‘We’re being weak’: Coalition MPs cross floor, slam revised gambling bill after government deal

Two Coalition MPs have crossed the floor to vote against the reworked but still highly contentious gambling reform bill after the government and opposition struck a deal to pass the legislation.

Liberal Andrew Wallace and National Pat Conaghan joined six independents and the sole Greens member to vote down the changes, which they argue did not go far enough to implement recommendations from the landmark 2023 Murphy report on gambling harm.

“I’ve never crossed the floor in ten years in my parliamentary career, but I’ve just heard too many stories of my constituents and people across Australia who have lost everything, who have sometimes lost their lives,” Wallace told News24.

“I won’t make any friends in the Coalition by saying I think we’re being weak by not implementing those reports,” Conaghan told reporters.

The bill, however, sailed through with 96-9 votes after the Coalition reached an agreement with Labor to introduce 16 amendments to the legislation.

These include a blackout on gambling advertisements from 15 minutes before a live sport event, move the start time of gambling broadcast restrictions from 6am to 5am, mandate an opt-out measure for gambling advertising on some platforms and a ban on earning commissions at gambling companies.

The bill will be reviewed after three years of its implementation.

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The Coalition had vowed to push Labor to introduce amendments to strengthen its gambling bill following a two-day inquiry that heard Australians were losing their lives to gambling.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament on Tuesday that this was “the most significant gambling advertising reform by any Australian government ever”.

The gambling bill will need to go before the Senate, where it will again likely pass with support from the Coalition.

Greens Leader Larissa Waters said Labor’s deal with the Coalition was cowardly and prioritised gambling companies over Australians.

“It is a government’s job to look after people, but when Labor has the opportunity they bend the knee to wealthy donors, side with big corporations and leave Australians behind,” she said.

Independent MP Monique Ryan slammed the legislation, saying it is as weak as water.

“Politicians wonder why people are losing trust in government. Look no further than this utterly flawed legislation,” she said.

In a statement issued later on Tuesday, Wallace doubled down on his criticism of the legislation.

“Let me make one thing absolutely clear. I did not vote against gambling reform. I voted against settling for gambling reform that does not go far enough when we have a rare opportunity to get it right,” he said.

“Instead, these reforms rely in part on gambling companies identifying and ‘red-flagging’ customers showing signs of gambling harm before stopping inducements. That is like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank.”

“I respect my Coalition colleagues and I respect the decision reached by the party room, but ultimately I have to be able to look the people I represent in the eye and explain the vote I cast. I also have to be able to look myself in the mirror.”

Labor has been working with the Coalition to pass several bills through parliament this week.

The Coalition issued an ultimatum for Labor to remove the so-called widows’ tax this week in exchange for support to pass changes to the NDIS.

The government had previously refused to bow to pressure to rush through the second tranche of tax reform and instead opened up consultation on the bill set to go before parliament later in the year.

But it has now agreed to introduce the tax bill later on Tuesday to pass the NDIS bill.

The widows’ tax was an oversight that became law in June after the government passed its first tranche of tax reform that formed the centrepiece of this year’s federal budget.

It affects joint owners of investment properties trying to gain sole ownership in the event of divorce or death, forcing them to lose tax exemptions due to the change of ownership.

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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor hailed the removal of the widows’ tax – first raised by independent senator David Pocock – as a Coalition win.

“After 98 days of delay, a tax that should never have been introduced will be axed,” he told parliament.

“Widows, divorcees and victims of domestic violence should not be forced to pay a financial penalty because of a government that cannot control its spending.”

Albanese said it was always the government’s intention to remove the widows’ tax.

“Consultation was due to finish on Friday, and we had, in that context, made it very clear that we would introduce legislation to deal with this issue,” he said.