The Victorian gaming minister has warned the Albanese government it would be “nothing short of disgraceful” if it does not ban all gambling ads, joining a growing push within Labor to beef up a proposed partial ban.
Melissa Horne called on federal Labor to “adopt each and every” recommendation of the bipartisan inquiry conducted by the late MP Peta Murphy, ramping up pressure ahead of a delegation of backbench MPs meeting Anthony Albanese to push for a total ban.
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, and her department have been consulting stakeholders about a proposal to ban gambling ads online, in children’s programming, and during live sports broadcasts and an hour either side, but cap them to two an hour in general TV programming.
The proposal would not eliminate on-field signs and jersey logos – which would be considered separately – or apply to revenues generated from online search.
The proposal is yet to be adopted as Labor policy by the shadow cabinet and caucus. Several Labor MPs, including Mike Freelander, Louise Miller-Frost and Jodie Belyea, who won Murphy’s seat of Dunkley at the byelection, have been pushing for a total ban. A delegation will meet the prime minister to express that view, after the partial ban was criticised at a caucus committee meeting on Monday.
On Thursday Horne said that “Murphy was one of my oldest, dearest friends, and the work that she did on those gaming reforms was absolutely so important”.
“And it is nothing short of disgraceful if the federal government does not adopt each and every one of those recommendations,” she told reporters in Melbourne.
“We know, and I know as the gaming minister, that the biggest irritant, particularly for parents, is that normalisation of gambling for young people, and gaming companies are absolutely predatory with this, and they’re starting to normalise it with young [people], with children.
“This is completely unacceptable, but I really call on the federal government to be able to implement each and every one of those recommendations [of] Peta Murphy.
“The federal government is yet to determine exactly what they will be doing. But I think, without a doubt, it is so important that that blanket ban is put in place across online gaming platforms.”
In addition to the backbench backlash, health advocates, independent MPs and the Senate crossbench have urged the Albanese government to adopt a total ban.
On Tuesday Rowland said the federal government was still consulting in “a mature and orderly manner consistent with a proper cabinet process”.
Rowland said the government wanted to address “normalisation of wagering in sport, reducing the exposure of children to wagering advertising, and tackling the saturation and targeting of advertisements, especially in the online space, and especially to vulnerable groups such as young men aged 18 to 45”.
Senior government ministers including Bill Shorten have defended a partial ban on the basis media companies need the revenue from gambling ads, prompting the Greens to call instead for a tech tax to pay for journalism.
• In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858. The National Debt Helpline is at 1800 007 007
