The Albanese government’s attempt to shut down scrutiny of proposed legislation on gambling reform and online safety has been circumvented with the Senate today referring both bills for inquiry.
Labor’s decision to vote against both Senate inquiries shows it could not care less about transparency.
Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026
After three years of delay, deflection and deception from Labor, the Coalition wants to ensure that new laws to combat gambling harms deliver meaningful and workable reform and not just headlines.
Gambling addiction is taking an enormous toll on so many Australian families.
After its Budget of lies and broken promises, trust in Labor is at an all-time low.
While we are continuing to work through the details in good faith, it is no surprise we have concerns about the government’s bill.
The devil is in the detail, which is why a Senate inquiry into the bill is so crucial.
Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026
Labor’s attempt to ram through the Parliament new powers for the eSafety Commissioner without proper scrutiny is unacceptable.
The Albanese government’s under-16s social media ban is failing because it was poorly designed, rushed and badly implemented.
The eSafety Commissioner’s March compliance report shows seven out of 10 teens under the age of 16 remain on social media.
The online safety of Australia children is of paramount importance.
Rather than Anika Wells’ mad scramble to fix her broken ban, much more needs to be done to protect children online.
This includes giving parents access to mobile device safety tools, combating algorithms which fuel addictive ‘doom scrolling’ on social media feeds and blocking live-streaming to prevent the horrors of child sexual abuse.
BACKGROUND
The bill inquiries will be conducted by the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee. Reporting dates:
- 17 August 2026 – Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026
- 25 August 2026 – Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026