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The Guardian World1 min read
Labor dropped their long-awaited gambling report on budget day. Were they betting no one would notice?
TL;DR
The Labor government released its delayed gambling report on budget day, coinciding with a major political event. Critics argue the timing was strategic to minimize attention on the contentious report.
Key points
- Labor released a gambling report on budget day.
- The timing coincided with a major political event.
- Critics claim the timing was strategic to reduce attention.
- Independent senator David Pocock called the timing disrespectful.
- The report follows three years of delays and deliberations.
Mentioned in this story
Peta MurphyAnthony AlbaneseDavid Pocock
The Labor government decided to release its contentious, much-delayed response to Peta Murphy’s report on gambling on one of the biggest political news days of the year.
They dropped it while the nation’s federal political journalists were trapped in budget lockup.
Tuesday was the first parliament sitting day since the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, sketched out the rough shape of the government’s long-awaited response in his National Press Club speech on 2 April, and therefore the first opportunity to table that report. Government sources are pointing to this procedural rationale to explain the timing of the response, maintaining the scheduling was coincidence, not conspiracy.
But little is going to shift the claims from gambling harm advocates that – after three years of delay, deliberation and false starts – the government’s timing is, at the least, convenient if they wanted to bury this report.
“Australians deserve better,” independent senator David Pocock said moments after the response landed, calling the timing “disrespectful”.
“It is really clear that the government is trying to avoid public scrutiny because it knows that its response on gambling reform is not good enough,” said teal MP Kate Chaney, one of the members of Murphy’s committee.
The long-awaited response, where the government merely “notes” the recommendations of the Murphy report, is hardly dynamite. Many questions about how exactly the settings will work, how the bans will be enforced and what the rules will require of gambling operators and advertisers, are still to be decided.
“Further details will be settled through the legislative drafting process,” the government states.
“The Government notes the 31 recommendations made by the Committee,” it says of the report.
But the fact the report barely gets a few hours of clear air before a veritable tidal wave of economic news – tax cuts, contentious negative gearing changes, NDIS reforms – hits every newspaper, website, social media feed and TV network for the next few days, has angered longtime advocates for change.
Tuesday is 1,049 days since Murphy’s landmark “you win some, you lose more” report was tabled in parliament. Guardian Australia has been among the outlets continually asking about the government’s response, so it is to be welcomed that the reforms are in train and will come into force on 1 January 2027.
A less-expected element was plans to standardise criminal laws against match-fixing. Long-awaited changes to clamp down on online ads, restrict TV and radio ads during matches, set new rules about social media influencers and podcasters, nip in the bud the emerging online lottery market, and strengthen the BetStop self-exclusion register, have been rightly described by the government as the “most significant reform” on gambling in Australian history. Breaking the link between sports and gambling is an admirable goal, as is doubling funding to financial counselling.
Q&A
Why did the Labor government release the gambling report on budget day?
The government claims the timing was procedural, as it was the first opportunity to table the report after the Prime Minister's speech.
What are the main criticisms of the timing of the gambling report's release?
Critics, including independent senator David Pocock, argue that the timing was disrespectful and convenient for the government to minimize scrutiny.
Who is Peta Murphy and what is her report about gambling?
Peta Murphy is the author of the gambling report, which addresses issues related to gambling harm in Australia.
What was the response from gambling harm advocates regarding the report's release?
Gambling harm advocates have expressed disappointment, stating that the government has delayed action for three years and deserves better transparency.
