Australian Greens blast Labor for voting down gambling ad ban

The Greens have accused Labor of “giving gambling ads for Christmas”.

Australia.- The Australian Greens party has issued a statement accusing the Labor party and Peter Dutton, the current leader of the opposition, of “giving gambling ads for Christmas” after a bill to ban gambling ads was rejected in the Senate yesterday (November 28).

The Greens had submitted the Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024 last month prompted by “continued delays by the government” on introducing the total ban recommended in a report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.

Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia said: “Labor’s giving gambling ads this Christmas when they could have backed the Greens amendment last night to ban them before the holidays. Labor and Dutton have failed families on gambling ads. Addiction, family breakdowns and financial hardship will be worse this summer in Australia because the Albanese Government has sold out to Sportsbet.

“The facts are clear: Australians lose more per capita to gambling addiction than any nation on earth. Expert evidence and 70 per cent of Australians support a full gambling ad ban, but Labor and Liberal are addicted to the donations, dinners and dirty deals with the gambling lobby. Instead of acting on the well-established recommendations to ban gambling ads, they have rushed through a knee-jerk social media ban without evidence or due process.”

The Greens plan to reintroduce their bill when parliament resumes in February. Hanson-Young called on prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton to support it and “stop selling out to Sportsbet.”

Earlier this week, communications minister Michelle Rowland also withdrew a proposed bill on misinformation after failing to secure support in the Senate. Employment minister Murray Watt confirmed to reporters that “There is simply is not going to be enough time this week to pass that legislation.”