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TIM COSTELLO ‘FORGETS’ ABOUT HALF MILLION DOLLAR DONATION FROM THE AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION
Tim Costello has some explaining to do after a photograph emerged of him accepting a cheque from the Australian Hotels Association (NSW) for $537,000 on behalf of World Vision.
Tim Costello and Nick Xenophon have during the past two days launched a series of very personal attacks on Father Chris Riley for his decision to make public his opinion that mandatory pre-commitment won’t help problem gamblers.
The pair, along with Andrew Wilkie, have claimed that Father Chris Riley’s opinion is tainted by the donations his charity has received from clubs. A breakdown of donations from clubs to Youth Off the Streets reveals that more than 60% of club donations actually went towards the construction of an orphanage in Banda Aceh after the tsunami that was administered by the charity.
Furthermore, the donation from the AHA is not the first time Tim Costello has accepted money from the gambling industry. He previously requested a donation be paid to the charity Urban Mission Unit in return for speaking at the ClubsNSW industry annual conference.
In his speech Tim Costello praised clubs for their commitment to "a range of community good - sporting and recreation facilities, and tending to loneliness in a community that is fragmenting.”
He encouraged clubs to better promote this community support to justify their poker machines from any community backlash.
On Wednesday Tim Costello told local the Canberra press gallery that he didn’t take money from the gambling industry, and as a result “gets grief” for supporting mandatory pre-commitment.
Subsequently Nick Xenophon launched an extraordinary attack on Father Chris Riley on the Sunrise program Thursday, accusing him of making a “disgusting attack” on Tim Costello. Nick Xenophon then demanded that Father Chris Riley apologise for an earlier statement that Tim Costello had backflipped during the South East Asian tsunami in wanting to accept money from the gambling industry. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDRC-JC5LSc
Clubs Australia has sourced 22 media reports over a 3 day period in early January 2005 confirming that Tim Costello had indeed backflipped on his previous ban on accepting gambling donations. The reality is that Nick Xenophon should apologise to Father Chris Riley and admit that he has been misled by Tim Costello.
On 3 January 2005, Tim Costello issued a plea to gambling companies to donate to World Vision:
“If there are any gambling outlets that want to give to World Vision, we will accept the money now. Even though the policy in a moral sense stands, this crisis is a humanitarian crisis beyond any differences, and even my well known public stance on gambling.”
Clubs Australia Executive Director Anthony Ball said the hypocrisy of Tim Costello’s repeated attacks on Father Chris Riley were extraordinary and revealed his complete inability to explain to the media how mandatory pre-commitment could assist problem gamblers.
“Instead of debating the issue, the anti-gambling lobby resorted to discrediting Father Chris.
“No doubt the attacks will impact on his charity and their donations going forward. Tim Costello and Nick Xenophon have thrown Father Chris’ reputation to the gutter when they are the ones who deserve to be there.
“In the past month Nick Xenophon has compared James Packer to Zimbabwean dictator and mass murderer Robert Mugabe. He has compared clubs to drug dealers and used highly offensive slang terms in media releases when describing the club industry.
“Enough is enough. I accept the pair passionately support the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment and are not bothered by the lack of evidence demonstrating its ability to help problem gamblers.
“But, debate on the issue should be about the issue. Not about whether last year Youth Off The Streets received 0.5% of its donations from clubs. As we now know from the emergence of this secret photograph, Tim Costello is no better; despite his recent claims to moral superiority,” Anthony Ball said.
The photograph of a smiling Tim Costello accepting the half million donation from then AHA (NSW) President John Thorpe can be viewed at www.clubsaustralia.com.au.
Copies of the various media reports confirming Tim Costello’s backflip can be obtained from contacting ClubsAustralia on the below listed mobile phone number.
Media: Jeremy Bath 0419 267 789