BEYOND (BLUE) CRITICISM

I started the week having a go at Jeff Kennett. Now I can end the week by defending him. The former Premier and possible candidate for Lord Mayor is  being accused of being a hypocrite –a nasty word – because the football club of which he is president is building a complex at Caroline Springs which will include 80 poker machines.

His critics claim the Hawthorn president is being a hypocrite because he is also the chairman of beyondblue and a lot of problem gamblers suffer from depression.

Kennett is under attack from the InterChurch Gambling Taskforce and its chairman has accused Hawthorn and other AFL clubs of preying on vulnerable communities.

The Taskforce chairman, Mark Zirnsak, says ‘it’s obviously inconsistent for him to behind something like this and then champion the cause of depression.’

Now that’s a bit rich. Last time I looked poker machines were legal. Gambling was legal. I’ll admit there are problem gamblers and some get into such financial strife they suffer shocking depression. But 96% of people who play the pokies, or bet on football, or go to the races are not problem gamblers.

I also wonder if there is some concerted, organised, effort against Jeff Kennett here. The story is on Page One of The Age today but I received an e-mail overnight using similar language.

That e-mail from one Doug Pollard said in part:

‘Derryn,

The hypocrisy of Jeff Kennett knows no bounds. He is chair of beyondblue, whose fundraising policy states: ‘beyondblue events or activities will not be aligned with any pharmaceutical, gambling or tobacco organisations.’ Beyondblue also has a policy of not supporting events involving alcohol. And there is an established link between problem gambling and depression.

‘How can a man who perpetuates damaging myths and stereotypes about same-sex attracted people, which are the cause of depression and suicide, and whose club will profit hugely from alcohol, tobacco and gaming, continue to chair an organization that fights depression and refuses to associate with these industries?’

I replied: ‘I had my say about Kennett’s comments on a homosexual trainer. He was wrong. But you can’t blame him for his football club  having poker machines. Should Jeff Kennett be banned from Crown’s Mahogany Room because some problem gamblers get depressed? C’mon.’

Am I somehow a hypocrite for discussing gambling issues because I have been known to play the poker machines at Crown? Where do you draw the line?

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2008