COUNTRY LABOR MEDIA RELEASE

21 February, 2015

LABOR WILL ENACT LAWS TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL NEWSAGENTS

Country Labor Candidate for Clarence, Trent Gilbert said today that a NSW Labor Government
will enact laws to enshrine local newsagents as the primary distribution agents for NSW
Lotteries protecting this vital sector from financial hardship and potential closures.
Around 1,500 newsagents and other small businesses including those located in the
Richmond and Clarence Valleys in the Clarence electorate will face financial hardship and
possible closure when the current Agency Protection Period expires in April.
The proposed new franchise agreement includes increasing the number of agents in the
distribution network and allowing big businesses, such as the major supermarket chains, into
the network; not providing any geographic or other form of exclusivity to the lottery agent;
imposing expensive fit-out requirements on all lottery agents costing up to $25,000; and the
sweeping of lottery agent bank accounts on multiple occasions per week, seriously disrupting
cash flows.
Labors plan to protect local newsagents includes:
1. Enacting laws that preserve the current agency protections, until such time as
the parties reach agreement on new terms;
2. Continuing to restrict outlets selling lottery products to newsagencies and other
small businesses; and
3. Working with local newsagents and the private operator to ensure a sensible
commercial arrangement is established that is fair to all parties.
Local newsagents are the lifeblood of our town centres and shopping villages but their future
is at risk if a fair agreement is not negotiated for the distribution of lottery products, Mr Gilbert
said.
Newsagents provide vital community services and have been the training ground for
thousands of young people for many years to get their first job experience that deserves to
be protected.
Income from lotteries is around 40 per cent of turnover in a local newsagency and can reach
as high as 90 per cent any loss of that business would place our local newsagents in financial
jeopardy.
Over the last few months, Ive been visiting local newsagents and listening to their concerns
that their future is bleak if action is not taken to protect them.
A Labor Government will take action and put in place laws that will ensure that local
newsagent remain the primary distributor for NSW lotteries.
The agency protection period that is due to expire in April would be extended until the parties
concerned can sit down and hammer out a fair agreement that allows the private operator to
grow the business but retains newsagents as the primary distributor.

Im calling on Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis to stand up for our small businesses
and demand that the Baird Liberal Government commit to match Labors policy to protect local
newsagents.

TRENT GILBERT
0487 430 015
MEDIA CONTACT
Therese Schier
0414 627 7735

TRENT GILBERT
0487 430 015
MEDIA CONTACT
Therese Schier
0414 627 7735