Topics: Gambling reform, News Bargaining Incentive, ABC Four Corners scandal
Kieran Gilbert: Let’s turn now to the ongoing discussions on legislation this week, particularly around the gambling reforms. I want to bring in the Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety, Sarah Henderson. Thanks for your time. Is the deal done when it comes to the gambling reforms? Will we see it pass?
Senator Henderson: Kieran, we’ve made it very clear that the bill, in its current form, cannot be passed. We’ve raised a whole range of concerns, particularly after the Senate inquiry hearings, where there was some pretty damning evidence, including in relation to predatory inducements. That’s where the gambling companies are targeting vulnerable or addicted gamblers. We’ve certainly made it clear the bill cannot pass in its current form.
Kieran Gilbert: The government, they are compromising, though, aren’t they?
Senator Henderson: We are having good faith discussions about amendments to the bill, and those discussions are continuing. But anything that we, of course, are talking about is subject to endorsement by our party, and so that process continues.
Kieran Gilbert: Do you believe that there will be, likely a deal done this week?
Senator Henderson: I can’t say because it is all subject to our internal processes, but we have been very strong in saying that the bill is not good enough as it stands. Would you believe that the bill, on its face, allows for gambling ads to be run during children’s television programming? I’ve been very critical about that. It weakened some of the existing protections during live sport online, so there are a range of issues that we have raised. And as I say, good faith discussions are continuing, and I’m hopeful that they can be resolved.
Kieran Gilbert: On the news bargaining code, that is another piece of legislation the government are hoping to finalise this week. What’s your read on that?
Senator Henderson: We don’t want to see Australian media companies and journalists go backwards in this deal. Meta walked away from the deal more than two years ago. Of course, that was our world-first News Media Bargaining Code, a great achievement of the former Coalition government. Unfortunately, the government has sat on its hands for far too long and allowed those deals to fade away. And of course, Australian journalism and newsrooms have paid a heavy price. So, we’re not quite sure that it’s quite there yet. We are, again, making sure that Australian newsrooms and the journalists supported by this bill don’t go backwards, and so we are again considering this bill in good faith.
Kieran Gilbert: When you say that, though, again, the government has had to compromise. The initial reaction was very critical, apparently, this is better, not perfect, but better than the initial proposal from the government. Is that your sense?
Senator Henderson: I think there have been some good improvements made compared with what was initially released in the exposure draft. But let’s not forget, Kieran, that digital platforms have been using Australian news content and not paying for it, and we developed a Code which ensured that Australian news organisations would be properly compensated. That has fallen off the rails under Labor for the last two years. So we believe very strongly – I mean Australian stories, Australian media, our voices, our local media, our major media – they all matter. And so we need to make sure that this legislation takes the media companies forward and the journalists and the stories we tell about our country, and not backwards.
Kieran Gilbert: I should ask you as well about that story I mentioned just before you came on, the ABC removing more episodes from its masthead news programmes in relation to that sacked journalist Mahmood Fazal, accused of faking interviews with underworld figures during a number of episodes on Four Corners and podcast background briefings, others removed by the ABC now. What’s your assessment of this? Is it good that the ABC is taking action around this controversy again?
Senator Henderson: I think it’s shocking that Mr Fazal was employed by Four Corners without the appropriate qualifications, frankly, for what was meant to be a leading current affairs programme on the ABC. It’s another example where standards on the ABC are slipping. It is not good enough, and this has been a shocking, shocking incident that Mr. Fazal was frankly engaged in the first place. The ABC, Kieran, must do much better than this.
Kieran Gilbert: They’re obviously trying to mop up some of the details around it. Is that good?
Senator Henderson: It is, and I do want to make the point that Mr Fazal was not engaged under the stewardship of the current Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Mr Marks. I think it’s one of the reasons that Justin Stevens, the former Head of News and Current Affairs was let go, because of decisions like this. But you know, having worked at the ABC for nine years, understanding the importance of very high journalistic standards at programs like Four Corners, I am pretty shocked that it’s got to this.
Kieran Gilbert: Shadow Minister for Communications, Sarah Henderson, thank you as always.