00:02Well, today both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader will meet again to discuss
00:07the gambling reforms.
00:08The pair met yesterday with the Prime Minister saying that negotiations are ongoing.
00:13Now, how we got to this point, the Government recently announced their gambling reforms
00:18to target and reduce, it said, advertising to try and stop that from occurring as much
00:25as what it is at the moment.
00:26So, under the proposal, you would see a reduction in gambling advertising on TV between 6am
00:33and 8.30pm.
00:35Ads would be banned on radio during school pick-up and drop-off times.
00:39And the advertising you see on sporting jerseys, that would be phased out over time as well.
00:43But what we've heard from the Opposition, the Greens, even from some within Labor, is
00:48that the reforms don't go far enough to protect children against gambling advertising in particular.
00:53So, the Prime Minister has said that inducements is an area that they're now looking at.
00:59There's been calls for a total ban on inducements.
01:03Inducements are basically ways to try and encourage people to gamble or to gamble more.
01:07So, maybe a cashback offer.
01:09But in extreme circumstances, like what we heard last week during that Senate hearing,
01:14was the suggestion that some gamblers were offered drugs or sex workers to gamble more.
01:20That is something the gambling companies have denied.
01:23But inducements, Gemma, looks like where the government's going to make some movement on
01:27that.
01:28But a final deal yet to be reached, as flagged by the Finance Minister, Katie Gallaher, this
01:33morning.
01:34We're still in negotiations to get that piece of legislation through.
01:39So, I'm not in a position to take you through any detail in relation to that.
01:43But we are engaging across the parliament.
01:46It's important legislation.
01:47It's a very strong response to the community concern about gambling advertising.
01:53And hopefully, we will be able to reach agreement and get that legislation through in the second
01:58week of the sittings.
01:59I welcome anything that is an improvement.
02:02But I think we have to be realistic about whether it's going to be effective or not and look
02:07at the evidence.
02:08So, when I see what's being proposed on inducements, I'll have a good look at it.
02:13Inducements are a horrendous practice that the industry chillingly calls generosities.
02:18But the evidence shows these free bets or offers of free money increase the frequency and
02:24the size of bets that are made.
02:26So, they are really important to the industry because they make a lot of money out of this
02:31particular mechanism.
02:33Stephanie, the government is also keen to pass its changes to the NDIS.
02:37Is that likely?
02:38Yeah, it is, Gemma.
02:40And that will happen over this sitting fortnight as well.
02:42So, the government wants to alter how the NDIS scheme works because they say they need to
02:48save billions of dollars to make the scheme sustainable long term.
02:52Some of those changes are around how people can apply for the NDIS in the first place and
02:58also a plan to take a number of children with autism off the NDIS and place them on a thriving
03:04kids program.
03:05So, still providing support but with a lot of state funding in that circumstance instead
03:10of fully Commonwealth funding it.
03:12Now, disability advocates and the Greens say that these measures are cruel and will hurt
03:17the disability sector and those that need the care the most, but the government looks like
03:23it's got the support of the opposition and the expectation is that legislation will pass
03:28Parliament next week.
03:29Stephanie Morris at Parliament House.
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