NSW Labor to adopt tougher pokies stance as Sydney inner west mayor says ‘momentum for real reform unstoppable’

Premier Chris Minns at the NSW state Labor conference on Saturday. Photograph: Sitthixay Ditthavong/AAP View image in fullscreen Premier Chris Minns at the NSW state Labor conference on Saturday. Photograph: Sitthixay Ditthavong/AAP NSW Labor to adopt tougher pokies stance as Sydney inner west mayor says ‘momentum for real reform unstoppable’ State Labor conference expected to pass a motion which would commit to 50% of machines being removed from operation in next 10 years Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast New South Wales premier Chris Minns will take a tougher stance on poker machines to the next election after being pushed to adopt the approach by the party’s left. A motion expected to pass the NSW Labor conference with unanimous support on Sunday afternoon will add a plan to take “decisive action” on problem gambling and the growing use of poker machines to its policy platform, amid surging profits for operators and accusations of inaction on reform. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The motion, seen by Guardian Australia, includes a commitment to a moratorium on licences for new machines, requiring clubs with profits of more than $20m on machines to pay more tax, and a commitment to “significantly reduce” the number of gaming machines in the state over 10 years. The commitment would mean 50% of machines are removed from operation. Labor sources said the Minns government, although not directly involved, has been cooperating with negotiations and was aware of the growing grassroots support for the motion brought by Darcy Byrne , the Labor left mayor of Sydney’s inner west. It has been negotiated by the key right faction member and Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey. Byrne told Guardian Australia that “momentum for real reform of poker machine harm is becoming unstoppable”. Almost no one is happy with Labor’s gambling crackdown. Albanese may as well do the right thing and get tough Read more “The sentiment in the Labor party , like in our whole civil society, is that we must finally act on this scourge because too many people have been brought down by the pokies.” Although Minns is not compelled to legislate the policy in the motion, the move comes as Labor is trying to project unity ahead of next March’s state election. In an awkward moment for the state government on Sunday, the Labor left briefly hijacked the conference agenda to force a debate on motions submitted by 56 local branches to repeal protest laws. The entire left faction had backed a motion for two laws to be scrapped, but the slot for discussion was placed second last on Sunday’s agenda by organisers, leaving it unlikely to be reached, which critics claimed was a move to silence debate. Instead, during the section of the conference dedicated to country Labor issues, Angus McFarland, secretary of the left-aligned Australian Services Union (ASU), stood up with a motion to bring forward the discussion of social justice and legal affairs. “It woul