Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 12 February 2025:

a) Gambling harm in Australian society, with particular reference to:

b) the impact of gambling on Australian communities, families and children;

c) the harm caused by gambling advertising and inducements, and their role in gambling addiction and the grooming of young gamblers;

d) the relationship between gambling advertising, media companies and sporting codes, including consideration of alternate funding streams;

e) the influence of the gambling industry and their political donations on public policy and responsible ministers;

f) the Government's response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm, chaired by the late Ms Peta Murphy;

g) and any other related matters.

This motion is designed to establish an inquiry into gambling harm in Australian society, with particular reference to: the impact of gambling advertising; the impact of gambling on Australian communities, families and children; the harm caused by gambling advertising and inducements, and their role in gambling addiction and the grooming of young gamblers; the relationship between the gambling advertising, media companies and sporting codes, including consideration of alternative funding streams; the influence of the gambling industry and their potential donations on public policy and responsible ministers—that is an interesting one—and the government's response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into online gambling and its impact on those experiencing gambling harm, chaired by the late Peta Murphy. This inquiry is important because what we've seen is, despite the promises made by the government and despite a unanimous report introduced and tabled in the House of Representatives over 12 months ago that recommended a total ban on gambling advertising—a report that was supported by all sides of politics—those recommendations are sitting on a shelf in the minister's office not being acted upon. We've seen, over and over again, advocates and experts calling out the parliament, particularly the Albanese government, for their lack of action and their refusal to back that recommendation and to do what it is that the Peta Murphy report proposed.

There have been lots of excuses as to why this is the case. It seems as though every week there's a new excuse. First of all, put forward by the member in the House Mr Bill Shorten, the excuse was, 'If we didn't have gambling advertising, news media companies wouldn't survive.' Heavens above. If we have to rely on gambling addiction and the destruction of Australian families—the harm of the gambling industry—in order to fund Australia's news organisations, we really are in trouble. That was excuse one. Excuse two, from the sporting codes, was people suggesting that we can't possibly ban gambling advertising because the big sporting codes like the AFL and the NRL need the money in order to ensure that they have participation in their sporting activities from members of the community. Heavens above. If the important participation of Australians in sport relies on the addiction and the parasitic nature of the gambling industry, then we have a real problem. Australian sport, community sport, community participation in sport and our kids' participation in sport need to be supported, but it should not have to rely on the disgusting, underhanded, nasty, dirty tactics of the gambling industry, which sucks in those who are addicted, feeds on the most vulnerable in our community and induces them to spend money they cannot afford.

The most recent excuse, put forward by the Prime Minister, was that we can't act on this recommendation of a total ban of gambling advertising because the problem isn't gambling advertising—the problem is gambling. That was an excuse, wasn't it? The Prime Minister said, 'It would be too easy just to ban gambling ads.' If it's too easy, could we at least get that bit done? We know—the experts have told us over and over again—that the single most impactful thing that could be done by this parliament in this term of government would be to stop these ads being pushed down the throats of our children and pushed into the faces and the media streams on phones of those who are struggling with gambling addiction: the inducements and the tricky, nasty and sneaky things that the gambling industry does to suck people back in when their lives are already being torn apart.

Gambling addiction ruins lives. It ruins families. It tears families apart. It is one of the leading causes of domestic violence in this country. It pushes people who cannot afford to pay their bills and to deal with the rising cost of living even further below the poverty line. Why do you think the gambling industry are so upset and against a ban on advertising? Because they know it works. They know that banning the advertising of their horrible, parasitic, insidious business model will have an impact. They won't be able to continue to feed off the most vulnerable—to be tricky, sending special codes to the mobile phones of people who are right on the edge in trying to deal with this addiction.

And, of course, over and over again, every time we hear from someone within the government front benches, or others in the community who are doing the work of the gambling industry, it is excuse after excuse. They are parroting exactly the same lines that have been used by the gambling industry across the world. The same excuses are rolled out in the UK. The same excuses are rolled out in Ireland. The same excuses are rolled out throughout the European Union. Every time governments around the world try and rein in the harm that is done to families, to individuals, every single time there is an attempt by a government or parliament to rein in the damage and harm that is done by the gambling industry, when it comes to advertising, they roll out the same excuses. None of this is unique.

I want to know why this government has gone so weak. One of the terms of reference in this inquiry so importantly goes to that point: the influence of the gambling industry and their political donations on public policy and responsible ministers. Let's be frank and honest here. Vested interests in the gambling industry have had their claws in members of government, on both sides, for years—and not just in the federal sphere. Let's be honest—they've had their claws in members of parliament, members of government and ministers in the states and territories as well. They buy their influence through donations. They buy their influence through fancy dinners, birthday lunches and trips to the grand final—nice, cosy corporate boxes at the football. They buy their influence and then they expect to be listened to and looked after by members of parliament. That is how the gambling industry has worked. They've done it in Australia. They've done it around the world, and it is time they were called to account.

I'm the first to say that I'm not opposed to gambling. As a kid, my family looked forward to the Melbourne Cup. It was a fun thing to do, to put on a bet for the Melbourne Cup. It was a bit of fun. No-one is proposing to ban gambling. But we do need to rein in the hideous, damaging, harmful conduct of the gambling industry and their creeping, parasitic nature. Because it's not just about putting a bet on the horses anymore; this is about kids being sucked into gambling and putting bets on, just to watch their favourite sporting game, or playing a game on the tablet or the iPad or the phone.

The Prime Minister is right. There is a problem with the gambling industry in Australia. They've got too greedy. They couldn't just keep it to the horses or to the TAB; they wanted to find a way to get under everybody's nose and into everybody's phone and onto everybody's television screen. You can't watch the grand final and you can't watch your favourite sporting team play in this country any more without being bombarded by gambling ads. Why is that? Because the advertising works. And that is why the gambling industry wants it to stop.

Debate interrupted.