Communications Minister backs away from online gambling commitment
Hon David Coleman MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Member for Banks
The Albanese Government has today failed to reaffirm previous commitments that it will bring the long-delayed gambling reforms to Parliament before the end of the year.
In an interview on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program, when host Greg Jennett noted that the Government had promised that a “comprehensive response” would be provided this year and asked the Communications Minister to confirm that this would occur, she failed to do so.
Instead, Minister Rowland said the Government was “working towards” a response this year but did not commit to providing one.
Asked about whether the Government’s response would be based on legislation or industry codes, the Minister said:
“We’ll take advice on that, but the Government has made no decisions in this regard. We’ve been consulting widely, and it is our intention to reach a conclusion on matters as expeditiously as possible.”
There was then an exchange noting the small number of days remaining in the parliamentary calendar:
Jennett: “In the remaining days, I mean to state the obvious there’s only the balance of this week and all of next?”
Rowland: “We’re aware of that, but we’re also aware that there are a number of other very important pieces of legislation before the Parliament.”
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said the interview underlined the Government’s ongoing inaction in dealing with this crucial issue.
“It’s now 18 months since the Coalition committed to ending gambling advertising during live sport, and still the Government can’t say what its policy is,” Mr Coleman said.
“The Minister seems to be going around and around in ever-diminishing circles. We have reached peak farce. If the Government has not even decided whether it will use legislation to pursue gambling reforms, the question has to be asked: what on earth is going on with the response to the Gambling Harms report?
“Australian families want an outcome on this crucial issue, which has dragged on for far too long. If the Government had supported the Coalition’s legislation to ban gambling advertising during live sport last year, kids would no longer be seeing those ads when watching their favourite teams.
“There is no justification for this ongoing delay, and it has a very real cost for Australian families.”
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