Our petition has been out for less that a day and customers are registering their opposition to any move by the State Government which would see scratch ticket lottery products available in supermarkets such as Coles and Safeway / Woolworths. They are also writing comments which make it clear they think that the two major supermarket companies have too much power.
We’re not promoting the petition – it’s on a clipboard on the counter without any other material – making this early response most encouraging.
Here is the petition people are putting their name to:
We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the State Government of Victoria to ensure that lottery ticket and scratchie games are sold only in independent small businesses in Victoria to protect jobs.
The Bracks Labor Government and Intralot would do well to consult Victorians before they seal a deal to put scratch ticket lottery products in supermarkets.
Name and address details have been covered for privacy reasons.
Mark, I thought you would put something on your petition about not putting gambling with groceries? I reckon if you are to win this battle, that is a strong arguement against the supermarkets. The government doesn’t care about jobs in small businesses. Small businesses don’t contribute to their campaign funds. You need to fight this battle on its worst point, just my opinion.
We go to Coles to buy our food,not to put our local Newsagent out of business
Mark, it is interesting that this blog in 2007 did not gain support from the industry! Only one contributor to the topic.
I was not aware of your blog in 2007, perhaps your blog was only new? Perhaps newsagents were not aware of it?
Can you remember how successful getting signatures for the petition was, and if it made any impact on the governments decision?
Amanda – good find. The blog was getting around 1,000 visitors a day back then (around 1,150 a day now). This was a VIC. only issue and there was no organised support from interstate nor from VANA.
In my own shop – I had one then – we got plenty of signatures and sent them to the Premier and our local member. We limp responses.
Tatts won the battle with Intralot and the state government facilitated that.
Fait accompli. Deal with it. Plan for it.
ahhh 2007 I just started out