Labor withdrew amendments to legislate a steeper cut to poker machine numbers in the ACT, saying not everything "could be landed perfectly" in a rush of last-minute horse trading before the end of the parliamentary term.
Labor backbencher Marisa Paterson said she withdrew the amendments to cut poker machine numbers to 1000 machines by 2045 because support from the Greens was not assured.
But the Greens claimed they had advised Labor they would back the amendments, after a months-long political stoush over the future of gaming machine regulation.
"Through this process, the Greens have attempted to discredit my reputation, have attacked our caucus and party - and have at every turn worked to further their rigid view of a $180 million [central monitoring system] at all costs, rather than a measured, considered approach to public policy," Dr Paterson said.
Gaming Minister Shane Rattenbury said the debate on Thursday was perhaps a new low when it came to politics in the Legislative Assembly.
"Even when we disagree, we usually find a way through. So this is unusual. It's disappointing at the end of the term," Mr Rattenbury said.
Mr Rattenbury said the Greens would come back to the next term of the Assembly committed to taking action on poker machine regulation.
"We cannot sustain this level of gambling harm we are seeing in our community. We need serious action on this issue," he said.
The Assembly passed a bill on the last sitting day of the term to establish a scheme to reduce the number of poker machines in the ACT to 3500 by July 1, 2025 through voluntary hand backs and then a compulsory acquisition process if needed.
Dr Paterson said she had intended to introduce amendments to further reduce the number of poker machines by 500 every four years over the next two decades.
The proposal would have meant there were 1000 poker machines permitted to operate in the ACT by 2045, she said.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said there had been a lot of "behind the scenes horse trading going on this week, not just on that legislation, but on a number of other bills that needed to be resolved" and "not everything could be landed perfectly".
It had not been clear what was to happen in the chamber until very late in the piece, he said.
Dr Paterson told the Assembly Labor had chosen not to move forward with the amendments because the party had not secured support from the Greens or the Liberals to progressively reduce the number of poker machines.
"I received an email at 10.45 this morning from the Greens Leader Mr Rattenbury stating that they would in fact support our amendments - only after every amendment and game play they had exhausted was ruled unconstitutional and out-of-order," she said.
Mr Rattenbury later told a press conference he had been clear - sending an email and in a conversation with Mr Barr - that the Greens would have supported Labor's amendments.
The Greens' had proposed an amendment, found to have been unconstitutional, requiring Labor to cut its ties to the Labor Club, which operates poker machines. The party had also sought to introduce an amendment to set up a legislative requirement for a central monitoring system for poker machines.
Speaker Joy Burch ruled the central monitoring system amendment out of order on Thursday, because it did not relate to the long title of the original bill.
Mr Rattenbury had put forward a proposal to establish a central monitoring system in an effort to introduce "best practice harm minimisation" measures that include account-based gaming with pre-commitment limits that would apply across poker machine venues.
Labor has opposed the introduction of the central monitoring system on the basis of cost and the limits could be thwarted by travelling to Queanbeyan. Labor wants to cut the number of poker machines further and points to research proximity to machines is a key determinant of gambling harm risk.
Mark Parton, the opposition gaming spokesman, said the stoush between Labor and the Greens over poker machines "has potentially been the lowest point in the power sharing shenanigans of the entire term".
"The ideological dogma from Dr Paterson is much stronger than that from Mr Rattenbury in this space. Dr Paterson has talked about the fact she got an adverse reaction from the Greens to her plan. It wasn't just from the Greens and it wasn't just from us," Mr Parton said.
"It was pretty much from every club in town."
Mr Parton said he hoped whoever formed government after the October election established an inquiry into the clubs sector, which has been supported by Labor, the Liberals and the Greens.
Dr Paterson said a re-elected Labor government would commission the independent inquiry.
"I remain steadfastly committed to addressing gambling harm. To the club sector, I do strongly believe in supporting the club sector to transition. I think our clubs can be leaders in Australia to demonstrate that it is possible to have a thriving club sector without a reliance on poker machine revenue, without the harm caused by gambling in our community. I am committed to working with you to achieve this," she said.
