Committee calls for Murphy Report reforms

The late Peta Murphy was brave, courageous and loved by this community – and we miss her dearly.

In June 2023, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs tabled its’ inquiry into online gambling and its impact on those experiencing gambling harm.

This Standing Committee was chaired by our local Federal Member of Parliament, Peta Murphy.

The report found that ‘gambling advertising is grooming children and young people to gamble’, ‘encourages riskier behaviour’, and it is ‘manipulating a vulnerable audience online’.

When it comes to gambling, Australians are the biggest losers in the world. Here on the peninsula, more than $68 million was lost in the electorate of Dunkley and a staggering $80.69 million was lost in Flinders to gambling in 2022 – 2023.

Meanwhile, the losses around online gambling are difficult to measure – but we can see the impact of that nearly $300 million a year spent on gambling advertising has on our friends, family and vulnerable communities.

Peta fought so hard for these changes, even in the last few months of her life when her health was deteriorating.

To date, the response from the Federal Government has been disappointing. We also note a growing number of Government MP’s feel the same way.

We call on the Federal Government and Opposition to work together and implement all the recommendations of the Murphy Report; including a total gambling ad ban, a ban on inducements, a national regulator and a levy on wagering companies.

Other recommendations included more independent research and data collection, an online gambling ombudsman, a public education campaign, and a comprehensive national strategy.

The Committee calls on the Federal Government to deliver the recommendations from the Peta Murphy Report in full and provide a lasting legacy of Peta’s work and determination to protect young people and vulnerable members of our community.

 

Committee for Frankston & Mornington Peninsula