Church Backs Poker Tax Change

Poker machines in Australia are the subject of recent tax changes, and a number of organizations are supporting the change. A welfare organization that is part of the "for" group is Uniting Care Wesley in South Australia, lead by Reverend Peter McDonald. Uniting Care Wesley supports Federal Opposition leader Kevin Rudd's idea, which is to gradually reduce the government's independence on taxes from the poker machines. Other groups are not happy with the idea, including the Hotels Association, which points out that poker machines are a legal and enjoyable form of entertainment, and that gambling provides a lot of jobs in the area.