A group of Essendon supporters is confident it has forced a vote on a change to the club’s constitution that would acknowledge the social harm its poker machine licences have caused.
The grassroots “No Pokies at Essendon” group, which goes by NoPE and is led by president Mike Read, met with the Bombers on Tuesday. The group unveiled the 100 signatures needed to force a vote at the club’s annual general meeting on whether it should “publish a statement in future annual reports acknowledging that the operation of its 191 EGMs is causing social harm”.
However, NoPE faces a tough task, for under the Essendon constitution, a special resolution needs to secure at least 75 per cent of the votes to pass. The Bombers had more than 83,500 members this season, but only those aged 18 and older can vote. Members can only vote once, no matter how many memberships a person has.“Forcing a vote on a social issue is an event which rarely, if ever, happens at AFL clubs.
“This resolution essentially asks the club to acknowledge two things. One, the expert research on the far-reaching damage caused by problem gambling linked to EGMs. And two, the role of gambling providers in contributing to that harm,” Read said.In 2018,, allowing Essendon to continue operating Melton Country Club and its 89 poker machines until the end of 2047.
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