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

I commend Senator Hanson-Young for bringing forward this bill, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban on Gambling Advertisements) Bill, to the Senate, to the parliament, in the wake of a tragic and, for so many Australians, devastating lack of action from the Albanese Labor government. They have betrayed Australians who want action on gambling advertising. They have, so far, betrayed Peta Murphy and the incredible work that she did on this area. If you go back and you look at the Murphy review, this was parliament at its best. Just read the foreword. The foreword of the Murphy review will, I think, go down in history as an incredible piece of leadership from someone who clearly believed in what she was doing and was able to actually build consensus in this place that spends 90 per cent of its time bickering. It is well worth the read.

In the context of that, let's go through some facts and figures. We are the biggest losers in the world per capita. In a cost-of-living crisis, Australians lose $32 billion each year. We are in a situation now where gambling has been so normalised by gambling advertising that 16 per cent of 16- and 17-year-olds are already gambling. When we turn to the 18- and 19-year-olds, it's 46 per cent. Almost one in two 18- and 19-year-old Australians are now gambling. Why? Because they think it's a normal part of enjoying sport. Why? Because they have been inundated their whole lives with gambling advertising. More and more frequently over the last couple of years I have been pulled aside at events by young people wanting to talk about gambling advertising, particularly young men saying: 'I'm ashamed to say I have a problem with gambling. It's really having an impact on me and my life, and it's so damn hard to actually stop because everywhere you go you're confronted with gambling advertising. You're reminded, "Just have a punt, chase that win." You get the inducement of the companies saying, "Here are some free bets."'

This was all covered in the Murphy review, yet we have Labor pulling out these ridiculous talking points about how they've done more than anyone since Federation. Good on you; you did some things that the coalition started. You completed them. You did BetStop and you banned credit cards. But not a single thing on the Murphy report. Let's go to Peta Murphy's foreword. I'll quote directly:

Australians outspend the citizens of every other country on online gambling. This is wreaking havoc in our communities. Saturation advertising ensures our future losses. Only online wagering service providers (WSPs), major sporting organisations and media gain from the status quo.

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Australians do not like being flooded by messages and inducements to gamble online and worry about the effect this is having on children and young people. Most believe that gambling is harmful for society and that it has become too easy to gamble in Australia.

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I am proud to say this Committee has delivered a unanimous report that says, "enough is enough". The Committee has made 31 recommendations that apply a public health lens to online gambling to reduce harm across the whole Australian population.

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Online gambling companies advertise so much in Australia because it works. Online gambling has been deliberately and strategically marketed alongside sport, which has normalised it as a fun, harmless, and sociable activity that is part of a favourite pastime. Gambling advertising is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour. The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience to gamble online.

We've had silence for almost three years from the Albanese government on Peta Murphy's report. Now, when we have a bill that contains the recommendations of report, the Labor government and the Liberals won't even allow that report to go to a committee. That is frankly disgraceful. We have to do better for the communities— (Time expired)