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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The parliamentary inquiry led by the late Peta Murphy reported 18 months ago, and yet the government has failed to implement the unanimous recommendations of that committee. When I say 'unanimous', I mean 'bipartisan', 'tripartisan' and every one in-between. Does the government agree that gambling ads cause harm and fuel addiction, and, if so, why have you delayed action again?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, I would make a few points. The first is that the government has done more in the last couple of years to tackle gambling harm than those opposite did for nine years. We made it clear that the status quo is untenable and have been focused on addressing three key priorities: minimising children's exposure to wagering advertising; breaking the connection between wagering and sport; and reducing the saturation and targeting of wagering advertising. We've delivered significant online-wagering harm reduction initiatives, including: verification for online wagering; banning the use of credit cards for online wagering; forcing companies to send their customers monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses; introducing new evidence based taglines in wagering advertising; providing direct funding for specialist financial counselling to support people affected by problem gambling; introducing nationally consistent staff training and new minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like content, which will go live shortly; and launching BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, which has been used by more than 32,000 Australians. So there is a lot of action that has been undertaken, and obviously there is more to do.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, first supplementary?

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

Government announced yesterday that it wouldn't be moving ahead with the ban on gambling advertising this year. That is the single most important thing you can do to stop and minimise the harm that gambling is doing to families. You're tinkering around the edges unless you ban the ads. When will you get on and do it? Are you going to do it this side of the election or not?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator really answered her own question with the opening, which is that the government has a very full agenda for these next four days of the parliament, and the government is focused on making sure that we pass the legislation which is before the parliament. Obviously, this is not one of the reforms that are currently before the parliament.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, second supplementary?

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

Will the government rule out taking donations or having any more dinners, lunches and birthday celebrations with the gambling lobby before it acts on banning the ads?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, I'm sure you are aware that that question is not Senator Wong's ministerial responsibility. However, I will give the minister an opportunity to answer in whatever way she thinks fit.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know who's having birthday celebrations, but I can tell you I don't think having birthday celebrations with lobbyists would be most people's idea of fun, to be honest with you, with all due respect for everybody. What I would say is that, in relation to donation reform, Senator Farrell has worked tirelessly across the parliament on this, and I'd invite Senator Hanson-Young to support the legislation in the parliament which deals with donation reform.