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Rebekha Sharkie

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

notes that the Government, under the leadership of the Minister for Communications, has failed to take any action to reduce gambling advertising, 17 months after receiving unanimous recommendations from a Labor-chaired committee;

calls on the Minister for Communications to explain to the House why the Government has failed to take any actions; and

calls on the Government to either:

introduce its own legislation on gambling advertising; or

allow other bills that seek to address the harms caused by gambling advertising to be debated in this House.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Mayo from moving the following motion—That the House:

notes that the Government, under the leadership of the Minister for Communications, has failed to take any action to reduce gambling advertising, 17 months after receiving unanimous recommendations from a Labor-chaired committee;

calls on the Minister for Communications to explain to the House why the Government has failed to take any actions; and

calls on the Government to either:

introduce its own legislation on gambling advertising; or

allow other bills that seek to address the harms caused by gambling advertising to be debated in this House.

We have waited 17 months since a unanimous report, You win some, you lose more, was handed down in June 2023 by a committee chaired by the late Peta Murphy. It's been 17 months of hand-wringing and 17 months of, 'Oh, we're thinking about it. We're going to do something,' but absolutely nothing has happened. This is potentially the last day of the parliament and potentially the last day for this term, and still we have nothing. It is shameful.

The committee found that many Australians are frustrated by gambling advertising. They noted that gambling is heavily marketed through popular sports. We know that it is young people, young men in particular, who are being targeted by gambling advertising. We know that we're now at $32 billion that we lose as a nation. Gambling is largely targeted at young men, particularly may I say tradies. These are young men who are getting together with their mates, and they're told to bet with their mates, yet we have nothing. That is why we need to suspend standing orders. This is a national emergency. We are the biggest losers in the world on a per capita basis. We're now at a per capita loss of more than $1,500 for every man, woman and child in this nation, yet we do nothing in this place. We must act on this. This is the last day of the parliamentary sitting year, potentially the last day this parliament, and yet nothing.

That report by the late Peta Murphy, who was sick while she was chairing that committee—she was sick and yet she was so passionate and so dedicated on this issue that she didn't let it go; she didn't stand down as chair. She wanted to make sure that report happened, that those recommendations were made. And for what? For naught. Nothing is happening in here on this. I think it's appalling that the government has done nothing. I want the minister to come in and explain to this parliament why. If not, I want the minister to introduce legislation. The Australian community deserves that legislation to be introduced. If we can deal with other pieces of legislation with lightning speed, why not act on this? I implore the government to think of the late Peta Murphy. Do the right thing by the late Peta Murphy. At least ensure we act on some of the recommendations in the report that she gave her heart and soul to.

Jenny Ware

I second that motion. Barely weeks after being elected in 1996 then prime minister John Howard's leadership, political courage and integrity were put to the test on the issue of gun ownership following the tragic mass shooting at Port Arthur. It was a test that John Howard well and truly passed. Australians have lower rates of gun ownership than our counterparts and have not been victims of the mass shootings and other horrific events that have occurred in other parts of the world, especially in the United States. John Howard had to stare down much of his voter base and convince his coalition partners and those in the regions that this was necessary for the long-term safety of Australians.

This Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has so far missed the opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership, moral courage and political conviction on a national, social and health epidemic, the impact of online gambling on those experiencing gambling harm.

David Coleman

Scare tactics.

Jenny Ware

I note the comments from my colleague; the member of Banks and I agree: the Prime Minister has shown no leadership and he's scared.

More than 17 months after the parliamentary committee, of which I was a member, handed down its bipartisan and unanimous report, You win some, you lose more__, including 31 recommendations, Anthony Albanese and Communication Minister Rowland are yet to respond to the report. As a committee, we heard evidence from those with lived experience of gambling harm, including families suffering from financial ruin, homelessness and, most devastatingly, Australians living with suicidality, as well as many who had taken their own lives as a result of gambling harm, gambling addiction.

I want to also point out the work that went into this report by the member for Menzies and the member for Cowper, who were the two other members of the coalition on that inquiry.

The report recommended broadly that a national regulatory teamwork be established to address the problem on a national basis through a public health lens. Those who gave evidence are similarly bewildered as to the delay from the Labor government. Only a couple of weeks ago, Anna Bardsley, who gave evidence to the inquiry, made a trip to Canberra to meet with the Prime Minister. She was not given an audience with the Prime Minister. Let's think of all the other people who've been given audiences with this Prime Minister over the past couple of weeks.

Anna Bardsley was given an audience with me. Anna and her colleagues spoke with me about having committed extraordinary theft to feed their gambling habits, and one lady had served a prison sentence of four years. She'd stolen more than $400,000, which she has repaid, but her life has been destroyed. Another spoke to me about first gambling at the age of seven as well as the social impacts online gambling has had on his community of Asian Australians.

On 10 October, the member for Menzies, Keith Wolahan, and I both asked questions of Minister Rowlands in question time about the likely timing of a response to the report. She failed to answer that question. She also failed to answer the question about which recommendations she supported and which she did not support. The Prime Minister has disregarded questions on this. He has said, 'Oh, I'm not going to stand in the way of Australians having a bit of a flutter or a punt.' But that's not what this is about. Australians love a punt. We spend approximately $25 billion on legal wages each year, with close to 40 per cent of the population gambling weekly. We spent close to $1 billion on the Melbourne Cup. We are the only nation that stops for a horse race. I support this motion, and I call on the Prime Minister to similarly support this motion and stand up on online gambling harm.

Stephen Jones

I move:

That the debate be adjourned.

Milton Dick

The question is that the debate be adjourned.

Summary

Date and time: 10:05 AM on 2024-11-28
Allegra Spender's vote: No
Total number of "aye" votes: 71
Total number of "no" votes: 63
Total number of abstentions: 17

Adapted from information made available by theyvoteforyou.org.au

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