Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026

Mr WILKIE (Clark) (16:23): I rise to support the amendments moved by the member for Curtin, though I do so without enthusiasm because it shouldn't be necessary. Remember three years ago this parliament received the Murphy report, which was a landmark, thorough, evidence based inquiry unanimous across Labor, Liberal and crossbench members recommending a complete phased-in ban on gambling advertising.

What's the government done with it? It's buried it, diluted it and dressed up the leftovers as 'the strongest reforms this country has ever seen'. But let's be clear.

That's all patent nonsense because these reforms will do little to fix the problem. Indeed, since the Murphy report landed, Australians have lost more than $108 billion—not gambled but lost. Moreover, at least 400 people take their lives each year because of gambling addiction in this country, a figure likely chronically underreported.

In other words, because of this government's inaction, well over a thousand Australians have been lost to suicide since the report was handed down. The member for Curtin's amendments and others from my crossbench colleagues do what this government has lacked the spine to do. They close the streaming loophole, ban the inducements and bonus bets that hook people and keep them hooked, flip the defaults so children are protected unless a parent opts in and set a binding timeline instead of yet another 'the pen is never down' promise from a minister who's hoping we'll all forget.

I say this to the minister and to the Prime Minister: we will not forget, nor will the 79 per cent of Australians who support a full advertising ban. We are elected to serve Australians, not the vested interests who profit from this insidious industry, in particular the gambling companies, the media companies and the major sporting codes. They're the perpetrators directly responsible for this harm, and the government is complicit in letting it continue.

Let's be honest about who this bill protects. It's not the person who's lost a loved one to suicide over gambling addiction, it's not the people who had $8 million stolen from them by their financial adviser and it's not the kids watching the footy at 8:31 pm, the very minute this bill decides they're fair game—no. This bill protects the broadcasters, the sporting codes and the gambling companies—companies which, as I've said in this place before, behave like jackals feeding on the carcases of gambling addicts.

The government's bill lets them keep feeding. The amendments from the member for Curtin at least drag the carcases out of their reach. So I say to the government and to the opposition, which has also rolled over to have its tummy tickled: this fight is not over, not by a long way.