Pokies Class Action Launched Federal Court Proceedings
An application filed today in the Federal Court of Australia has listed 15 respondents including state governments, gaming machine manufacturers and industry associations.
(PRWEB) June 14, 2005
An application filed today in the Federal Court of Australia has listed 15 respondents including state governments, gaming machine manufacturers and industry associations.
Affidavits supporting the application include evidence that documents crucial to ascertaining the available causes of action are highly likely to disappear or be destroyed if discovery action is not urgently taken.
Documents to be discovered include internal government and industry memos, data compiled from the trial of poker machines in hotels, research and social impact assessments along with complaints from consumers and resolutions of such complaints.
Some of the respondents including Aristocrat and IGT who have been recently involved in legal action from disgruntled shareholders and consumers are expected to appeal to the court against the discovery application.
Major operators including Tabcorp and Tattersalls have been included in the court proceedings and may be required to present documents which will identify causes of action such as product liability including liability for inherently dangerous products, trade practices, negligence, battery, failure to issue receipts and contractual incapacity.
Lana O’Shanassy, the applicant representing over 500,000 consumers throughout Australia and President of Duty of Care said, “We are asking the judicial arm of government to intervene to curb excesses of power prevalent in this industry.”
“The gaming industry will be made accountable on a comprehensive basis for the harm and misery its conduct and products have caused Australian consumers and their families.”
“This class action is the only way to fulfil the need for retribution from consumers and their families in Australian law – to punish the gaming industry in an amount proportional to the wrong they have caused and benefited from for over 50 years, and to lead the way towards a strong economic future without reliance on revenue from these insidious ravening illuminated menaces of society.”
“Enough is enough.”
Duty of Care welcome the community and those with a conscience within the industry to join with Duty of Care to end the problems caused by poker machines.
The public, businesses, members of state parliament and local governments within Australia are all targets of Duty of CareÂ’s educational campaign about poker machines, an important electoral and political issue.
Contact Information:
Lana OÂ’Shanassy
President
Duty of Care Inc
Ph: (612) 4872 3911
Douglas Knaggs
Solicitor
Douglas Knaggs Lawyers
Ph: (612) 9368 0915
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