Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

We often think our children are safest when they are at home, but, for thousands of Australian families, a predator is sitting right there in the palm of a child's hand. I recently met with the team at Relationships Australia in Mackay. These are the people on the front line. They see the gut-wrenching reality of a mother handing over the keys to a family home. They see the hurt on the face of a father who feels he has failed his children. They see the once happy homes shattered by the silent, invisible plague of gambling addiction. But they told me something even more chilling. The next generation of addicts are being groomed right now through their video games. We're talking about loot boxes. The technical term is 'random reward microtransactions', but let's call them for what they really are: digital poker machines for children. A child uses their parent's credit card to pay for a chance to win a digital item. It's the habit, the near miss, the dopamine rush of the win. Research from the University of Tasmania proves these games activate exactly the same neurological pathways as a casino. These games hardwire our children's brains for a lifetime of addiction before they even reach high school.

The Albanese Labor government recently rushed through a social media ban for under-16s, but they left a gaping hole in the legislation. Time and time again, this government loves a headline, but they hate the hard work of being thorough. This government ignores recommendations. They dismiss amendments from the opposition, and, as a result, they leave our children exposed. Why is a social media company facing a $50 million fine while gaming developers are allowed to facilitate predatory gambling targeted at exactly the same kids? It is staggeringly inconsistent. This government has effectively locked the front door to social media, but has left the back door wide open for the gambling industry to walk in. Families need real protection.

Yesterday was World Teen Mental Wellness Day. I ask this government to stop rushing for the sake of the news cycle and to start protecting the neurological future of our children. We cannot allow the next generation to be the sacrificial lamb for a government that is too lazy to finish the job. The experts at Relationships Australia Mackay are pleading for a chance to stop this fire at the spark before it burns down children's entire lives.

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