Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

That's right—when you are meant to be watching the ball. This is a very serious matter and we've made it very clear that these kinds of things are detrimental to problem gamblers, as they potentially are to children.

We believe that kids should be able to watch the pre-game show without being bombarded by a flurry of gambling advertisements. Kids shouldn't have the sporting experience linked to gambling every time they turn on the television. The idea that we want to protect children from being exposed to what all the research shows is dangerous should not be controversial. Children should be protected no matter how many are watching the program. Would we protect 50,000 children watching a sporting program but not 10,000 children doing the same? Why are we protecting children based on numbers, not on principle? The Greens amendment is about saying, 'Just because Foxtel ask for the right to exclusively market gambling ads to children doesn't mean we have to give it to them.' It seems that News Ltd get a lot of what they ask for in this place. It is about showing this government that there is a way not to compromise on good intentions simply because someone gave you some cufflinks one time. We are fixing a problem that was introduced by design, but it's a chance to protect children and push back on a broadcasting service that thinks it should be exempted from that responsibility. When we go into the committee stage Senator Hanson-Young and the Greens will be raising these issues, and I'm sure—much to your delight, Minister!—we will go into more detail on these issues.

Briefly, to summarise, problem gambling is a big issue in this country. It goes across all sorts of platforms. From online gaming on computers at home to sports bets on TV, we get an incredible amount of stimulation. Did you know you can place a bet on who is going to kick the next goal, where it is going to be kicked from or which team is going to do it next? There are all sorts of things you can bet on during a game when you are caught up in the excitement of it all. Or it could be pokies. We need to accept that the government has a role to play in minimising the damage that problem gambling and problem gaming causes not just for individuals and their families but for communities and, often, the economy. This is money that could be spent elsewhere. We don't believe with that physiological addiction that is so evident, especially in poorer communities like we have in Tasmania that have pokie addictions and state governments that have pokie addictions, that not regulating those industries because you're in the pockets of big gaming or, in this case, creating exemptions because you are in the pocket of Rupert Murdoch and News Ltd is good enough. Tonight is a chance for the Senate to get it right, to do our job, to scrutinise the legislation before us and to make sure this amendment will get the balance right on the original bill that came through this place, which I and my colleagues and many other senators in this place contributed towards. So I will be sitting here with Senator Hanson-Young during the committee stage and we will look forward to asking the minister a few more questions about his cufflinks.