BEN SMALL MP
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FORREST
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ELECTORAL MATTERS
OPPOSITION WHIP
Transcript
ABC SW - Gambling Advertising Reform
2nd July 2026
STARTS (7:49am)
STAN SHAW:
Let's go to the Federal Liberal Member for Forrest Ben Small, who is in Canberra as we speak. Good morning Ben, thanks for taking our call.
BEN SMALL MP:
Yeah, g'day Stan. I'm actually just watching the Communications Minister on her feet introducing this bill to Parliament as we're talking, so this is pretty timely.
STAN SHAW:
What's your position on these gambling ad reforms?
BEN SMALL MP:
Look, we think 1100 days after the Murphy report was tabled and the title says it all, you win some, you lose more. The government's response three years later leaves a lot to be desired. And certainly, that grab you just played there touched on a lot of them.
As Liberals, we believe in choice and we want Australians to be able to have a punt. But we also think that footy time is family time and it's important that young people are protected from gambling ads, which have become quite ubiquitous. The other thing that's a clear hole in the government's proposal is that it only tackles broadcast media and really isn't tackling the big issues we're seeing with social media and the like.
So giving people the option to opt in to inducements rather than opting out would reflect the fact that 80% of Aussies want to see less of this.
So our message to the government is this is three years too late, This has got some big holes in it and we're responding to the concerns of the Australian community. So we're asking the government to listen to that.
The government very disappointingly voted against having a Senate inquiry into this bill. We joined forces with the rest of the Senate chamber to force that inquiry to happen, which will occur during Parliament's winter break. And so when Parliament reconvenes later in August, we'll be looking at all of that feedback from stakeholders across the country to try and make a pretty ordinary bill work for Australians.
STAN SHAW:
Ben, would you go as far to say, like many listeners here, that it should be just a blanket ban across all media, as in no times, no time limits, just absolutely no gambling advertising. Would you support that one?
BEN SMALL MP:
Our position is a little bit more nuanced than a total ban, Stan, and, like I say, it does reflect the fact that we believe in choice. So we believe that people should have the freedom to have a punt in Australia, but there are such clear holes in this legislation where you've got three ads per hour permitted during children's programming, for instance. and no protections for people that are opting out of gambling exposure. So we're looking to preserve that inherent Aussie character. You know, there is an element and that sort of freedom in our community to have a punt that's back to, you know, two up and the like, or, you know, it is part of certain sections of our culture. And for people that want that, we believe in that choice.
But the evidence from the Murphy report is very, very clear. Gambling is causing huge harm in the community and that's why we need to see this tightened right up.
STAN SHAW:
Alright, just on one then, say one of the measures is restricting gambling ads on TV to no more than three an hour between 6am and 8.30pm. Do you support that one, so three an hour between 6am and 8.30?
BEN SMALL MP:
No, we don't, Stan, because it's still allowing advertising during children's programming, for instance.
STAN SHAW:
So you'd reduce that time, say 6am to 3pm?
BEN SMALL MP:
Well, we've publicly called for a ban on this sort of thing for an hour either side of a sporting program being shown on air because we understand that sport’s a family affair for Australians, right? So why should we have ads rammed down children's necks while they're sitting with parents watching sport?
So there are a few examples that we've put forward to the government that we can tighten this right up and we're calling on them to respond to those.
STAN SHAW:
All right, we'll let you go back to the Minister's… well, is the Minister just sort of outlaying the changes? Is that what's happening at the moment?
BEN SMALL MP:
That's exactly right. So she's basically setting out the government's case for the bill. She's 15 minutes into her speech so far, so we'll see what more there is to come.
STAN SHAW:
We'll let you get back to it. Thanks, Ben.
BEN SMALL MP:
Thanks, Ben.
STAN SHAW:
Ben Small there, the Federal Liberal member for Forrest.
ENDS