25 Apr 2012

Greens want Auditor-General look at casino deal

6:07 am on 25 April 2012

The Green Party wants the Auditor-General's office to investigate a proposed deal between the Government and SkyCity to build an international convention centre.

The Government is negotiating with the casino to build the $350 million centre in Auckland in return for a law change allowing it to operate more gaming machines, also known as pokies.

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Opposition parties have criticised the deal, accusing the Government of being prepared to sell the law.

Greens' co-leader Metiria Turei has written to Auditor-General Lyn Provost calling for an inquiry into the matter.

Ms Turei says she wants Ms Provost to look at whether the Government has followed the rules in putting the convention centre out to tender.

"Some of those rules require Government to be impartial, they require Government to be fair in their approach to make sure that all those potential parties have access to the same information and the same assessment of their bids. We don't think that happened in this case."

Meanwhile, United Future leader Peter Dunne says he will not up his mind on the potential deal until he has seen some specifics.

The National Government would need the support of ACT and United Future or the Maori Party to make any necessary legislative changes.

Mr Dunne says he supports in principle a new convention centre for Auckland, but would have a problem if the deal resulted in a proliferation of pokies, contrary to the sinking lid policy.

"If it was in terms of a redistribution or reallocation of existing licences within that generally sinking lid policy, that's a different issue."

Prime Minister John Key refuses to say how many extra gaming machines might eventuate from the deal, but says it is not a given that the total number would increase.