Gambling ads would be banned during live sport matches in a bid to protect families, under a bill introduced to parliament by the Coalition.
The private senator’s bill, introduced on Wednesday by Coalition frontbencher Sarah Henderson, would ban gambling ads during live sport and one hour either side of the match.
“Footy time is family time and family time is precious, too precious, to have it swamped by a rising tide of gambling ads,” Senator Henderson told parliament on Wednesday.
“The community wants this and they expect the representatives to act.”
The gambling ad ban was a central part of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech in May.
The government said it was waiting for an inquiry into gambling advertising to return its findings before it made announcements on reform in the area.
But Senator Henderson told parliament the idea of banning gambling ads should be above party politics.
“It would be petulant to quibble over whose idea it was first. It would be even more disappointing if this bill was not supported today in this chamber, because of petty politics,” she said.
Labor senator Carol Brown said the government wanted to ensure its approach to gambling ad reform was comprehensive.
“The Coalition bill, from the government’s point of view, is incomplete. It is focused on only radio, TV and live streaming and is limited to live sport,” she said.
“A harm minimisation approach needs to consider the multiple channels and situations over which advertising is delivered in this day and age, in particular social media.”
It is not the first push to ban gambling ads in parliament in recent weeks.
Last month, independent MP Zoe Daniel introduced her own bill to ban gambling ads on TV, radio and streaming services altogether.
She described the Coalition’s approach to the issue as “meagre”, arguing the reforms needed to go further.
“I am really hoping this squib of a bill does not pass. Gambling ads must be banned, full stop,” she said on Twitter.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said gambling reform needed to be addressed urgently.
“Gambling is insidious, it ruins lives. It ruins sport, and it should have no place on our television screens or on our children’s devices,” she said.
“It’s not a policy response we are missing. It is the political will to stare down this insidious industry and say enough.”
– AAP
