On the other side what is the good that casinos do?

They do the same good that as bars or brothels.

They provide a legal and safe place for activities to occur. You are less likely to get robbed there and the profits are taxed.

We need a robust view of human nature that goes beyond — I want to do something so why shouldn’t I be allowed to do it? First of all we need to understand that the role of government is to minimise harm and to constrain evil. I believe that casinos are evil, in the sense that they take away from the good. Indeed gambling seems to have such a hold on people that frequent casinos that they lose all their money and destroy their families.

On the other side what is the good that casinos do? I cannot think they do much good apart from a cheap thrill. In the same way that the government puts rules around the sale of cigarettes and alcohol because of their addictive nature, I believe it is appropriate to put rules around casinos. In fact I believe that New Zealand would be a better place without any casinos at all. They appear to do much harm because of the highly addictive nature of gambling within a casino, and very little good that I can see.

Shelly Bay is too pretty to give it over to organised crime, we’ve got enough of that in Parliament.

And for the record, I also think Sky City in Auckland is a shithole…

It is a shithole. I’ve had $1 orange chips stacked so pressing down on the top of the stack binds all of the chips together using nothing more than the accumulated filth and then lift the stack using only the top chip – my current record is $8, but you can average $5 easy.

but the old RNZAF base has been tarted up since the land was passed back to the iwi – so, since last year. There’s the Chocolate Fish there now, a few artist studios and design companies…

There are a few outfits out there, but I’m sure it’s just the cheap rent and it looks like the buildings are not being maintained at all. The rusty nails are breaking through the paint. Probably too far gone. Give it a few years and the gutters will start growing trees, roof leaks etc and it will be all over.

Have the developers of the proposed Casino made attendance compulsory?

If you do not like the idea of a casino the don’t bloody go to the thing, why should your wishes stop others from making that choice?

Forget visions of James Bond, Monte Carlo etc. The roulette, blackjack, etc tables are but a small part of a NZ casino operation. The main ‘engine-rooms’ of NZ casinos are row upon row of pokies with a zombie sitting in front of each, card in slot, push, push pushing a button. Now a *REAL* pokie to me has a big handle on the side you pull down (perhaps shaped like an arm since they are also called one armed bandits) to make three dials spin.

Long may Wellington NOT have a casino.

It is a stunning site, would be great for a hotel, apartment complex etc. Anything as long as it’s more wholesome than a casino…

So it’s still an eyesore then?…..lol

…couple of buildings could do with sprucing up and at least one could be pulled down, but that’s no reason to concrete it all over and build a casino.

Are you joking?, the last time I went back home to Wellington I drove through Shelley Bay, the place is in disrepair and a total eyesore.

Anything would be better than leaving it as it is.

EDIT:
“The right encourage and welcome debate on issue’s, where as the pinko’s demand total obedience.”

I LOLed.

‘[DPF: Hey we agree on something ] ”

We agree on lots of things, that is one of the things about teh right that makes us better than the pinko’s, we can broadly agree on where we want the country to go without being forced into pushing policies we do not agree with.

The right encourage and welcome debate on issue’s, where as the pinko’s demand total obedience.

Why do you think that ‘poor’ or ‘simple’ people need you to run their lives for them?

Shame on you, nanny state, for restricting the RIGHTS of Investors, developers etc help these people f*ck their lives up if they are so foolish as to do so.