Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

First and foremost, the government takes gambling harm that may be caused to Australians very, very seriously. We are certainly aware of the recent reports that people might be going back to their pre-COVID gambling habits, despite the social-distancing requirements that exist within gambling venues. We're also aware of reports from analytics consultancy AlphaBeta Advisors and the credit firm illion on changes to people's gambling habits during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic. It is for this very reason—the protection of Australians from gambling—that the Australian government embarked on a program of reform within the gambling sector to put in place the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering. It's very much the centrepiece of Australia's gambling reforms, because we want to help make sure that consumers are protected no matter where they are in Australia. It also provides a framework that empowers Australians through the use of tools to make sure they control their own behaviours with their online gambling habits. We take very, very seriously making sure Australians have the tools to protect themselves. But what I would say, Senator Griff, is that state and territory governments have the primary responsibility for licensing and regulating the land-based gambling establishments to which you are largely referring in your primary question. Obviously as the federal government, and through many of our agreements and the relationships that we continue to have and which have probably been enhanced over recent times in our discussions with our state and territory counterparts, we are working together to make sure that, through this unprecedented time that we find ourselves in at the moment, we put in place protections to make sure we can assist Australians to get to the other side of this pandemic.