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

I rise today in favour of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024, the Australian Greens' bill which will implement a comprehensive ban on all forms of online gambling advertising across television, radio, online and print media. This ban is an idea that is essentially needed and is endlessly popular with the community. It was agreed to by all sides of the political spectrum in the parliamentary inquiry led by the late Peta Murphy, yet the Albanese government seems to be crab walking away. This is an opportunity for the Albanese government to implement their promise made to the Australian people, to families, for a ban on gambling advertising that is harmful and damaging to our community.

Almost two years have passed since the Murphy inquiry, and, despite many promises made, the government has nothing to show for it. A gambling ads ban is the unfinished business of this parliament. While the clock is ticking, we haven't run out of time to get it done quite yet, and I am hopeful that common sense will prevail. I am hopeful that, over the next week and a half, this parliament, this government, will show the strength and courage to do the right thing and ban gambling advertising before the election—as you promised.

Last week, I wrote to Minister Rowland to offer a pragmatic pathway to take a sensible step forward and said we would support legislation this fortnight that will ban gambling ads online and implement broadcast restrictions before and after sport during the times when kids are watching. The offer we made is consistent, I might say, with what the Albanese government's promises have previously been. It is a step towards implementing the recommendations of the Murphy review and, most importantly, it is a step towards protecting our kids and our community from gambling harm. I hope that in the next week and a half, during what is seemingly the final sitting fortnight before the election, the Prime Minister and members of his government will prioritise the interests of the community over the interests of the gambling lobby and those making money off this parasitic and dangerous industry.

On Monday this week, it was revealed that the Labor Party had received $188,000 and the Liberal Party $167,000 from the gambling lobby just in this last financial year alone. No wonder there isn't a will to ban gambling ads. You do wonder why Australian families and the community are being sold out for such a low price. For a few hundred thousand dollars, it seems all courage and all promises have been put aside for the sake of keeping the gambling industry happy.

I hope I'm wrong. This is an opportunity for the Prime Minister and his government to show some strength. Last year, the Prime Minister cleared his schedule for a day to meet with the gambling lobby and the sports code CEOs back to back. We know that because it's been revealed via FOI. Since then, the government has been totally silent on any sort of plan to address gambling advertising—even a phase-out or a partial ban. They're being so secretive that they have even since refused to release the details of the Minister for Sport's meetings with relevant stakeholders. Yet we are told by the communications minister that they're still busy, two years on, consulting. 'Consulting', it seems, is code for 'cave-in'.

This proves where the Labor government's true loyalties lie: with the cashed up gambling lobby, the big media companies and the big corporate sporting codes. We need leaders in this place. We need leaders in this place who are willing to show the strength of character needed to ban these gambling ads, because they are harming our families. They are harmful for our children. They are harmful for our economy. They are harmful for Australians. Australians are losing more than $32 billion per year, the highest per capita loss in the world, to gambling. That makes us the biggest gambling losers in the entire world, and someone's making a lot of money out of this. A lot of families are being ruined and a lot of small businesses are losing cash, but the big corporates in the gambling lobby are making a motza. Who do you stand with? Do you stand with the gambling lobby, or do you stand with Australian families?

Advertising this insidious industry only fuels these losses. It normalises the practice of gambling across our screens and our devices. In just one year, one million gambling ads were aired on free-to-air television and radio—a million gambling ads bombarding Australians in their homes and in their workplaces. And that's not to mention the huge rise in targeted ads across social media and online platforms. Kids are being targeted directly. Young people are being targeted with gambling advertising on their social media feeds or while they are watching Bluey on YouTube. Children are being bombarded with ads for gambling when they're listening to their favourite pop stars on Spotify. Kids are being bombarded with gambling ads every time they log on to check out the scores of their favourite sports stars. Our kids are being fed straight into the hands of these gambling parasites. We have to put a stop to it. People are sick of having gambling ads rammed down their throats, and parents are sick of seeing them being portrayed directly in front of their kids' eyes.

Australians love sport. We're a sporting nation, and yet it is not possible to follow these important cultural events any more without being assaulted by ads, odds or betting commentary. We teach our kids to back the family team and your favourite player because of the spirit of team sport, not because it may or may not be trading well on the betting market.

These ads and inducements fuel addiction. They cause devastating social harm, not just a financial loss but health and mental health issues, family violence and break-ups. And, sadly, for far too many families, it has led to suicide. Young people are particularly vulnerable, and gambling companies prey on this vulnerability, reaching children through their social media and grooming them to be gamblers. Research has shown that up to one-third of young people may be gambling before the age of 18. Who in this place thinks that that is okay? I don't believe any of you on any side think that that is okay, but you've got to have the guts to do something about it.

The harm that this causes the Australian community is a national social and health crisis, and it needs to be treated as such. This is what we did with tobacco advertising. We banned tobacco advertising because we knew it was the promotion of a dangerous and harmful product. Gambling is dangerous and harmful, so the promotion of it without regulation online, a free-for-all on our kids' and young people's social media feeds, on catch-up TV or on our free-to-air televisions should be banned.

I want to say that this bill is not about banning gambling itself. No-one is actually suggesting that. The bed-wetters on the government benches suggest that we can't have reform because people just want to ban gambling. That is dishonest. It is not true, and they know it. This is about banning the promotion of a harmful product, protecting our kids from being bombarded by those within the industry who want to prey on their vulnerability. It is time to protect our kids from the gambling groomers.

This bill is the full implementation of the Peta Murphy report. The experts back it; the health experts back it; the gambling advocates back it. In fact, two years ago, members of both the Labor and Liberal parties backed it. What happened then? The vested interests got in the ear of the leadership—of the Prime Minister and the ministers. The Deputy Prime Minister has succumbed to the pressure of the gambling lobby to go weak and to water over banning these ads. It's time to show some courage. It's time to show some real leadership.

I've offered a compromise to the government. If you can't bring yourselves to do what you said you would do or what the late Peta Murphy pleaded for this parliament to do, at least do some of it. Look at the damage that is being done online to our kids and families and to the young men who are being overwhelmingly targeted by these groomers in the gambling industry. Take them on! We have a week and a half left of this session of parliament. Let's do something that goes, at least in some way, towards meeting the necessary needs in the community of limiting the harm that gambling is doing. Let's come some way towards meeting the promises that you made to the Australian people. We could leave this place at the end of next week knowing we've protected kids and young people from the harms of the gambling industry and their insidious ads online if you've got the political will to do it. If you don't, my question is: does Peter Dutton?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to also speak on the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024. Just to be very clear, we do not support this legislation with or without suggested amendments. We do take this issue very, very seriously. The Albanese government takes seriously our responsibility to protect Australians, particularly young people, from harms of all forms of gambling. An alarming fact is that Australians lose more than $31 billion a year on gambling, which is, of course, a very strong motivator to take serious action.

As we know, the late and wonderful Peta Murphy helmed a major review. The recommendations that she put forward are part of the ongoing consultation. It was a very valuable, important and informative piece of work. We have been consulting on a proposed model, and that model to reduce online gambling advertising has raised some issues. The consultations have brought forward more complexities for us to work through. Senator Hanson-Young noted in her opening that the ban she's proposing within this private senator's bill is popular, but popularity is not a great parameter for effective policy.

So yes, the work that the government is undertaking is taking longer than we had hoped. It is taking longer to land the right balance. But it is critical that we get this right. It is critical that we ensure that future reforms are both effective and comprehensive and do not have unintended consequences.

Those who remember the coalition's changes, when they were in government, in 2018, will recall that these changes resulted in a huge spike in online gambling ads. In fact, the coalition gambling ad restrictions in 2018 resulted in a 50 per cent increase in the total volume of gambling advertising spots on television and radio and a whopping 76 per cent increase in spots on regional TV. I'm sure that was not their intention when they put that policy together—but well-formed policy is not exactly their strong suit, either. That aside, rushing complex legislation like this can result in terrible and unintended consequences, like what we saw with the 2018 policy from the coalition.

Now we see that the coalition's current proposed policy of only restricting gambling ads around live sport is highly likely to see those ads increase elsewhere—maybe on family TV programs, or maybe just online. But the advertising ban they are putting forward is so limited and shallow as a policy that it is likely to cause more harm.

It is also important when we are looking at this issue to consider the multiple channels over which advertising is delivered. It's not just television, radio and Spotify but also digital platforms and social media, where advertising can be targeted at vulnerable Australians. There has been a significant shift in advertising spend to online and digital channels, and we need to assess exactly where all the advertising is going and what the impact of any policy might be before we move ahead with it, or we could end up with the kind of shift in advertising that we saw from the dismal 2018 policy from the coalition.

So, as I said, we've gathered a lot of evidence about the harms, and there's no doubt about the severity and seriousness of those harms. We've assessed the impact of various options, and we have been consulting with stakeholders, from the wagering industry to the harm reduction advocates, sporting codes and broadcasters. But let's be clear: it is complex reform, and getting it right is essential. And we are talking to everyone, not just some people, regardless of what's being said here.

The proposed model we are working on is about breaking the nexus that exists between wagering and sport, minimising the exposure of children to online wagering ads and tackling the saturation and targeting of these ads, particularly where we're seeing them tick up towards young men. The government's consultation process in response to the Murphy parliamentary inquiry has been thorough. But, as I said, it has raised some significant and additional considerations that we are continuing to work through. We will progress legislation to implement any form of online gambling advertising reform only when we have concluded our consultation and we have a policy that we are confident in.

But it's not as though nothing has happened. Let's be really clear. We've taken a range of actions since coming to government in 2022. We have delivered more gambling harm reduction initiatives in 2½ years than were delivered in the preceding decade. I'm not saying that's enough. I'm saying we have started this really important process. Let me take you through what we have done. We have banned the use of credit cards for online gambling, because we shouldn't be able to bet with money we don't have. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring that gambling takes place within a robust legislative framework and with strong customer protections, and this ban on credit cards is helping us do just that. It is legislated and it delivers on that commitment. It is a significant part of the progress to minimising gambling harm, and the principle really is very simple: Australians should not be gambling with money they do not have.

The second thing we did was establish mandatory customer ID verification for online wagering. This is to prevent children and people who have self-excluded from placing a bet online. Under the national consumer protection framework, Australian governments agreed to implement customer preverification for online gambling accounts. These are some of the things that aren't as straightforward. We need to get all the states on board and we've done that. To implement this measure, the AML and CTF rules have been amended to strengthen the applicable customer identification procedures that apply to online gambling service providers. This vital measure will help ensure that online gambling services are not exploited by criminals or used by individuals on the National Self-Exclusion Register.

Strengthening the classification of gambling-like features in video games is the third item on the list of what we've done so far. This of course is to better protect our children. Children and young people are being exposed to gambling through interactive games like social casinos which stimulate real gambling or gambling features such as loot boxes. Appropriate classification guidance is essential, so that we can protect our children, because we know that a lot of the game developers are building these structures to encourage gambling.

The fourth item on the list is implementing monthly activity statements so that Australians who gamble online can clearly see their wins and losses each month. The fifth on my list is introducing new evidence based taglines, with stronger messages about the risks and harms of online gambling. The sixth item on the list is the National Self-Exclusion Register, or BetStop. BetStop has been used by more than 30,000 Australians since it came in, in August 2023. Of the registrants, 79 per cent are aged 40 and under, 39 per cent have registered for a lifetime ban and 23,000 have an active exclusion. Actually preventing and reducing online gambling is one of several important measures that we have implemented under the National Consumer Protection Framework, and BetStop is valuable—

Thanks for the interjections, Senator Hanson-Young. But it is a valuable tool and a valuable mechanism, because one popular, one-size-fits-all approach to this isn't going to get us the outcome we need.

These are meaningful reforms that are making a difference, but it is critical that we develop further reforms to build on those we've already implemented, to continue our consultation, because we are only going to progress legislation to implement online gambling advertising reform when we have concluded our consultation and when the policy development process is concluded. We must ensure that the changes we make are robust, effective and appropriately address associated impacts for a range of stakeholders, and harm minimisation will be our guiding principle. We need to make sure that everyone is kept safe—that the scourge of gambling is minimised and ended and that people are kept safe.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it is somewhat ironic that we are here today in this chamber debating a bill put forward by the Australian Greens to ban gambling advertising. On 12 May 2023, in his budget reply speech, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Dutton, announced the coalition's policy. He was clear that a coalition government will ban gambling advertising during live sport, for one hour before and one hour after the game. We heard from Australians, and their message was clear: footy time is family time, and family time is precious—too precious to be swamped by a rising tide of gambling ads.

Watching and listening to live sport is a great Australian tradition, and we on this side of the chamber want to preserve that. We backed it in and delivered a bill just six weeks later, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Ban on Gambling Advertisements During Live Sport) Bill 2023. Our bill would have drawn a line in the sand and put an end to gambling advertisements during live sport. That was 20 months ago, more than 600 days ago. Guess what happened? When that bill went before the parliament, the Albanese government opposed it. Guess who else voted against our bill? Yes, it was the Greens. While crossbench senators overwhelmingly backed our bill, the Greens voted against it. The Senate vote was lost 30 to 33.

The coalition won't be taking lectures from the Australian Greens. This bill represents gross hypocrisy. I say to Senator Hanson-Young, and I repeat her words that we've just heard in this chamber: you've got to have the guts to do something about it. There were no guts and no glory when the Australian Greens voted against a bill to ban gambling advertising during live sport. It would have made a big difference. I say to Senator Hanson-Young and to the Australian Greens that this is why Australians have had enough of the Greens. They are all talk, with no principle.

Our coalition bill was a commitment from the Leader of the Opposition, who said in his budget reply speech last year:

… the bombardment of betting ads takes the joy out of televised sports. Worse, they're changing the culture of our country in a bad way and normalising gambling at a young age.

If the coalition bill to ban gambling advertising during live sport had been supported through parliament by Labor and the Greens then it would have been law by now. Since then, Australians have waited and waited for the Albanese government to make up its mind on what it's going to do about the issue. This government will continue to wait and wait, because that's all we get from this government. Where is this Prime Minister? Why has he failed to step up and make the hard calls?

We just heard from Senator Grogan, who said after 2½ years, 'We are continuing to work through it.' Yes, these are difficult issues. Well, it's no wonder so many Australians have lost faith in Labor. It's tough being in government, but being in government means you need to make tough decisions, and this is an absolute shocker from this incompetent and weak Labor government.

Just yesterday, the Prime Minister said in a podcast interview that Australians spend and lose more to gambling than people in any other country in the world. Yet he's failed to take any action to address the problem, and so have the Greens. It may not have been everything the Greens wanted, but why on earth would the Greens oppose our bill? It would have made a huge difference, particularly to young Australians. It would have made a massive difference. It would have driven a huge cultural difference in our country, and the Greens partnered with Labor to do absolutely nothing.

The Prime Minister said his government is considering a range of measures, but there has never been legislation, which begs the question of what on earth the government has been doing for the last 18 months, since the report by the late Peta Murphy was tabled. There has been no government response to the report and no legislation. The Albanese government promised a comprehensive response to tackle gambling harms, yet we have seen literally nothing. What on earth does this Prime Minister stand for? It is clear: absolutely nothing, because we have seen no answers and no solutions. I'm sure even Senator Grogan is embarrassed to stand up and have to justify why her government has done nothing on this very important issue.

This is a Prime Minister who doesn't have the ticker and doesn't have the backbone. He's scared of antigambling advocates like Tim Costello. He's scared of the AFL, the NRL and the media companies. So what does he do? He cowers in a corner and he does nothing. As I said, there are great lines: 'We're continuing to work through it.' We're just on the cusp of an election. It is clear that this government has no answers, and this government is lurching from one disaster to the next as it limps to the next federal election.

Of course, in the Communications portfolio, I think the absolute standout failure is the waste of time and resources on bills and legislation which have amounted to nothing more than political posturing. The government's misinformation bill was a disaster of epic proportions, prosecuted by the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, who, frankly, has demonstrated that she is not up to the job, because the misinformation bill was so bad that not a single non-government senator would back it from across the aisle. The government was forced to dump the bill in one of the biggest humiliations we have seen this entire term. The bill united a wide cross-section of groups against it. Top lawyers, church groups and civil libertarian and human rights groups were all opposed. Had this bill been in place during the Voice referendum, for instance, Labor would have weaponised it to gag opinions it didn't like or agree with. Thankfully for all of us living in this great democracy we call Australia, freedom of speech won the day.

Now, of course in this same portfolio, the Prime Minister and his Minister for Communications are wasting even more time, resources and taxpayers' money on another unnecessary bill branded as committing to public ownership of the National Broadband Network. The NBN is, in fact, already publicly owned. This is just more political posturing. This hapless government is seeking to amend its own legislation, which committed to the sale of the NBN. The Prime Minister himself, in his second reading speech to the parliament on 25 November 2010—when, of course, he was not the Prime Minister—said:

The … bill … sets out arrangements for the eventual sale of the Commonwealth's stake in the company once the NBN rollout is complete, including provisions for independent and parliamentary reviews prior to any privatisation, and for the parliament to have the final say on the sale.

The bill was even referred to a Senate inquiry, but there were only seven submissions made to the inquiry and not a single one from a government department or agency or even the NBN themselves. This whole thing is a stunt. It's a farce, and what the Albanese government is trying to do is run a deceptive and pathetic campaign along the lines of its notorious 'Mediscare' campaign.

But Australians won't be fooled by this government, because it's proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted to act on the most important issues. It does not keep its word, and it will attempt to deceive Australians at every turn. Well, I say to the Prime Minister, to members opposite and to the government: Australians are onto you. They can see through you a million miles away. They've listened to your rhetoric, they've listened to your false promises, they've listened to your wrong priorities, and they do not believe you anymore. They do not trust you.

As for the Greens, the Greens had the opportunity to support a bill that would have banned gambling advertising during live sport but they chose to get into bed with the government and vote against it. I'm sorry, but that is just a joke.

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

Well, do something about it now.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. Senator Hansen-Young said, 'Well, do something about it.' I mean, give me a break, Senator Hanson-Young. Give me a break—all puff and no principle. The Greens had the opportunity to make a really big difference in this country but, rather than make a really big difference, the Greens—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, on a point of order?

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

The point of order is misleading the chamber. Senator Henderson knows full well that the vote was never put on the coalition bill, so it is absolute rubbish, and she should withdraw.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't believe that is a point of order. That is a debating point. Senator Henderson.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Acting Deputy President.

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

Were you not here that day, Sarah?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Henderson, before you continue, obviously I am acting in the chair. Often it is the case, when a senator asks another to withdraw, just for the benefit of the chamber continuing—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sorry, there is no point of order, Acting Deputy President. That is a debating point. There is no point of order. I would put to you in my submission—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I agree it is a debating point. It is more the case that Senator Hanson-Young has asked you to withdraw.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sorry, it is not appropriate to ask me to withdraw.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, you're not in a debate with me. I am happy to refer it to the President, if you wish me to.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you could refer it to the President, thank you.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's fine. Senator Henderson, you have the call.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Acting Deputy President. So, as I say, Australians are onto the Greens as well as onto Labor. And just imagine if we had a minority Labor-Greens-Teals government after the next federal election. What a mess this country would be in. What chaos this country would be in—the deals, the underhand conduct. The risk to this country would absolutely accelerate rate if the Greens got their hands on any sort of power arrangement with the Labor government, because we have seen how bad the Albanese Labor government is. Imagine how bad it would be if the Greens had their hands on the tills of government. We cannot allow that risk to happen.

This is nothing more than a stunt from the Greens. The Greens have tried to cut a deal with the government in relation to gambling advertising. It hasn't worked, so, as we heard, Senator Hanson-Young wrote to the Minister for Communications then dropped that letter to the papers in a desperate effort for publicity, knowing full well that the Albanese Labor government wouldn't support the bill. So, as I say, this is more posturing, this is more rubbish from the Greens, and it is a last-minute desperate attempt to cover up the fact that the Greens are so wrong.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, could you please resume your seat. There are a lot of interjections in the chamber. If we could just try and keep some order while we continue this debate.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are on the cusp of a federal election. The incompetence we've seen—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, please resume his seat. Senator Hanson-Young, on a point of order?

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

On a point of order, I am wondering whether Senator Henderson—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is your point of order?

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

My point of order is relevance. I am wondering whether Senator Henderson should declare her interest in taking donations from the gambling lobby.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, resume your seat. That is a debating point; it is not a point of order. Senator Henderson, I'm about to give you the call again but can I ask that senators refrain from interjecting. Interjections are very disorderly. Senator Henderson, you have the call. Please do not engage in a debate with me either. You have the call to continue your remarks.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Acting Deputy President. I would like to raise a point of order—that is, reflecting on me as a senator. I would ask you to ask Senator Hansen-Young to withdraw that comment. It is a complete reflection and must be withdrawn.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young?

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

I withdraw.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young, for assisting the chamber with its business. Senator Henderson, you have the call.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are on the cusp of a federal election, and the incompetence that we've seen from the Albanese government on gambling advertising is the incompetence that Australians are seeing every single day, right across this government, because no-one believes the Prime Minister when he says that you'll be better off under Labor. You can fool people once but not twice. Under Labor's economic mismanagement, Australians are experiencing the longest sustained period of inflation since the 1990s.

Again in the parliament this week Labor is in denial: 'There is nothing to see here.' There is nothing to see, of course, on gambling advertising. What a debacle that has been from the government! But there has been nothing to see from this government in terms of its economic management of this country, other than that interest rates have increased 12 times, energy bills have risen by up to a thousand dollars, living standards have collapsed, 27,000 businesses have gone insolvent and we are in a record-breaking household recession.

The Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, has offered no comfort to Australians—including Australians who've lost a lot of money through gambling. He's done absolutely nothing. This is just another example of the incompetent and weak Albanese government. That's why a Dutton government must be installed at the next federal election.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank Senator Hanson-Young for bringing forward this bill, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024. I also want to acknowledge members in the other place—Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney, Andrew Wilkie, Rebekha Sharkie and others—for their work on this over many years.

I think it's important that we remember exactly what we're debating here. We are talking about a public health issue, and we should have a response that is up to the challenge of meeting that. This is about protecting young people. We live in a country where there is so much gambling advertising that three out of four—75 per cent—of young people now think that gambling is just a normal part of watching sport, a normal part of being an Australian. This is about protecting the young people who come in here and watch us debate—though 'debate' is probably generous at times. That's what this is about.

It seems like this debate is a pretty good ad for the crossbench when the best the major parties can do is to talk about who has the best bandaid solution—who's going to put a bigger bandaid on this massive wound. We can surely do better than that as a country.

I'm standing today to acknowledge the work of the late Peta Murphy MP. She did something that the rest of us seldom do—something that few of us may even achieve in our time in the Senate—and that is to achieve multipartisan support for a contested set of recommendations. It's a landmark report. It is historic. And when she released the report she said:

Gambling advertising … is grooming children and young people to gamble …

That's why a phasing-out of and ban on gambling advertising was her flagship recommendation. It's a recommendation the Labor government seem keen to sweep under the rug. And the Liberals seem keen to come in with their partial ban, though all the experts gave evidence that a partial ban doesn't work.

Here's just a bit of background for the people listening who may not be familiar with the Murphy inquiry. It has been nearly 18 months since Peta Murphy's report was released. The inquiry had 161 submissions and 13 days of public hearings—13 days of hearings! The report had 31 recommendations, from developing a national strategy on harm reduction to ensuring that 12-year-olds don't have to sit through sports-bet ads. This inquiry was exhaustive. It was thorough. It was in depth. And again, it had the backing of the entire parliament.

Again, let's come back to what we're actually talking about here. We're talking about being the biggest losers in the world when it comes to gambling. There are people out there who are so inundated that they say that, if you're a problem gambler and you're trying to get help, it's incredibly hard because there's nowhere to hide. You turn on the telly—a gambling ad. You listen to a podcast on Spotify—there's a gambling ad.

I want to read out some direct quotes from people who have been bravely speaking up, urging the parliament to act, and so far, 18 months later, their requests have fallen on deaf ears. This is from someone who has gone publicly by the name of Kate, who lost her brother to suicide: 'My brother was so well loved, empathetic, kind-hearted and a genuine person. My brother self-excluded, and he was targeted more. I remember walking into the kitchen one day and he said, "I've just got a text from Sportsbet." It sounds like not a big deal if you don't have a problem, but, if you know the gravity of that text, it is. It's always such a personalised message. They're only sent to people who are losing. I really believe those inducements made him feel the only way out was to end his life.'

This is from Mark Kempster, a man recovering from gambling addiction: 'Not one person could read the submissions on how people had lost loved ones to gambling addictions and not see the need for change. However, here I am 18 months later, still having to avoid watching the sports I once loved, out of the fear of what it could do to me and my family. I have lost all faith in our current government to do the right thing. From what they are currently saying, they have chosen their self-interest and winning the next election over protecting the most vulnerable in our society.'

This is from John, who presented and gave evidence to the Murphy inquiry: 'I love my footy, and I can remember that, at the time, sports gambling ads were being played in every ad break whilst I watched a game of footy on a Friday night. They even advertised during the news. Before long, and for reasons I can't explain, I opened an online sports betting account late one night with a well-known betting company. Within weeks I had managed to gamble away my full redundancy payment. I had made over $226,000 worth of deposits through my betting account. I lost $80,000 in one morning, between 12.30 am and 3 am, betting on races on the other side of the world. In one single 24-hour period I placed 92 separate bets. At no stage did anybody from the betting company try to contact me to determine how I was funding this excessive and erratic gambling or to suggest that a deposit limit might be a good idea.'

The Prime Minister, at every turn, has taken up the lines of the gambling industry and the NRL. Contrary to what Senator Grogan has just said, it seems some views are given precedence over others. I want to quote the Prime Minister:

We know, when we look at where the harmful gambling comes from, that almost 70 per cent of that harmful gambling is actually poker machines. More than or around 15 per cent, off the top of my head … comes from lotteries and lotto and those tickets as well.

Peter V'landys was quoted in the SMH saying that independent statistics showed that, out of 100 people who sought help from a problem gambling hotline, 70 were due to poker machines, 15 were due to lotteries, eight were due to racing and four were due to sport. I've tried to find these independent studies and reports. I've asked at estimates. No-one in PMO knows anything about it. No-one in the Minister for Sport's office or department knows anything about it. No experts have ever heard of it. Yet the two people that seem to have this data that supports continuing the status quo are the Prime Minister of Australia and Peter V'landys.

The CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia said the risk of blanket bans on advertising in the wagering space is that we run the risk of driving Australian consumers into the illegal offshore providers. The Prime Minister said: 'The internet means that people can gamble offshore. That means it is much more difficult to put restrictions on.' Who is writing the PM's talking points? There are so many smart people in there. Why are we hearing almost direct quotes from Peter V'landys and the CEO of 'Responsible Wagering Australia'?

There was a fascinating interview—I'm pretty sure it was on RN—with Stewart Kenny, the co-founder of gambling giant Paddy Power. I am going to directly quote him here. The argument from the Prime Minister and Responsible Wagering Australia that if you do anything here people will just go offshore was put to him. His response: 'I used that argument all the time when I was lobbying. I was the main lobbyist in Ireland. I knew all the politicians. That was the first line I always used. As an industry, we've been using that argument for 20, 30, 40 years. But look at Spain. They put in a blanket ban and there was virtually no pick-up in the illegal offshore market. This is a load of baloney. I used it all the time.'

I want to just end with the words of the courageous late Peta Murphy: 'What are you in politics for if it's not to make a difference and make a difference to other people's lives?' The Senate has the opportunity to do that.

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

DARMANIN () (): Thank you, Acting Deputy President, for the opportunity to speak today about an issue that affects countless Australian families—online gambling and the need for meaningful reforms to protect our community, particularly young people, from its harms. The Albanese government does take very seriously our responsibility to protect Australians from the dangers of online gambling. We recognise that gambling addiction can devastate individuals, families and entire communities. We are committed to ensuring that Australians, especially young people, are not bombarded with harmful advertising and are better supported to make informed choices.

The government has repeatedly made clear the status quo of online wagering advertising is untenable and that reform is needed. We are committed to reducing harms from online gambling, which is why we have already delivered numerous reforms in this term of government and will continue to work with a broad range of stakeholders to develop and implement further reforms. We want to get them right, to deliver harm prevention, harm reduction and cultural change. As a responsible government, we are taking the time to work through options carefully to ensure they will be effective, robust and not have detrimental unintended consequences.

We know that Australia has the highest per capita gambling losses in the world, with Australians losing more than $31 billion to gambling every year. This is a staggering figure, one that highlights the deep entrenchment of gambling in our society and the need for reform. It is absolutely critical, though, that we get this right, because we know that poorly designed policies lead to poor outcomes that do not achieve the intended objectives. We only have to look back to 2018 to see an example of this. The coalition's so-called reforms from 2018 resulted in an explosion of online gambling advertising. Their current policy of only restricting online gambling ads around live sport would also see ads increase elsewhere, like family TV programs and online, and would likely repeat history by simply shifting ads away from live sport onto other platforms, increasing exposure to gambling promotions in family friendly spaces, such as TV programming and digital media.

Gambling advertising has become ubiquitous and it is time for decisive action. I've seen firsthand just how pervasive gambling advertising has become. My own children are already more aware of these ads not just from watching sports on TV but through online games and other digital platforms. They can name betting companies, recall their slogans and even explain the odds, all without ever having placed a bet. This is not because we talk about gambling at home but because the industry has found ways to infiltrate the online spaces where kids spend some of their time. When gambling messages appear in games, on social media and in videos they watch, our children are being conditioned to see betting as normal and even inevitable. This is why we must take decisive action to protect young Australians from being targeted by an industry that thrives on addiction and loss. When children and young people are watching a sporting match, they should not be bombarded with messages that normalise betting as part of the game. When children and young people are playing Roblox or other games, they shouldn't be bombarded with messaging that normalising betting as part of the game. The influence of gambling companies has grown exponentially, and their targeted ads often reach those who are most vulnerable—young Australians, problem gamblers and individuals attempting to recover from addiction. This saturation of advertising not only contributes to gambling addiction but also shapes a culture where betting is seen as an essential part of sport and spectatorship. Australia has the highest gambling losses per adult, with a total of $25 billion in losses per annum. Online gambling is growing in Australia due to easier and faster access through mobile devices and a proliferation of online gambling applications.

So, yes, action is required. That is why our government is focused on doing this properly—on designing reforms that genuinely reduce harm and create lasting cultural change. Since being elected less than three years ago, this government has delivered more harm reduction measures for online gambling than the previous government did in an entire decade, quite the opposite to what Senator Henderson would have you believe, suggesting earlier that this government has done nothing. As Senator Grogan outlined, some of the things this government has done include banning the use of credit cards for online gambling, because people should not be able to gamble with money that they don't have; establishing mandatory customer identification verification for online wagering to prevent children and individuals who have self-excluded from placing bets; strengthening classification of gambling-like features in video games to better protect children from being exposed to gambling behaviours from a young age; implementing monthly activity statements so Australians who gamble online can clearly see their wins and losses each month, helping them to make informed decisions; introducing new evidence based tag lines with stronger messages about the risk and harms of online gambling; and launching the national exclusion register, BetStop, which has been used more than 37,000 times by Australians in the past 18 months to voluntarily exclude themselves from online gambling services. This is not doing nothing, and these are significant steps forward, but we absolutely know that there is more work to do, and we want to do it properly.

One of the most pressing concerns is the pervasiveness of online gambling advertising, particularly its saturation during live sports broadcasting. Sports is part of the Australian identity. Every Australian wants to enjoy sport, from grassroots competitions to the professional leagues, without being bombarded by gambling ads. Parents should be able to sit down with their children and watch their favourite team without the constant reminder of sports betting.

To address this, our government is working through the 31 recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, which include key recommendations on advertising. We have been consulting widely on a proposed model to reduce online gambling advertising, and through this process we have uncovered additional complexities that must be carefully considered. The proposed model aims to break the deep connection between wagering and sport, to minimise children's exposure to online wagering advertisements and to tackle the oversaturation and targeting of these ads.

Importantly, we are looking beyond just traditional media. We must consider all the ways in which gambling advertising reaches Australians, through television and radio, yes, but also through digital platforms and social media, where ads can be microtargeted to vulnerable people, including those who have already struggled with gambling addiction. In today's digital landscape, gambling companies have more tools than ever before to target their advertisements with precision. Algorithms and big data allow companies to identify and reach individuals based on online activity, including previous gambling habits. We must ensure that any reforms we introduce address this growing concern. The ease of gambling platforms combined with the constant barrage of advertising has led to a situation where Australians are being increasingly encouraged to gamble, often without fully understanding the risks involved.

Reforming gambling advertising is not a simple task. Our government has carefully weighed the impacts to ensure that our reforms are both effective and sustainable. The worst outcome would be a knee jerk policy that simply shifts gambling ads to new platforms without reducing overall exposure. The government's response to the Murphy report—by Labor's late champion of gambling reform, Peta Murphy—has been thorough, measured and evidence based. We have gathered the necessary data, assessed the likely impacts of different approaches and engaged in extensive consultation with key stakeholders. We know that public sentiment is firmly in favour of stronger restrictions on online gambling advertising, and we are determined to deliver reforms that reflect community expectations. It is also important to consider the multiple channels over which advertising is delivered. It's not just television and radio but also digital platforms and social media where advertising can be targeted at vulnerable Australians.

We recognise that this work is taking longer than was hoped, but it is absolutely vital that we get this right. Rushed and poorly designed policies would only create new problems, and we owe it to Australians to ensure that any changes we implement will be effective, enforceable and long lasting. The need for meaningful action is clear. Australians are losing more to gambling than any other nation, and the harms of online gambling—from financial distress to mental health struggles—are being felt in households across the country.

As I said, our government is already taking strong steps to address and reduce these harms, but we are not stopping here. We are committed to breaking the cycle of online gambling harm and protecting the next generation from being drawn into a culture that normalises gambling. That means well-designed, evidence based reforms that address advertising saturation, prevent children from being exposed to gambling messaging and ensure that those struggling with addiction have the support and tools they need to regain control. This is not just about policy. It is about the kind of society that we want to build, a society where sport is about community and passion—not betting. It is a society where families can enjoy a game without a barrage of gambling ads, a society where we take meaningful action that is effective to prevent harm rather than just manage its consequences. The time for action is now. As I have said, steps have been taken, and more needs to be done.

If we fail to act decisively and carefully, we risk leaving future generations vulnerable to an industry that profits from addiction and loss. We will not allow this to happen. Our government is committed to getting this right, and we will not waver in our mission to protect Australians, especially young Australians, from the harms of online gambling. That is why we do not support this bill. Arising out of the extensive consultation on a model, it has raised additional complexities for the government to take on board. It is absolutely critical that we get this right.

Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to my colleague, Senator Hanson-Young, for bringing this very important bill, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024, forward today.

The late Peta Murphy tabled the House inquiry's report into gambling harm 18 months ago. This landmark report painted a stark picture of a nation in pain, of people whose marriages have fallen apart, who have lost their homes, jobs, families or life savings and who have spiralled into mental distress—all because of gambling. In response to this devastating reality, Murphy's report made a clear recommendation: ban gambling ads across all media within three years.

People and communities right across Australia were hopeful that this Labor led inquiry and report would finally lead to real action to end gambling harm. Yet here we are, 18 months later, with a federal election just around the corner, and the Labor government has done nothing—well, that's not entirely true, as we know. This week it was revealed that they'd accepted close to $200,000 in donations from the gambling industry. What a stinker! We have seen no official response to the Murphy report and no legislation to ban ads—nothing. Instead we have just witnessed Albanese and his government dodge and delay responsibility to end gambling harm. This cowardice epitomises everything that is wrong with the Labor Party and why they are taking a hit in the polls.

I have sympathy for the senators who had to stand up today and try to defend this reprehensible position of not supporting this bill. Come on. We are urging you: be decisive. Show some leadership. We're urging you. We do not want to see a Dutton prime ministership, so give us some backbone. This is an opportunity for the Labor government to take action on gambling before the election—fewer weasel words and fewer lists outlining what the problem is, and more decisive action. It's a chance for the Senate to protect Australians from the relentless harm of gambling ads and those parasitic corporations that are sucking Australians dry.

Research shows gambling ads fuel betting and hit young people and those at risk of problem behaviour the hardest. We all know this. You know this, Labor. These ads plague our radio channels, sports games, television, music streaming, online gaming and now social media. They are even in Bluey streaming. It's disgusting. Everyone, including kids, cannot escape having gambling advertisements rammed down their throats. While it is devastating, it's no wonder that kids as young as 10 years old are addicted to gambling.

The Greens understand the destruction that gambling harm causes and that gambling ads cause. We know that they destroy families, communities and people right across this nation. We know that a gambling ad ban needs to happen before the election, before we risk a coalition government. That is why, in the face of Labor's complete inaction, the Greens put forward this bill and why my colleague the Australian Greens spokesperson for gambling, Senator Hanson-Young, wrote to the Minister for Communications—

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Hodgins-May. The time for this debate has expired. You will be in continuation.