- Target:
- The Hon Zoe Bettison MP; The Hon Jack Snelling MP
- Region:
- Australia
- Website:
- www.cpsu.asn.au
The Statewide Gambling Therapy Service have had critical funding removed after a State Government tender decision to contract out to a private provider.
The Statewide Gambling Therapy Service is an important and successful South Australian free public service that assists with the rehabilitation of problem gamblers. This life changing service reduces the strain of social and medical costs to the community caused through problem gambling.
The privatisation of this service is a loss to South Australians.
Say NO to the privatisation of our public health services. Sign the petition and demand the State Government find the urgently needed funding to sustain this vital service.
Operating for the last 20 years, the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service has achieved enormous success in rehabilitating of problem gamblers in South Australia.
In 2015/2016, 95% of clients met all or part of their treatment and recovery goals, with 72.5% achieving full rehabilitation.
On the back of such success, it makes no sense that the Government has chosen to tender to a private provider.
The PSA refers to the Premier's commitment against the privatisation of public services and jobs. The staff working in this service are pubic sector employees and the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service is a public service. The loss of these staff will be a loss to the public service, and public health outcomes.
This decision has further caused the loss of the only public intensive inpatient treatment service for problem gambling in South Australia. This treatment is often the last avenue of treatment for severe gambling addictions.
Considering the significant revenue collected through gambling taxes averaging one million dollars a day, the funding of this life changing service is minimal to address the social and medical costs of problem gambling in South Australia.
We, the undersigned, call on you to find urgent funding for this important public service.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Don't Gamble Away Our Public Services petition to The Hon Zoe Bettison MP; The Hon Jack Snelling MP was written by PSA of SA and is in the category Government at GoPetition.