Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Jacqui Lambie

I move:

That—

(a) the Senate notes that:

(i) on 8 August 2024, access to documents dealing with gambling reform was sought from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and the Arts (the department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act),

(ii) on 8 October 2024, the department responded to that freedom of information (FOI) request, advising that 22 documents had been identified, with access refused in full to 4 of the documents based on section 47(C) of the FOI Act, a public interest conditional exemption relating to deliberative processes, and

(iii) the Senate is not subject to such deliberative process exemptions; and

(b) there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, by 2 pm on Thursday, 21 November 2024, the following documents:

(i) the proposed wagering advertising reform model, dated 8 August 2024, and

(ii) the wagering advertising reform consultation—schedule of questions, dated 30 July 2024.

Anthony Chisholm

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

Since receiving the online gambling inquiry report, the government has engaged comprehensively and regularly with stakeholders. As part of the government's broader consideration of further reforms, we are currently consulting with key stakeholders on a proposed model for online wagering advertising reform, prior to a decision being made. The proposed model focuses on breaking the nexus that exists between wagering in sport, minimising the exposure of children to online wagering harm and tackling the saturation and targeting of wagering ads. The consultation process has been thorough and valuable and has raised additional considerations that the government is working through. Accordingly, the proposed model has not been finalised and is still subject to the cabinet decision-making process. There will always be a combination of private and public consultations on any given proposal. Once the government announces a policy or introduces a bill, it will be subject to all the scrutiny advocacy that we expect in a democracy, including all the usual parliamentary processes.

Andrew McLachlan

The question before the Senate is that the order for production of documents concerning wagering advertising reforms standing in the name of Senator Lambie be agreed to.