July 17, 2002

Gambling Expansion

Some lucky contractor will win an award to verify what the Solicitor General has already announced - it is OK to dramatically increase gambling in BC!

During the January 16, 2002, staged cabinet meeting held in Fort St. John, Solicitor General Rich Coleman said "Reducing access to legal gaming does not reduce problem gambling." Before announcing a 50% increase in the number of slots in BC (under the heading of "no gambling expansion"), the Solicitor General went on to say "Crime rates, bankruptcy rates and health indicators do not change after a casino opens. Gambling-related crimes in British Columbia are infrequent."

Those statements by Minister Coleman are in contradiction to the anti-gambling position taken by the Campbell Liberals in Opposition. Page 26 of their "New Era Document" said "Stop the expansion of gambling that has increased gambling addiction and put new strains on families."

Interested bidders now have until August 7, 2002, to submit a proposal to prove that the Solicitor General was correct to reverse the long standing BC Liberal election promise. In particular, the request for proposals, viewed at http://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/data/itqs/10_133172.htm, says "The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to select a qualified Proponent to complete the requirements to conduct a prevalence study and prepare a report for government outlining recommendations for gambling, problem gambling and responsible gaming in the Province." One must presume that the successful bidder will have read the predetermined conclusion announced by the Solicitor General on January 16, 2002.