The coalition did oppose the laws so I guess that did assist in the collapse. Anyway I don't think it's over yet. Yahoo News Online... One Labor MP who was heavily targeted by poker machine lobbyists says the federal government's new set of reforms is the "best crafted policy package I have ever seen".
However, the Australian Greens say they will seek to amend the bills to bring in $1 bet limits immediately.
If the amendments are not possible, they will introduce legislation to that effect, Greens leader Bob Brown said on Sunday.
Parliamentary secretary Mike Kelly, who represents the NSW marginal seat of Eden-Monaro, said it was pointless to push legislation that was not going to pass parliament.
But he thought the poker machine reforms announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Saturday had a better chance.
"There was no point in engaging in some noble gesture that would end in failure," he told ABC TV on Sunday.
"In my view this is the best crafted policy package I have ever seen because we are going to deal with this issue on an evidence based approach."
The package in question includes a trial of the controversial mandatory pre-commitment technology to start in 2013, probably in the ACT, after which it could be phased in around the country.
The government will also require every new poker machine made from 2013 to be capable of supporting the pre-commitment technology.
Every poker machine in the country must be linked in to a state-based pre-commitment system by the end of 2016.
The reform package also bans the promotion of live odds during sports coverage, cracks down on online betting and funds extra counsellors to work with problem gamblers.
Dr Kelly said the policy was "faithfully following" the Productivity Commission's recommendations about how best to tackle problem gambling.
But Senator Brown called it "shunting the train off the rail of reform".
He said the Greens were disappointed the government had caved on its promise to Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie to legislate the reforms by May and roll out the mandatory pre-commitment technology by 2014.
But he also accused Opposition leader Tony Abbott of being "missing in action" on the issue.
The only way to find out if there was political support for immediate poker machine reform was to test it in parliament - which the Greens intend to do next month.
"We will await the government's legislation to bring in this trial for mandatory pre-commitment and we'll change that ... to the $1 bet option," he told reporters in Hobart.
"I'm not going to stop the trial going ahead but I think there's an enormous cynicism around Australia about that trial going anywhere."
If that is not possible, Senator Brown said Greens MP Adam Bandt would try to legislate the $1 bets.
"If it was left to a free vote it would certainly have the numbers in the parliament," Senator Brown said
