Topics: Gambling, News Media Bargaining Incentive
Senator Henderson: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I’m very pleased to say that the Coalition has secured sensible amendments to Labor’s flawed gambling reform bill, including in better protecting children, in better protecting the most vulnerable Australians, in cracking down on illegal ads, particularly online, and they become a real scourge on social media. And of course, by also preserving the choice of the vast majority of Australians who gamble sensibly and who enjoy gambling as an important form of entertainment.
We do recognise that many families are suffering from significant gambling harm. We also recognise the very important role that the wagering sector and, of course, the racing sector play in our country. Thoroughbred racing alone is worth more than $13 billion to our economy, employs 100,000 Australians, half of whom are in regional Australia, so this is about getting the balance right. We did not see a good bill under Labor. This was a bill that allowed gambling ads to be shown during children’s television, which did nothing to combat predatory inducements, and of course, weakened online protections. I’m very pleased to take any questions.
Journalist: Senator Andrew Wallace has said he’s going to cross the floor. Pat Conaghan says that the parties have been weak coming to this by not going further. Are those sort of comments and actions disappointing, given the discussions you’ve had?
Senator Henderson: Well, we’ve really pleased that our amendments have significantly strengthened this bill. This bill was flawed. We saw how flawed the bill was, including during the Senate inquiry, when we heard some damning evidence, including from the likes of Mr Luke Bateman. So this, for the first time, combats predatory inducements. It bans the direct marketing of predatory inducements to red-flagged customers and includes a number of other measures to address those most at risk of gambling harm. So we think that we have the balance right and that’s why we’re very pleased to have prosecuted these amendments in the best interests of all Australians.
Journalist: This is a first step in that sense. Do you see there’s a three-year review now as a part of this deal too? Do you see this as a first step and something that will need to be revisited down the road if the view is that that’s still not enough?
Senator Henderson: Well, we’ve seen more than three years of delay and deflection and deception by Labor, including the false claim by the prime minister that this bill was banning gambling ads during live sport, when in fact that was in fact done by the Coalition back in 2018. So we’ve brought a range of amendments to the floor of the parliament today, which we think get the balance right. The statutory review is an important part of this process. We want to see accountability. We want to see transparency, and that’s what the statutory review does deliver.
Journalist: The one-stop shop for the online gambling opt out, was that your idea?
Senator Henderson: Absolutely. We’re very disappointed that the communications minister went into the house yesterday and claimed that as her own. That was very much a proposal of the Coalition. In fact, all the amendments were proposed by the Coalition, with the exception of one.
Journalist: So how will it work?
Senator Henderson: So what we want to see is for Australians who want to opt out of gambling ads, they can do so by going to a register. This will be designed and implemented over 12 months. We see this as a very important measure to give Australians choice, but to make it as easy as possible to opt out of wagering ads. Let’s not forget that footy time is family time, and so that is very important in terms of what we’ve done today, strengthening some of the protections for television, and of course making it much more easier for Australians to opt out. We don’t want to see some of the trickery that we have seen from some social media platforms, where they make it impossible to opt out. We had so many complaints that even people watching SBS were finding it so difficult to opt out. That is not good enough. We need to make sure that if Australians and Australian families do not want to see gambling ads. They have that choice, and the opt-out register is a very important initiative of the coalition.
Journalist: When you talked about that issue with the algorithms and social media companies, how will they be forced to agree with this process?
Senator Henderson: We have changed the law so that there will be an opt-out register, giving all Australians much greater choice. And anyone seeking to serve gambling ads online will be required to sweep that register to make sure that if someone opts out on the register, that all publishers of gambling ads will comply with the law.
Journalist: So have you consulted with social media companies and streaming platforms about how they will implement those yet or is that ongoing work?
Senator Henderson: We’ve consulted very extensively on this bill in relation to all of the amendments, but in terms of the implementation and the design of the register, that will be the work of the government, and it is up to the government to make sure that register works. So we are advised by the government that it could take up to 12 months to design and establish the register. Very similar to the work that we did when we were in government, establishing and legislating BetStop. We’ve got to get it right, but as I say, we are very proud of this initiative because this is all about not only giving Australians choice but making sure that if they don’t want to see gambling ads in their family home, then they have one place to go to ensure that they can opt out and get rid of gambling ads in their family environment including, of course, when they’re watching any television.
Journalist: It just does seem quite technically ambitious to get this right. So, are you open to, if there’s a bit more lead time required to get the technical side of it up and going, is that 12 months, flexible? Would you like to see it in place sooner, if possible? Are you flexible on that part of it?
Senator Henderson: There’s no barrier that can’t be overcome in establishing the register. As I say, we are very proud of this initiative, which gives Australians choice and which ensures that if you do not want to see gambling ads, then you just go one place and you opt out, and that’s it.
Journalist: Senator, what’s your message to your colleagues who say this still doesn’t go far enough?
Senator Henderson: Look, we’ve seen a number of my colleagues cross the floor today, and I respect their choice to do so. We’ve had really positive discussions in our party room, and I’ve had many discussions, of course, with key stakeholders right across the industry, including, of course, the compelling evidence we heard at the Senate inquiry. We think this bill is now in the right place. We’ve got sensible amendments that we’ve brought into the parliament that better protect children, that combat illegal gambling ads, including those terrible offshore casinos, but also preserve the right of Australians – and not punish Australians – the vast majority of Australians who gamble responsibly.
Journalist: But this was such a titanic issue of the Dutton opposition. Peter Dutton was first to come out and talk about this. Is it disappointing that all these years down the track you still can’t get everyone in the Coalition on the same page?
Senator Henderson: Well, one of our measures today is to strengthen the blackout window in the lead up to live sport. It is now 15 minutes. It was five minutes. Peter Dutton’s proposal was contingent on the commercial broadcasting tax being abolished, this government has not done that. As I say, we have got the balance right we believe. We are very concerned about the pressure on free-to-air television. We’re very concerned about their future. We do not want to see all of the advertising dollars drained onto online platforms. We want to see online platforms be more responsible. I am shocked by the number of illegal ads that are being published on the online platforms by the likes of Meta, particularly on Facebook. That is unacceptable. That’s an unacceptable risk to Australians and I’m very proud that one of these amendments today is to shut that down.
Journalist: Andrew Wallace mentioned he was hopeful to see the removal of the banning of ads at stadiums and on jerseys being grandfathered, so that could be implemented straight away, and called for that window, that blackout window, to be an hour before sporting events. Why were they not considered for this?
Senator Henderson: Well, as I say, we have strengthened the blackout window prior to live sport. We’ve also strengthened the rules in relation to what was proposed in the bill, because of course, in the bill there was a weakening of the protections online. There is a prohibition on gambling logos in stadia and also on jerseys, but we don’t believe that this bill should see those legitimate contracts terminated before they run their course. And the government has put in place some measures to combat some of the potential rorting that might have occurred in that respect. So we certainly do support the banning of betting company logos on jerseys and in stadiums around the country, but we did not sign up to the prospect of terminating those contracts before they had run their course.
Journalist: Mr Wallace was saying that some of these are for 10 years, so people that have been wanting to see change, hearing that there’s change coming, now, but perhaps won’t see it in these stadiums and new jerseys for possibly a decade. What do you say to them?
Senator Henderson: Well, I’m not aware of any 10-year contract. That’s not my advice. But certainly, we don’t want to be passing laws that terminate those particular contracts. We want to give everyone certainty with this bill. As I say, we have passed a wide range – in the House and then coming into the Senate, of course – we’ve put forward a wide range of amendments that really tackle harm where it is occurring, particularly for those who are at high risk, who are suffering gambling harm. We think we’ve got the balance right and we’re very proud of the work that the Coalition has done.
Journalist: Senator, the Coalition and Labor have worked together on three big bills over this fortnight. NDIS, the news media bargaining, gambling, is that a point of difference between the Coalition and One Nation that you can work with the government to get these changes through?
Senator Henderson: Well, on the news media bargaining incentive, we’re not convinced that it’s right. You know, at the right place. There is a charge, of course, of 2.5 per cent. We are concerned that under the government’s proposal, that potentially takes media companies and, of course, the journalists that media companies support, backwards. We don’t want to see those deals go backwards, and so we want to see more in the pot for Australian journalism, which is so important for our democracy. We want to see the digital platforms being held to account, and that’s why we will be looking very closely at that bill and agitating for some further changes.
Journalist: What amendments will you see? Will that go to say, 3 per cent? Is that a more appropriate number?
Senator Henderson: Look, that is yet to be finalised but we will be prosecuting the need for more money to go into the pot rather than less. I mean, it is very regrettable that when Meta walked away from the Coalition’s world first News Media Bargaining Code, the government did nothing for two years. So it sat on its hands, and it has taken far too long. And news organisations, including newsrooms in regional Australia, have been waiting for resolution for a very long time, and that is simply not good enough.
Journalist: So, you’re still concerned that that framework is still not the right settings?
Senator Henderson: We are still concerned that the framework is not right, and we’d like to see it improved. Thanks very much, everyone.