The ACT Labor is under pressure to sever its ties to poker machines after The Greens successfully passed a motion against the party in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The motion, supported by the Canberra Liberals, calls on Labor to donate its pokies-seeded investment capital to the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

“The Labor Party is impossibly compromised on gambling policy,” said Andrew Braddock, ACT Greens MLA for Yerrabi.

“Today, the quiet part has now been said out loud.

“The Greens introduced the motion because the ACT Labor Party has avoided, delayed, and ultimately rejected best-practice gambling reforms that were presented to it through the term of the Assembly.

“The Labor Party has blocked positive gambling reforms in the ACT and let down the community and we must ask, what is preventing them from taking the action that all the advocates and experts are calling for?”

By late afternoon on Tuesday Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced agreement with The Greens on “important new reforms” intended to reduce the harm caused by electronic gaming machines (EGMs). The reforms did not include any commitment to divestiture of assets by Labor.

The two parties have agreed to a further reduction in the number of gaming machines to 3500, as well as a regulated reduction in operating hours of EGMs to 10am-2am. EGMs would not be able to operate between 2am and 10am each day providing a mandated break in play and reducing harm.

Both parties have also agreed to the establishment of an independent inquiry to assist in advising government on the steps necessary to develop and implement a club industry revenue, activity and a worker transition plan.

“These reforms are a welcome step forward and open the door to further reforms informed by the gaming reform policies outlined by the two parties and any relevant recommendations of the independent inquiry,” said Barr.

ACT Greens Leader and Minister for Gaming Shane Rattenbury says that while the two parties have not reached agreement on significant gambling harm reforms, he was “pleased that we can make some progress. Turning off poker machines between 2am and 10am – the hours when the most pokies harm occurs – is a recognised harm-reduction measure that will make a difference.”