
Australia's Voice leader and former Labor senator Fatima Payman calls on government to be transparent about TikTok's influence on social media ban
On Wednesday, SkyNews.com.au revealed that the office of Communications Minister Anika Wells had an 'introductory' meeting with TikTok representatives after the Minister took over from Michelle Rowland in May, who now serves as Attorney-General.
Since then, reports emerged that Minister Wells would ban YouTube for kids, a key TikTok demand.
Senator Payman, who left the Labor Party in 2024, has now asked if the Chinese-owned and controlled company pressured the minister for a YouTube ban, calling on the government to come clean over the details.
She said Minister Wells should explain why the company, which is banned from government devices, liaised with officials prior to the government reconsidering its initial commitment to exempt YouTube from the social media ban.
"If this report is correct, it raises extremely important questions about the government's susceptibility to lobbyists and possibly the Chinese government," Senator Payman said in a statement.
"It's a bit of a coincidence that the Prime Minister initially backed YouTube's exemption from the ban, but then backflipped following this meeting and in the run-up to an extensive Prime Ministerial trip to China.
"Is this all related? We don't know because the minister is not responding to questions from the media. So I want some answers."
Senator Payman then questioned whether Chinese business interests were "dictating government policy".
"I have been against this from the beginning, and the government's approach has been all over the shop," the senator said.
"This social media ban is fundamentally flawed.
"If we want to protect our kids online we need real solutions that are practical and evidence based, and not just designed for headlines."
Senator Payman quit the Labor Party in July last year following a disagreement with the Albanese government over its position on Palestine.
She said it was not a matter she could compromise on, and opted to sit on the crossbench to represent Western Australia.
According to the 2023 Senate Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media, TikTok poses 'unique national security risks' to Australia,
But even though the app was banned from government devices, Minister Wells' office met with TikTok representatives, arguing they were key 'stakeholders' in the social media ban legislation.
SkyNews.com.au asked Minister Wells to reveal which lobbyists met her staff on behalf of the Chinese owned company, and what was discussed.
Minister Wells' office declined to share that information. Sky News understands that the minister was not present at the meeting.

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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Buoyant Albanese plots next phase of Labor dynasty
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed a greater role for the government in childcare as he prepares to push through legislation tightening up the sector following horrifying allegations of child abuse at Melbourne early learning centres. Universal affordable childcare was identified by the prime minister during the recent federal election as the one reform he'd most want to be remembered for. But the accusations levelled against Joshua Brown, whose 70 counts of alleged abuse, including child rape, have raised concerns that the rapid expansion of government subsidies into the sector has not been met with a commensurate increase in safety and scrutiny. "Well, it reinforces why you need a stronger commonwealth role in childcare," Mr Albanese said when asked by AAP whether the case had changed his views on how his universal childcare ambition should be enacted. Commentators have criticised the current model of handing subsidies to for-profit providers, arguing the incentive to cut costs and boost margins sacrifices standards and oversight. When asked whether he envisaged the sector being run more like public schools, Mr Albanese said "we'll see how that evolves". "I think it makes sense to have co-location of childcare centres wherever possible in schools. It is just a practical thing to be done. "If you're starting again you would completely have co-location of child care. "I know as a parent, we had a public school in our street but we had to send our son to a different school that was driving distance - a short drive - but the next nearest school, because they had after school care. "That's something that people across the board feel as well - that convenience - and that's part of the productivity agenda." But first, Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation giving his department powers to conduct spot checks and pull funding from childcare centres deemed to be consistently failing safety and quality standards. It's one of four priorities Mr Albanese identified for his first sitting fortnight back in parliament since his swingeing election win. From Tuesday, the government will also push forward legislation cutting student debt by 20 per cent and enshrine penalty rates into law. The fourth priority, Mr Albanese, said will be seeing Labor's 24 new members sworn in and ensuring they all participate fully towards the government's long term goals. "I'm feeling very energised about parliament coming back and seeing the outcome of the election in real form," he said. "You need to deliver for people what they need in order to then have the legitimacy to push forward on longer term changes." The prime minister was feeling buoyant as he flew back from a successful six-day tour of China, where he balanced tensions over Chinese military build-up and a mutual desire to strengthen economic ties. Amid coalition criticism that he had failed to deliver enough tangible outcomes, Mr Albanese hit back that they didn't understand how patiently nurturing the relationship would pay dividends in the long-term. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor's clumsy comments that Australia should be "prepared to act" alongside the US in conflict with China over Taiwan broke with the bipartisan "One China" policy in support of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, Mr Albanese said. His eye is on a Labor dynasty to carve out a positive future for Australia in a challenging region. "One of the things we're very determined to do is to have long-term Labor government in Australia so that we can implement the long-term changes that Australia needs. "The world is changing fast and you can either shape that change or it will shape you." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed a greater role for the government in childcare as he prepares to push through legislation tightening up the sector following horrifying allegations of child abuse at Melbourne early learning centres. Universal affordable childcare was identified by the prime minister during the recent federal election as the one reform he'd most want to be remembered for. But the accusations levelled against Joshua Brown, whose 70 counts of alleged abuse, including child rape, have raised concerns that the rapid expansion of government subsidies into the sector has not been met with a commensurate increase in safety and scrutiny. "Well, it reinforces why you need a stronger commonwealth role in childcare," Mr Albanese said when asked by AAP whether the case had changed his views on how his universal childcare ambition should be enacted. Commentators have criticised the current model of handing subsidies to for-profit providers, arguing the incentive to cut costs and boost margins sacrifices standards and oversight. When asked whether he envisaged the sector being run more like public schools, Mr Albanese said "we'll see how that evolves". "I think it makes sense to have co-location of childcare centres wherever possible in schools. It is just a practical thing to be done. "If you're starting again you would completely have co-location of child care. "I know as a parent, we had a public school in our street but we had to send our son to a different school that was driving distance - a short drive - but the next nearest school, because they had after school care. "That's something that people across the board feel as well - that convenience - and that's part of the productivity agenda." But first, Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation giving his department powers to conduct spot checks and pull funding from childcare centres deemed to be consistently failing safety and quality standards. It's one of four priorities Mr Albanese identified for his first sitting fortnight back in parliament since his swingeing election win. From Tuesday, the government will also push forward legislation cutting student debt by 20 per cent and enshrine penalty rates into law. The fourth priority, Mr Albanese, said will be seeing Labor's 24 new members sworn in and ensuring they all participate fully towards the government's long term goals. "I'm feeling very energised about parliament coming back and seeing the outcome of the election in real form," he said. "You need to deliver for people what they need in order to then have the legitimacy to push forward on longer term changes." The prime minister was feeling buoyant as he flew back from a successful six-day tour of China, where he balanced tensions over Chinese military build-up and a mutual desire to strengthen economic ties. Amid coalition criticism that he had failed to deliver enough tangible outcomes, Mr Albanese hit back that they didn't understand how patiently nurturing the relationship would pay dividends in the long-term. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor's clumsy comments that Australia should be "prepared to act" alongside the US in conflict with China over Taiwan broke with the bipartisan "One China" policy in support of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, Mr Albanese said. His eye is on a Labor dynasty to carve out a positive future for Australia in a challenging region. "One of the things we're very determined to do is to have long-term Labor government in Australia so that we can implement the long-term changes that Australia needs. "The world is changing fast and you can either shape that change or it will shape you." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed a greater role for the government in childcare as he prepares to push through legislation tightening up the sector following horrifying allegations of child abuse at Melbourne early learning centres. Universal affordable childcare was identified by the prime minister during the recent federal election as the one reform he'd most want to be remembered for. But the accusations levelled against Joshua Brown, whose 70 counts of alleged abuse, including child rape, have raised concerns that the rapid expansion of government subsidies into the sector has not been met with a commensurate increase in safety and scrutiny. "Well, it reinforces why you need a stronger commonwealth role in childcare," Mr Albanese said when asked by AAP whether the case had changed his views on how his universal childcare ambition should be enacted. Commentators have criticised the current model of handing subsidies to for-profit providers, arguing the incentive to cut costs and boost margins sacrifices standards and oversight. When asked whether he envisaged the sector being run more like public schools, Mr Albanese said "we'll see how that evolves". "I think it makes sense to have co-location of childcare centres wherever possible in schools. It is just a practical thing to be done. "If you're starting again you would completely have co-location of child care. "I know as a parent, we had a public school in our street but we had to send our son to a different school that was driving distance - a short drive - but the next nearest school, because they had after school care. "That's something that people across the board feel as well - that convenience - and that's part of the productivity agenda." But first, Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation giving his department powers to conduct spot checks and pull funding from childcare centres deemed to be consistently failing safety and quality standards. It's one of four priorities Mr Albanese identified for his first sitting fortnight back in parliament since his swingeing election win. From Tuesday, the government will also push forward legislation cutting student debt by 20 per cent and enshrine penalty rates into law. The fourth priority, Mr Albanese, said will be seeing Labor's 24 new members sworn in and ensuring they all participate fully towards the government's long term goals. "I'm feeling very energised about parliament coming back and seeing the outcome of the election in real form," he said. "You need to deliver for people what they need in order to then have the legitimacy to push forward on longer term changes." The prime minister was feeling buoyant as he flew back from a successful six-day tour of China, where he balanced tensions over Chinese military build-up and a mutual desire to strengthen economic ties. Amid coalition criticism that he had failed to deliver enough tangible outcomes, Mr Albanese hit back that they didn't understand how patiently nurturing the relationship would pay dividends in the long-term. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor's clumsy comments that Australia should be "prepared to act" alongside the US in conflict with China over Taiwan broke with the bipartisan "One China" policy in support of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, Mr Albanese said. His eye is on a Labor dynasty to carve out a positive future for Australia in a challenging region. "One of the things we're very determined to do is to have long-term Labor government in Australia so that we can implement the long-term changes that Australia needs. "The world is changing fast and you can either shape that change or it will shape you." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed a greater role for the government in childcare as he prepares to push through legislation tightening up the sector following horrifying allegations of child abuse at Melbourne early learning centres. Universal affordable childcare was identified by the prime minister during the recent federal election as the one reform he'd most want to be remembered for. But the accusations levelled against Joshua Brown, whose 70 counts of alleged abuse, including child rape, have raised concerns that the rapid expansion of government subsidies into the sector has not been met with a commensurate increase in safety and scrutiny. "Well, it reinforces why you need a stronger commonwealth role in childcare," Mr Albanese said when asked by AAP whether the case had changed his views on how his universal childcare ambition should be enacted. Commentators have criticised the current model of handing subsidies to for-profit providers, arguing the incentive to cut costs and boost margins sacrifices standards and oversight. When asked whether he envisaged the sector being run more like public schools, Mr Albanese said "we'll see how that evolves". "I think it makes sense to have co-location of childcare centres wherever possible in schools. It is just a practical thing to be done. "If you're starting again you would completely have co-location of child care. "I know as a parent, we had a public school in our street but we had to send our son to a different school that was driving distance - a short drive - but the next nearest school, because they had after school care. "That's something that people across the board feel as well - that convenience - and that's part of the productivity agenda." But first, Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation giving his department powers to conduct spot checks and pull funding from childcare centres deemed to be consistently failing safety and quality standards. It's one of four priorities Mr Albanese identified for his first sitting fortnight back in parliament since his swingeing election win. From Tuesday, the government will also push forward legislation cutting student debt by 20 per cent and enshrine penalty rates into law. The fourth priority, Mr Albanese, said will be seeing Labor's 24 new members sworn in and ensuring they all participate fully towards the government's long term goals. "I'm feeling very energised about parliament coming back and seeing the outcome of the election in real form," he said. "You need to deliver for people what they need in order to then have the legitimacy to push forward on longer term changes." The prime minister was feeling buoyant as he flew back from a successful six-day tour of China, where he balanced tensions over Chinese military build-up and a mutual desire to strengthen economic ties. Amid coalition criticism that he had failed to deliver enough tangible outcomes, Mr Albanese hit back that they didn't understand how patiently nurturing the relationship would pay dividends in the long-term. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor's clumsy comments that Australia should be "prepared to act" alongside the US in conflict with China over Taiwan broke with the bipartisan "One China" policy in support of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, Mr Albanese said. His eye is on a Labor dynasty to carve out a positive future for Australia in a challenging region. "One of the things we're very determined to do is to have long-term Labor government in Australia so that we can implement the long-term changes that Australia needs. "The world is changing fast and you can either shape that change or it will shape you."


The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Biden's disastrous debate due to sleeping pills: son
Former US president Joe Biden's son Hunter says his father's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump was the result of him taking the sedative Ambien due to his travel. "And I'll tell you what, I know exactly what happened in that debate. He (Joe Biden) flew around the world, basically the mileage he could have flown around the world three times," Hunter Biden said in an interview with YouTube creator Andrew Callaghan. "He's 81 years old. He's tired as shit. "They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights," Hunter Biden added. Ambien, also sold under the brand Stilnox, is a medication used for short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Joe Biden's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president prepared at Camp David with his aides for several days for the catastrophic June 24 debate. Prior to being at Camp David, the Democrat took two European trips and was on the US west coast for a fundraiser. Biden's debate performance against then-Republican presidential candidate Trump, in which the Democrat regularly struggled to finish his thoughts, triggered a backlash against his candidacy for the 2024 elections. Less than a month later, Biden stepped aside as presidential candidate after having trailed Trump in the polls. Former vice president Kamala Harris then became the candidate for the Democrats and went on to lose to Trump in the November elections. In the days after the debate, the former president blamed his performance on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier that month. In the interview released on Monday, Hunter Biden also expressed frustration with Democratic voices, strategists and lawmakers who abandoned his father's candidacy following the debate. Former US president Joe Biden's son Hunter says his father's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump was the result of him taking the sedative Ambien due to his travel. "And I'll tell you what, I know exactly what happened in that debate. He (Joe Biden) flew around the world, basically the mileage he could have flown around the world three times," Hunter Biden said in an interview with YouTube creator Andrew Callaghan. "He's 81 years old. He's tired as shit. "They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights," Hunter Biden added. Ambien, also sold under the brand Stilnox, is a medication used for short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Joe Biden's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president prepared at Camp David with his aides for several days for the catastrophic June 24 debate. Prior to being at Camp David, the Democrat took two European trips and was on the US west coast for a fundraiser. Biden's debate performance against then-Republican presidential candidate Trump, in which the Democrat regularly struggled to finish his thoughts, triggered a backlash against his candidacy for the 2024 elections. Less than a month later, Biden stepped aside as presidential candidate after having trailed Trump in the polls. Former vice president Kamala Harris then became the candidate for the Democrats and went on to lose to Trump in the November elections. In the days after the debate, the former president blamed his performance on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier that month. In the interview released on Monday, Hunter Biden also expressed frustration with Democratic voices, strategists and lawmakers who abandoned his father's candidacy following the debate. Former US president Joe Biden's son Hunter says his father's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump was the result of him taking the sedative Ambien due to his travel. "And I'll tell you what, I know exactly what happened in that debate. He (Joe Biden) flew around the world, basically the mileage he could have flown around the world three times," Hunter Biden said in an interview with YouTube creator Andrew Callaghan. "He's 81 years old. He's tired as shit. "They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights," Hunter Biden added. Ambien, also sold under the brand Stilnox, is a medication used for short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Joe Biden's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president prepared at Camp David with his aides for several days for the catastrophic June 24 debate. Prior to being at Camp David, the Democrat took two European trips and was on the US west coast for a fundraiser. Biden's debate performance against then-Republican presidential candidate Trump, in which the Democrat regularly struggled to finish his thoughts, triggered a backlash against his candidacy for the 2024 elections. Less than a month later, Biden stepped aside as presidential candidate after having trailed Trump in the polls. Former vice president Kamala Harris then became the candidate for the Democrats and went on to lose to Trump in the November elections. In the days after the debate, the former president blamed his performance on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier that month. In the interview released on Monday, Hunter Biden also expressed frustration with Democratic voices, strategists and lawmakers who abandoned his father's candidacy following the debate. Former US president Joe Biden's son Hunter says his father's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump was the result of him taking the sedative Ambien due to his travel. "And I'll tell you what, I know exactly what happened in that debate. He (Joe Biden) flew around the world, basically the mileage he could have flown around the world three times," Hunter Biden said in an interview with YouTube creator Andrew Callaghan. "He's 81 years old. He's tired as shit. "They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights," Hunter Biden added. Ambien, also sold under the brand Stilnox, is a medication used for short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Joe Biden's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president prepared at Camp David with his aides for several days for the catastrophic June 24 debate. Prior to being at Camp David, the Democrat took two European trips and was on the US west coast for a fundraiser. Biden's debate performance against then-Republican presidential candidate Trump, in which the Democrat regularly struggled to finish his thoughts, triggered a backlash against his candidacy for the 2024 elections. Less than a month later, Biden stepped aside as presidential candidate after having trailed Trump in the polls. Former vice president Kamala Harris then became the candidate for the Democrats and went on to lose to Trump in the November elections. In the days after the debate, the former president blamed his performance on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier that month. In the interview released on Monday, Hunter Biden also expressed frustration with Democratic voices, strategists and lawmakers who abandoned his father's candidacy following the debate.


The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Our gambling problem is infuriating and depressing. Here's how we can change the game
Federal Parliament sits for the first time this week after Labor's stunning electoral success, and with it comes a mandate for brave policy action. The first sitting closely follows the second anniversary of the release of the landmark Murphy Report into online gambling, a blueprint to take Australia from the world's biggest gambling losers to dramatically reduce gambling harm across our community. In those two years, there has been a depressing silence. The government has not even officially responded to the report despite promises that it would honour the legacy of the late Peta Murphy, the Labor MP who headed the parliamentary inquiry and who lost her life to cancer. Yet rather than being depressed, I am optimistic that the re-elected Albanese government will find a pathway forward to introduce real and lasting gambling reform. The reasons for my optimism exist both within the parliament and the government itself as well as out in the community. Firstly, within the government, courageous MPs are pushing the government to act on gambling reform - the key lightning rod for action is the recommendation for a ban on all gambling ads, phased in over three years. There are also many MPs across the Parliament - both new and re-elected - that are determined to fight for change. The new Communications Minister, Anika Wells, who negotiated the implementation of the royal commission recommendations into aged care to a large and diverse sector is also a factor. I believe she will be given a mandate to negotiate new changes that would at the very least see the partial implementation of the 31 recommendations of the Murphy inquiry report. An excellent start would be to implement a ban on inducements. When you try to give up gambling, betting agencies will reach out to you and offer you free bets or free tickets to the footy. The fact is betting agencies don't want customers who win when they bet, but they are hell-bent on keeping you if you are losing. Also, a strong ban on online gambling adverts would be another great starting point. Australians are assailed by 1 million gambling ads a year. Murphy's report recommended a phased shift to a total gambling ad ban. This could start with further restrictions on free-to-air TV advertising to ensure gambling ads are not viewed in general viewing times when popular programs such as MasterChef or Lego Masters are aired. It's a nonsense to think children only watch TV in the designated "child viewing times" before 8.30pm - when gambling ads are banned. And there is a strong case to start moving towards a national strategy that treats gambling as a health issue and a national gambling regulator - as the states and territories have repeatedly proven to be unable or unwilling to rein in the powerful and predatory betting agencies. Since the last parliament sat, a stream of significant research and polls makes a powerful case for change. And this is my second reason for optimism. Polling from The Australian Institute shows that 85 per cent of Australians want greater restrictions on gambling advertising and 76 per cent want all gambling ads banned. A key factor driving this is the fact our kids are being both overtly and covertly groomed by the gambling companies to bet. And research now shows that 600,000 kids - aged 12-17 - gambled a total of 18 million last year. This is a mind-boggling statistic that should provoke action. Other research has shown kids as young as 14 are being targeted on their social media feeds to download gambling apps. Parents I meet are furious that their kids are being targeted on social media by betting agencies and that they are being exposed to endless gambling ads because the two football codes, especially, have sold their souls to the bookmakers. The rate of sports betting is skyrocketing in Australia - it is growing at a rate of 40 per cent a year compared to growth in poker machines at 6 per cent. And it is particularly young men that are being drawn in. Roy Morgan research shows that 18-24 year olds are the most prevalent age segment to be betting on sports. And of those already, one in five have a gambling problem. The AFL itself has a growing crisis due to its embrace of gambling. A survey of player agents has revealed more than 76 per cent cite gambling among footballers as a grave concern. The Victorian government recently released figures (they are the only state to do so) on the social cost of gambling. It showed Victorians lost over $7 billion to gambling every year and the state government reaped $2.2 billion a year in revenue but the social cost (bankruptcy, marriage break-up, domestic violence etc.) totalled a whopping $14 billion. When you think Australians lose $32 billion to gambling every year, that social cost extrapolated nationally would skyrocket to an eye-watering $60 billion. It's time it became equally clear to our government. Federal Parliament sits for the first time this week after Labor's stunning electoral success, and with it comes a mandate for brave policy action. The first sitting closely follows the second anniversary of the release of the landmark Murphy Report into online gambling, a blueprint to take Australia from the world's biggest gambling losers to dramatically reduce gambling harm across our community. In those two years, there has been a depressing silence. The government has not even officially responded to the report despite promises that it would honour the legacy of the late Peta Murphy, the Labor MP who headed the parliamentary inquiry and who lost her life to cancer. Yet rather than being depressed, I am optimistic that the re-elected Albanese government will find a pathway forward to introduce real and lasting gambling reform. The reasons for my optimism exist both within the parliament and the government itself as well as out in the community. Firstly, within the government, courageous MPs are pushing the government to act on gambling reform - the key lightning rod for action is the recommendation for a ban on all gambling ads, phased in over three years. There are also many MPs across the Parliament - both new and re-elected - that are determined to fight for change. The new Communications Minister, Anika Wells, who negotiated the implementation of the royal commission recommendations into aged care to a large and diverse sector is also a factor. I believe she will be given a mandate to negotiate new changes that would at the very least see the partial implementation of the 31 recommendations of the Murphy inquiry report. An excellent start would be to implement a ban on inducements. When you try to give up gambling, betting agencies will reach out to you and offer you free bets or free tickets to the footy. The fact is betting agencies don't want customers who win when they bet, but they are hell-bent on keeping you if you are losing. Also, a strong ban on online gambling adverts would be another great starting point. Australians are assailed by 1 million gambling ads a year. Murphy's report recommended a phased shift to a total gambling ad ban. This could start with further restrictions on free-to-air TV advertising to ensure gambling ads are not viewed in general viewing times when popular programs such as MasterChef or Lego Masters are aired. It's a nonsense to think children only watch TV in the designated "child viewing times" before 8.30pm - when gambling ads are banned. And there is a strong case to start moving towards a national strategy that treats gambling as a health issue and a national gambling regulator - as the states and territories have repeatedly proven to be unable or unwilling to rein in the powerful and predatory betting agencies. Since the last parliament sat, a stream of significant research and polls makes a powerful case for change. And this is my second reason for optimism. Polling from The Australian Institute shows that 85 per cent of Australians want greater restrictions on gambling advertising and 76 per cent want all gambling ads banned. A key factor driving this is the fact our kids are being both overtly and covertly groomed by the gambling companies to bet. And research now shows that 600,000 kids - aged 12-17 - gambled a total of 18 million last year. This is a mind-boggling statistic that should provoke action. Other research has shown kids as young as 14 are being targeted on their social media feeds to download gambling apps. Parents I meet are furious that their kids are being targeted on social media by betting agencies and that they are being exposed to endless gambling ads because the two football codes, especially, have sold their souls to the bookmakers. The rate of sports betting is skyrocketing in Australia - it is growing at a rate of 40 per cent a year compared to growth in poker machines at 6 per cent. And it is particularly young men that are being drawn in. Roy Morgan research shows that 18-24 year olds are the most prevalent age segment to be betting on sports. And of those already, one in five have a gambling problem. The AFL itself has a growing crisis due to its embrace of gambling. A survey of player agents has revealed more than 76 per cent cite gambling among footballers as a grave concern. The Victorian government recently released figures (they are the only state to do so) on the social cost of gambling. It showed Victorians lost over $7 billion to gambling every year and the state government reaped $2.2 billion a year in revenue but the social cost (bankruptcy, marriage break-up, domestic violence etc.) totalled a whopping $14 billion. When you think Australians lose $32 billion to gambling every year, that social cost extrapolated nationally would skyrocket to an eye-watering $60 billion. It's time it became equally clear to our government. Federal Parliament sits for the first time this week after Labor's stunning electoral success, and with it comes a mandate for brave policy action. The first sitting closely follows the second anniversary of the release of the landmark Murphy Report into online gambling, a blueprint to take Australia from the world's biggest gambling losers to dramatically reduce gambling harm across our community. In those two years, there has been a depressing silence. The government has not even officially responded to the report despite promises that it would honour the legacy of the late Peta Murphy, the Labor MP who headed the parliamentary inquiry and who lost her life to cancer. Yet rather than being depressed, I am optimistic that the re-elected Albanese government will find a pathway forward to introduce real and lasting gambling reform. The reasons for my optimism exist both within the parliament and the government itself as well as out in the community. Firstly, within the government, courageous MPs are pushing the government to act on gambling reform - the key lightning rod for action is the recommendation for a ban on all gambling ads, phased in over three years. There are also many MPs across the Parliament - both new and re-elected - that are determined to fight for change. The new Communications Minister, Anika Wells, who negotiated the implementation of the royal commission recommendations into aged care to a large and diverse sector is also a factor. I believe she will be given a mandate to negotiate new changes that would at the very least see the partial implementation of the 31 recommendations of the Murphy inquiry report. An excellent start would be to implement a ban on inducements. When you try to give up gambling, betting agencies will reach out to you and offer you free bets or free tickets to the footy. The fact is betting agencies don't want customers who win when they bet, but they are hell-bent on keeping you if you are losing. Also, a strong ban on online gambling adverts would be another great starting point. Australians are assailed by 1 million gambling ads a year. Murphy's report recommended a phased shift to a total gambling ad ban. This could start with further restrictions on free-to-air TV advertising to ensure gambling ads are not viewed in general viewing times when popular programs such as MasterChef or Lego Masters are aired. It's a nonsense to think children only watch TV in the designated "child viewing times" before 8.30pm - when gambling ads are banned. And there is a strong case to start moving towards a national strategy that treats gambling as a health issue and a national gambling regulator - as the states and territories have repeatedly proven to be unable or unwilling to rein in the powerful and predatory betting agencies. Since the last parliament sat, a stream of significant research and polls makes a powerful case for change. And this is my second reason for optimism. Polling from The Australian Institute shows that 85 per cent of Australians want greater restrictions on gambling advertising and 76 per cent want all gambling ads banned. A key factor driving this is the fact our kids are being both overtly and covertly groomed by the gambling companies to bet. And research now shows that 600,000 kids - aged 12-17 - gambled a total of 18 million last year. This is a mind-boggling statistic that should provoke action. Other research has shown kids as young as 14 are being targeted on their social media feeds to download gambling apps. Parents I meet are furious that their kids are being targeted on social media by betting agencies and that they are being exposed to endless gambling ads because the two football codes, especially, have sold their souls to the bookmakers. The rate of sports betting is skyrocketing in Australia - it is growing at a rate of 40 per cent a year compared to growth in poker machines at 6 per cent. And it is particularly young men that are being drawn in. Roy Morgan research shows that 18-24 year olds are the most prevalent age segment to be betting on sports. And of those already, one in five have a gambling problem. The AFL itself has a growing crisis due to its embrace of gambling. A survey of player agents has revealed more than 76 per cent cite gambling among footballers as a grave concern. The Victorian government recently released figures (they are the only state to do so) on the social cost of gambling. It showed Victorians lost over $7 billion to gambling every year and the state government reaped $2.2 billion a year in revenue but the social cost (bankruptcy, marriage break-up, domestic violence etc.) totalled a whopping $14 billion. When you think Australians lose $32 billion to gambling every year, that social cost extrapolated nationally would skyrocket to an eye-watering $60 billion. It's time it became equally clear to our government. Federal Parliament sits for the first time this week after Labor's stunning electoral success, and with it comes a mandate for brave policy action. The first sitting closely follows the second anniversary of the release of the landmark Murphy Report into online gambling, a blueprint to take Australia from the world's biggest gambling losers to dramatically reduce gambling harm across our community. In those two years, there has been a depressing silence. The government has not even officially responded to the report despite promises that it would honour the legacy of the late Peta Murphy, the Labor MP who headed the parliamentary inquiry and who lost her life to cancer. Yet rather than being depressed, I am optimistic that the re-elected Albanese government will find a pathway forward to introduce real and lasting gambling reform. The reasons for my optimism exist both within the parliament and the government itself as well as out in the community. Firstly, within the government, courageous MPs are pushing the government to act on gambling reform - the key lightning rod for action is the recommendation for a ban on all gambling ads, phased in over three years. There are also many MPs across the Parliament - both new and re-elected - that are determined to fight for change. The new Communications Minister, Anika Wells, who negotiated the implementation of the royal commission recommendations into aged care to a large and diverse sector is also a factor. I believe she will be given a mandate to negotiate new changes that would at the very least see the partial implementation of the 31 recommendations of the Murphy inquiry report. An excellent start would be to implement a ban on inducements. When you try to give up gambling, betting agencies will reach out to you and offer you free bets or free tickets to the footy. The fact is betting agencies don't want customers who win when they bet, but they are hell-bent on keeping you if you are losing. Also, a strong ban on online gambling adverts would be another great starting point. Australians are assailed by 1 million gambling ads a year. Murphy's report recommended a phased shift to a total gambling ad ban. This could start with further restrictions on free-to-air TV advertising to ensure gambling ads are not viewed in general viewing times when popular programs such as MasterChef or Lego Masters are aired. It's a nonsense to think children only watch TV in the designated "child viewing times" before 8.30pm - when gambling ads are banned. And there is a strong case to start moving towards a national strategy that treats gambling as a health issue and a national gambling regulator - as the states and territories have repeatedly proven to be unable or unwilling to rein in the powerful and predatory betting agencies. Since the last parliament sat, a stream of significant research and polls makes a powerful case for change. And this is my second reason for optimism. Polling from The Australian Institute shows that 85 per cent of Australians want greater restrictions on gambling advertising and 76 per cent want all gambling ads banned. A key factor driving this is the fact our kids are being both overtly and covertly groomed by the gambling companies to bet. And research now shows that 600,000 kids - aged 12-17 - gambled a total of 18 million last year. This is a mind-boggling statistic that should provoke action. Other research has shown kids as young as 14 are being targeted on their social media feeds to download gambling apps. Parents I meet are furious that their kids are being targeted on social media by betting agencies and that they are being exposed to endless gambling ads because the two football codes, especially, have sold their souls to the bookmakers. The rate of sports betting is skyrocketing in Australia - it is growing at a rate of 40 per cent a year compared to growth in poker machines at 6 per cent. And it is particularly young men that are being drawn in. Roy Morgan research shows that 18-24 year olds are the most prevalent age segment to be betting on sports. And of those already, one in five have a gambling problem. The AFL itself has a growing crisis due to its embrace of gambling. A survey of player agents has revealed more than 76 per cent cite gambling among footballers as a grave concern. The Victorian government recently released figures (they are the only state to do so) on the social cost of gambling. It showed Victorians lost over $7 billion to gambling every year and the state government reaped $2.2 billion a year in revenue but the social cost (bankruptcy, marriage break-up, domestic violence etc.) totalled a whopping $14 billion. When you think Australians lose $32 billion to gambling every year, that social cost extrapolated nationally would skyrocket to an eye-watering $60 billion. It's time it became equally clear to our government.