Postponement of gambling advertisements leads to anger in parliament and contradictions among ministers

The government’s decision to suspend plans to curb gambling advertising has sparked anger in parliament and confusion among ministers, who have given conflicting reasons for the delays.

Eighteen months after the late Labor MP Peta Murphy released a parliamentary report recommending a total ban on gambling advertising, the government, with the unanimous support of Labour, Coalition and Greens committee members, has still not acted on the proposal.

The government has committed to restricting gambling advertising, but that has been repeatedly delayed after the backbench opposed a model that would not fully implement Ms Murphy’s recommendations.

It confirmed on Sunday that restrictions on gambling advertisements would now not be implemented this week, the last legislative week of the year and possibly for this term.

Today, two ministers invoked the late Ms Murphy’s name to put forward conflicting views on the gambling advertising bill, which has still not been seen publicly.

Competition Minister Andrew Leigh, a friend of Ms Murphy who supported a blanket ban, told ABC Radio Canberra that the government was prepared to introduce advertising restrictions “immediately” but had only not done so because it did not have the figures to implement this ban.

He also took umbrage at Senator David Pocock’s suggestions that the government had acted cowardly.

“Peta Murphy was a mate of mine so I found David Pocock’s comments quite offensive,” he said.

“We have worked incredibly hard to advance gambling reform.

The fact that we cannot find the numbers in the Senate at this time to implement sensible reforms that the Secretary of State has introduced is disappointing.

“It’s quite clear at the moment… the figures are not there to progress the reforms the government has introduced, which would significantly restrict betting advertising around major sporting events so that there would be a blackout period before and after sporting events.

“If we thought the figures were there, we would immediately put it to parliament, but the fact that the figures are not there says everything about how the opposition is going into blocking mode.”

His comments contradicted another Labor minister, Anika Wells, who said this afternoon that as a friend of Ms Murphy and as Sports Minister she was in a “good position” to say the gambling ad ban was not yet ready to be lifted. to be introduced in parliament.

“I am concerned about how this affects sports integrity and how this affects our athletes who are being targeted by people because of the development in this area,” Ms Wells said.

“But on the other hand, I have national sporting bodies and professional codes concerned about how this will impact the viability of their financial model.

“So on both sides of what I have to look at, I think there needs to be more nuanced work, and I look forward to continuing to work with (Communications Minister Michelle) Rowland on the 31 recommendations of the Murphy report.”

For months, Labor has been divided over its plan, with one group of caucus members calling for a total ban in line with Ms Murphy’s recommendations, while others, including the Prime Minister, pushed for a partial ban.

Coalition, Greens on board with gambling advertising reform

The coalition has not taken a position on stricter legislation on gambling advertising, but the opposition did call for a ban on gambling advertising during live sports last year and has said it looks forward to the government’s proposal.

The Greens have called for a total ban on gambling advertising.

Party spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said Labor had “no excuse not to ban gambling ads”.

“Everyone can see that Labor has caved (to the gambling industry),” Ms Hanson-Young said in a statement.

Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said yesterday that the Government’s continued delays showed the Prime Minister was “afraid” of the major sporting codes and media companies who could oppose a ban.

“Most people in Australia accept that there is a need for action on gambling advertising,” he said.

“In June last year, 18 months ago, the Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, stood up in his budget response and said a coalition government would ban gambling advertising from one hour before live sport to one hour after.

“But we have a Prime Minister who is so scared and so terrified that he just wants to put his head under the duvet and do nothing.

“The golden thread running through the Albanian government is weakness and indecision.”