away from international airline routes.” He was confident that a casino in New Zealand would boost international tourism more than Hobart’s casino.
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Press, 30 April 1982, Page 3
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343Minister’s mail ‘hots up’ on casinos Press, 30 April 1982, Page 3
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