Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has been significant discourse around the issue of gambling harm over the last few months—an issue which I am naturally invested in as the member for Dunkley, as a former community sector worker and as a mother. But I might also touch upon the broad issue of harmful addiction, which remains stubbornly present in our communities, particularly in my community. Addiction is defined as being the state of being addicted to some habit, practice or substance. Substance and gambling addiction are a scourge on many families in my electorate, while addiction to social media is on the rise, particularly amongst our young people. Having worked in the community sector for more than 35 years, I've witnesses the impact of addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, online use, social media, cigarettes and now vaping. I see the impact on people's lives as I wander through Frankston, particularly around the station. It is a stark reality. These addictions lead to poverty and homelessness, mental health issues, loneliness and isolation, and, increasingly, suicide.

I should note that there are many fantastic organisations in my community doing excellent work to help people through these issues. These include headspace, the Frankston and Mornington Drug and Alcohol Service, Windana, Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous. Thank you for the incredible work you do, as workers and organisations, to support people in our community.

My predecessor, the late and remarkable Peta Murphy, set out to investigate the scourge of online gambling addiction, along with many of my parliamentarian colleagues. This ultimately led to the You win some, you lose more report, which was finalised in June 2023. The report provides 31 recommendations that apply a public health lens to online gambling to reduce harms to Australians. The government has implemented a range of strategies to date, and we are now patiently waiting for the finalisation of the recommendations, after some significant consultation by the minister, on what will be implemented in the future.

The measures that have already been put in place to reduce gambling harms include: launching BetStop, the national self-exclusion register; mandating customer ID pre-verification for all new online wagering accounts; banning the use of credit cards for online wagering; introducing mandatory minimum classifications for online gambling; replacing the ineffective 'gamble responsibly' message on wagering advertising with new evidence based taglines; introducing nationally consistent staff training; and requiring online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements. We have a great sports culture in this country, and my view is that online sports gambling does not make sport any better to watch. We must and should do better to protect people, both adults and children, from the harms of online gambling, from accessing gambling apps online.

As you might expect, as the member for Dunkley I get many constituents contacting me and encouraging me to finish the work Peta started on the You win some, you lose more report. This includes Carolyn, a local resident from Dunkley who continues to provide me with updates on why we need to reduce gambling harm. She knows full well the impact of gambling, after being incarcerated, partially due to her own addiction to gambling. Carolyn has been a fierce advocate, reaching out to ACMA to request a reduction in gambling advertising. She has asked me repeatedly to consider addressing this important issue for the sake of our children, who are blasted by gambling incentives on the television and social media.

Nationally, Australians lose $25 billion to gambling each year. The majority of this is on pokies. Whilst this isn't online gambling, the real issue with online gambling lies in the fact that so many young people are engaging in it, which leads to a cycle of gambling later in life. As Peta said at the time:

… simulated gambling through video games, is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour. The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience to gamble online.

The Albanese government has been acting to address the recommendations in the report. I am aware that significant consultation has been undertaken as part of the process of developing the strategies that will be put forward. And these strategies go hand in glove with the work to place an age cap on social media, which is supported by the member for Flinders. In my time here, I have advocated for the adoption of the 31 recommendations included in the report. I hope that, sooner rather than later, these recommendations will be implemented. We need safety mechanisms to be implemented to keep individuals and families safe, now more than ever.

Throughout my career in the community sector, I've witnessed firsthand the impact of addiction—working with adults and young people, watching families grapple with substance abuse and alcoholism. I have committed to work to address other harms that result in addiction, and as a member on the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport I am engaged in the inquiry into the impact of alcohol and drugs. I'm looking forward to being involved in this in depth, and to the recommendations we develop thanks to the inquiry.

Social media, like gambling, alcohol and drug abuse, is an addiction. Although obviously not on the same scale as gambling and alcohol addiction, it's still addictive. You only have to walk around the community to see how addicted to devices we are. Social media harm for young people is a seriously pressing issue that this government is acting to resolve with a ban on social media for young people under 16. Social media has many negative side effects—lack of self-esteem, constant anxiety of missing out by not getting enough likes, eating disorders, bullying and, in severe cases, sextortion. The effect of online sextortion is, unfortunately, something my community has had to deal with, with the passing of Mac Holdsworth, son of Dunkley legend Wayne Holdsworth, who is CEO of Frankston & District Basketball Association. Mac took his own life following attempts to blackmail him online with sexually explicit photos. In his son's honour, Wayne established the organisation SmackTalk. And there are many other devastating stories to be told about the impact of social media, such as the story of Charlotte, more recently, who was bullied and then took her life.

Parents and young people have come to me with various views about the introduction of this legislation—some agreeing with it, others not. As a mum of a teenager, this has been an issue that we have discussed as a family—the benefits and the pitfalls. Wayne Holdsworth has been a key driver of a public campaign on the harms of social media and the need to disconnect. I am pleased the opposition have committed to support the bill and work to pass this legislation. Our role as MPs is to advocate for and to lead the development and adoption of legislation that ensures the best interests of Australia and its people.

My role is to provide facts—what we're doing and why. I am committed to working to address addiction in its various forms, so that families in Dunkley do not have to deal with increasing rates of poor mental health, anxiety, depression, loneliness and isolation—and, in some cases, suicide. I have worked and will continue to work to understand, research and address these issues that create harm for children, young people and adults. That is my responsibility as the federal member for Dunkley. I will be a strong local voice for Dunkley on these issues—on gambling reform and social media reform—continuing to listen and consult on the mechanics of the legislation to ensure that what is delivered is informed by lived experience and makes a positive difference in the lives of those in my community and further afield.