Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Greens will not support Labor’s gambling bill as it stands. Photo: Region.
Labor is willing to consider amending its controversial gambling legislation in the face of a hostile Senate that offers no support for the bill in its current form.
The Coalition, Greens and the crossbench are demanding significant changes to the legislation to toughen up the rules the gambling industry will have to follow.
They want the Federal Government to include enhanced protections for children exposed to gambling advertising and for people vulnerable to enticements and perks that lead to gambling addiction.
Labor needs the support of the Opposition or the Greens for the bill to pass the Upper House.
With Federal Parliament returning this week after the winter break, the Greens have drawn a line in the sand, saying they will not support the legislation without serious changes.
Communications spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young, who is leading the Greens’ negotiations on the bill, said on Sunday (9 August) that the government was playing games to favour gambling firms over vulnerable Australians.
“I’m not prepared to vote for what’s on the table at the moment,” Senator-Hanson Young said.
“If you [Labor] are not prepared to do what’s needed here, well, we’ll take this out of your hands, and we’ll do it in the Senate ourselves.”
Labor’s bill includes a partial ban on gambling advertising, to restrict it on television to three per hour between 6 am and 8:30 pm and on radio during school pick-up and drop-off times.
It also bans gambling logos in stadiums and on players’ jerseys.
But that is nowhere near enough, according to Senator Hanson-Young, who insists Labor should adopt the recommendations from the late Peta Murphy’s parliamentary report on gambling reform calling for a phased-out total ban on gambling ads and the end to all inducements.
“It’s really clear: partial bans do not work,” Senator Hanson-Young said, adding that online advertising needed to be properly banned as well.
“I think they [gambling companies] use every trick in the book to promote [gambling] and it’s a real predatory nature, whether it’s special deals, whether it’s extra credits, whether it’s favours to events,” she said.
“Inducements need to be off the table.”
The Coalition is not yet revealing its hand, except to say it wants tougher restrictions and will not support Labor’s bill without amendment.
“Under the government’s proposed bill, it doesn’t limit the capacity to advertise to children, and that’s something that I’m concerned about, making sure that we’ve got the measures that are consistent, appropriate, and also reflecting the changing nature of technology,” shadow treasurer Tim Wilson said on Sunday.
Last week Communications Minister Anika Wells said she was happy to talk with all sides of politics over the bill, but wanted to see any formal amendments.
On Sunday, NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister told the ABC’s Insiders program that Ms Wells had been “paying attention” to the evidence in last week’s Senate inquiry into the bill, and was now in discussions with the Coalition.
“We want to see this through the parliament,” Senator McAllister said.
She said Labor had got the legislation “broadly” right but was open to “sensible amendments”.
Senator Hanson-Young told the same program that it was “good” if the government is now willing to move, but “the devil is going to be in the detail”.
Last week’s Senate inquiry heard alarming evidence and allegations of gambling firms providing drugs and sex workers to keep some problem gamblers betting.
This was strongly denied by the betting firms appearing at the hearings.
Independent ACT Senator David Pocock said Anthony Albanese was standing in the way of strong public and bipartisan support for tougher gambling laws.
He said the Prime Minister was only listening to the gambling lobby.
“Turns out when the PM says he is ‘getting the balance right’ with three gambling ads an hour on TV, he’s actually just listening to the gambling industry,” Senator Pocock said.
“After two days of hearings you can see why Labor voted against a Senate inquiry into their gambling bill.
“It doesn’t protect young Australians and clearly won’t stop the normalisation of gambling in Australia, where we lose more per capita than any country on earth.
“The Senate has an opportunity to protect young Australians and strengthen the government’s bill with a ban on gambling ads and inducements and setting up a much-needed national regulator.”
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
