Wednesday, December 12, 2012
PRIME Minister Perry Christie announced yesterday that the gambling referendum question(s) will be presented to his cabinet for approval before a meeting with proponents and opposers of gambling takes place.
Yesterday’s announcement by Mr Christie follows heavy criticism and inquiries as to why the prime minister had yet to release the questions for those voting in the January 28, 2013 referendum.
“I have decided,” Prime Minister Christie said outside the Cabinet office yesterday morning,“whether it’s criticism or not, there are two options that I will be putting to the cabinet.
“And then I will cause discussions to take place with those who I note to be proponent.”
“I know the FNM has now launched their campaign for no, but I will meet with the Christian community as they organise through the Christian Council to explain the question or questions.”
In August, when Mr Christie announced that the referendum would take place he said there would be a 30-day period between calling the referendum and voting day, so that people could be educated about the issues.
This will include debates, panel discussions and published position papers, the Prime Minister said.
He said the referendum will not extend to any other forms of gambling, including casino gambling.
The referendum was scheduled for December 3.
However, the prime minister delayed it to January next year for further review and to include a national lottery in the vote.
No date has been set as to when the question(s) will be released.
Comments
concernedcitizen says...
YOUR THE PM PGC GROW SOME @##lls .DON,T WASTE MONEY ON SOME PUBLIC OPINION POLL ..LEGALZE NUMBERS ,SAVE THE TREASURY MONEY AND LETS GET ON WITH OUR LIVES ..TELL THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL TO GET ALL THEIR MEMBERS ,IN THE CLOSET AND OUT ,AND TAKE A COUPLE OF LONG GAY CRUISES ,,
Posted 12 December 2012, 1:18 p.m. Suggest removal
concernedcitizen says...
NO NATIONAL LOTTERY ,IT WILL BE RIGGED ,LETS DO IT ON WHAT FALLS IN THE U/S AND THE GOVERMENT TAXES THE NUMBERS MAN
Posted 12 December 2012, 1:20 p.m. Suggest removal
VDSheep says...
All the jargon for not allowing gambling is a farce; even if I agree with them.
The reality of doing it is what the people want. No government or agencies of governments anywhere can stop it! Its what the people want! Government might find political security in putting it to a referendum; they understand the reality and need its support in elections and otherwise. The hypocrisy of religious institutions and others is clear to see. They have raffles and bingo - horse racing was sweet, web shops, good old number houses. But casino gambling is for foreigners only - because you can not trust Bahamians to gamble! Its all hogwash hypocrisy across the board! The referendum ought to ask: Should all games of chance be legalized, regulated and taxed: YES or NO. However, the referendum should ask more than the one question on gambling - there ought to be at least five other national interest questions put on the referendum.
Posted 31 December 2012, 12:23 a.m. Suggest removal
VDSheep says...
Gambling: making a bet, gaming, betting, a game of chance
Referendum: a vote by the whole of an electorate on a specific
question or questions put to it by a government or similar body.
The gambling referendum question(s) seems flawed. If its only one
aspect of gambling…, not only the naysayers are hypocrites; so is the government.
After they legalize one and not the others - raffles, bingos, sports, dice and card gambling etc. and perhaps casino gambling too could be termed illegal. What a dud.
Posted 31 December 2012, 12:53 a.m. Suggest removal
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