Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. Minister, I refer to the June 2023 report prepared by the late Peta Murphy, a report I signed, concerning online gambling restrictions. In December 2023 the minister said she would ensure a policy would be resolved 'expeditiously' and would be announced 'without delay'. It is now October 2024 and the government still has not arrived at a policy. With which elements of the Murphy report does the minister disagree?

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and I acknowledge her interest in this matter—as, I'm sure, all members of this place are concerned about the harms that occur when it comes to wagering in certain contexts. Of course, we understand, given the high level of community concern here and the fact that Australians lose some $25 billion every year in response to gambling, that this is an area in which improvements need to be made. That's why I commend the member for her work on that committee, and all members of this place who worked on the committee report.

There are three things I'll say to the member. The first is that this report sets out some 30 recommendations, many of which go to the interaction between Commonwealth and state governments and their regulatory arrangements. We're working carefully through those, with the states, and I'm doing that in conjunction with a number of other ministers, including the Minister for Social Services. It is a complex area in that respect. It's complex because there are certain regulatory arrangements that the states obviously have a keen interest in. It's also one where of course the Commonwealth wants to ensure that we have the most robust response when it comes to dealing with wagering harms.

The second point is, given the high level of gambling harms with both economic and social consequence, we need changes that go not only to regulation and to law but also to cultural change. The way we are seeking to achieve that is threefold. The first is breaking the nexus between sport and wagering. Second, it's concentrating on the exposure of children to gambling harms. Third, it's addressing the saturation of ads, particularly as they are targeted towards young men aged around 18 to 35.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause, and I'll hear from the member for Hughes.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take a point of order on relevance. This was a question particularly directed at the Murphy report, and I would say that the minister is not being directly relevant to what she disagrees with within that report.

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hughes is entitled to raise a point of order. She's done so. I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the point of order, the question was quite a long question, and obviously the Murphy report involves a large assessment of a whole lot of issues on this topic area. So, by virtue of what was just raised with respect to the Murphy report, that is in fact why the topic area is so wide.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just make sure that the minister, in her answer, is referring to either the recommendations or the topic of the report. I don't know every recommendation; I'll be honest with everyone. But I need to make sure that she's within the standing orders. She can't just talk about the broad subject topic. She was asked a specific question by the member for Hughes about the recommendations, and I'll just make sure that she's being directly relevant and that her answer continues in that way.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The recommendations go to two areas. The first is in terms of reductions in gambling harms and the second is the way they can be implemented. The point I'm making to the honourable member—and I know she asked this question from a good place—is that we need to understand, but we also need to ensure that the impacts in responding to this report achieve their desired outcomes. To give some examples of that, the need to be forward looking and comprehensive in this response necessitates a response that is not only whole of government but also whole of nation. We're doing this through looking at areas where exposure might not yet be prevalent but could be in future. We're also looking at areas in which we need to ensure that there is a strong legislative response from the outset. So, these are complex areas. We're determined to make a difference. And the status quo, particularly in relation to advertising, is unacceptable. (Time expired)