Albanese defends gambling reforms, says he’s ‘not against someone having a punt’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, defended the gambling reforms on ABC Radio Sydney this morning, saying they, in some ways, go “further” than those the Peta Murphy report called for.
He said the reforms are part of a “comprehensive approach”, tackling online gambling and overseas gambling among other issues, adding:
This has been worked through in a comprehensive way. It was only introduced yesterday morning. There was never any consideration of it passing yesterday, in a day. That’s not what happens. And there’ll be an inquiry, which is absolutely fine and normal process.
When asked about criticism the reforms don’t go far enough, Albanese had this to say:
I think we have gone far enough. I think we’ve got the balance right between … an absolute ban across the board.
I’m not against someone having a punt on a Saturday. What I’m against is problem gambling, which overwhelmingly, by the way, overwhelmingly is poker machines, which is of course regulated by the states.
You can read more about pokies revenue here:
Key events
Teen charged with murder after boy, 15, found with fatal stab wounds outside medical centre
A teenager has been charged with murder after a 15-year-old boy was discovered with fatal stab wounds outside a community medical centre.
AAP reports the boy was found critically injured outside Craigieburn Community Hospital in Melbourne’s north about 7.50pm on Wednesday. A staff member from the clinic rushed to his aid and delivered CPR but he died at the scene.
Police have made multiple arrests in the days since, beginning with the arrest of a boy, 16, and man, 20, early on Thursday. The 16-year-old has since been charged with murder and remanded to appear in a children’s court at a later date.
The 20-year-old man, from Beveridge, was charged with criminal damage by fire and bailed to appear at Broadmeadows magistrates court at a later date.
On Friday, police announced they had made further arrests as part of the same investigation. A 15-year-old girl was arrested overnight and charged with affray and theft of a motor vehicle. She was bailed to appear in a children’s court at a later date.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy was arrested on Friday morning to be interviewed.
The investigation is ongoing.
Former Sydney childcare worker sentenced to 12 years in jail
Former childcare worker David William James, 28, has been sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in jail at Sydney’s Downing Centre district court after he pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to the production and possession of child abuse material, AAP reports.
James committed the crimes against children as young as five years old at six out-of-school centres across Sydney between April 2021 and May 2024.
“Childcare centres are of critical importance [and] young children depend upon their carers,” judge Guy Newton said on Thursday.
Childcare is often necessary for children to grow up in economic stability … it is vital parents can have trust in childcare facilities.
The judge imposed a non-parole period of seven years, meaning James, who has been in custody since October 2024, could first be eligible for release in October 2031.
“In each case, he was the child’s carer … the offender abused both a position of trust and authority,” Newton said. “That breach of trust was egregious.”
James worked casually at nearly 60 childcare centres during the period of offending, prompting police to notify 1,500 parents after he was charged.
Aged between 22 and 26 when offending, he worked as a probationary constable until he failed to pass probation, when he shifted to a civilian capacity until May 2023.
NSW police said it was unaware he was working in childcare simultaneously.
Albanese defends gambling reforms, says he’s ‘not against someone having a punt’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, defended the gambling reforms on ABC Radio Sydney this morning, saying they, in some ways, go “further” than those the Peta Murphy report called for.
He said the reforms are part of a “comprehensive approach”, tackling online gambling and overseas gambling among other issues, adding:
This has been worked through in a comprehensive way. It was only introduced yesterday morning. There was never any consideration of it passing yesterday, in a day. That’s not what happens. And there’ll be an inquiry, which is absolutely fine and normal process.
When asked about criticism the reforms don’t go far enough, Albanese had this to say:
I think we have gone far enough. I think we’ve got the balance right between … an absolute ban across the board.
I’m not against someone having a punt on a Saturday. What I’m against is problem gambling, which overwhelmingly, by the way, overwhelmingly is poker machines, which is of course regulated by the states.
You can read more about pokies revenue here:
Pocock says it’s ‘tragic’ gambling reforms don’t go nearly far enough
Independent senator David Pocock had harsher words, saying the gambling reform bill was a “real opportunity for a prime minister to have a real legacy” but Albanese had “buckled” to the gambling lobby.
Pocock spoke to RN Breakfast, saying the Senate could strengthen the bill from a “pretty weak starting point”:
I just find the whole thing tragic. Labor voted against a Senate inquiry into their bill because they know it is so far off the mark.
As to compromises in the Senate, we’ve got Simon Kennedy and others in the Liberal party, Sarah Henderson, saying that it’s not strong enough. How is it that a Labor-chaired committee gave such strong recommendations and then the prime minister just buckles to the gambling lobby, introduces weak legislation and now we have the Liberal party saying that it’s not strong enough?
Pocock suggested some changes, including a regulator and tackling inducements.
Liberals say Labor’s gambling reform bill ‘undercooked’
Sarah Henderson, the shadow communications minister, was also on RN this morning to speak about Labor’s reforms to gambling advertising, which have sparked frustration from the Liberals and Greens for not going far enough.
Henderson said:
We think this bill is undercooked. … We’ve got a lot of work to do to interrogate the bill. I am concerned and have a number of concerns that it’s not strong enough.
Henderson was pressed on how she would want to see the bill changed but the senator said she would dig into those possibilities during an investigation of the bill.
I won’t prejudge where we might land on this bill other than to say we don’t think it’s good enough, we do have concerns, and we are very serious. The Coalition is very serious about combating the terrible harm caused to so many Australian families by gambling addiction.
Butler says government takes extended NDIS inquiry ‘seriously’
Mark Butler, the federal health minister, was asked about the recommendations from the inquiry to improve the NDIS.
He told RN Breakfast this morning the government was considering them very carefully, saying there were “good suggestions”, some of which officials were already working on. He went on:
We’re very keen to work on registration schemes for workers across the care economy, not just in the NDIS but also in the aged care sector as well. … Our priority right now is to register providers. It doesn’t make much sense to have workers registered if they’re employed by providers who are not registered and whom we know nothing about.
We’re moving at a pace really to make sure that the few hundred thousand organisations and companies that are providing services are registered, that they tick a range of boxes around quality and we have a good line of sight of who they are and what their character is.
Butler said he does think there will be more to learn during an extended inquiry into the NDIS changes, negotiated with the Greens last week.
We’ll take this extended inquiry very seriously and treat it with the respect that all of those inquiries deserve.
Sarah Basford Canales
Greens claims government ‘politicising fraud’ to justify NDIS changes
The Coalition’s report identified the unregistered market of providers as being beyond the regulator’s reach and entry-point screenings that could assess qualifications but not always suitability.
Meanwhile, the Greens’ report said it saw fraud as a serious issue but shared concerns the government was “politicising fraud” to justify significant reductions in NDIS spending.
The minor party’s NDIS spokesperson, Jordon Steele-John, who is on the committee, said:
Disabled people deserve an NDIS that is both protected from fraud and designed around their rights, not one where they are treated with suspicion because governments have failed to crack down on those actually exploiting the system.
Sarah Basford Canales
Committee recommends national NDIS worker register but others offer muted interest
A new national NDIS worker register would remove unsafe providers and carers and help participants make more informed decisions about their support and case, a parliamentary inquiry into integrity and fraud controls within the NDIS says.
The government-chaired inquiry also said improved information-sharing between government agencies and stronger regulatory powers were needed to address the “systemic” integrity issues.
During the hearings, the National Disability Insurance Agency’s deputy executive, John Dardo, said around 8.3%, or $3.7bn, of the NDIS’s $45bn in payments last financial year were affected by “integrity leakage” – a term which can include suspected fraud as well as mistakes or non-compliance.
But the inquiry’s non-government MPs and senators were critical of the committee marking its own homework, describing the final report as doing “little more than welcome the steps that responsible agencies already have in train”.
“The evidence pointed to an organised and systemic threat; the committee report answers a smaller and more individual one. A response calibrated to the latter will not meet the former,” opposition MPs said in an additional report.
Moira Deeming launches court challenge as Victorian Liberals consider her fate
Victorian MP Moira Deeming has launched an 11th-hour court challenge against her own party before a meeting to decide her fate after she made an assault allegation against a former leader, AAP reports.
Deeming has lodged a legal action against the Liberal’s Victorian president, Brian Loughnane, which is listed to be heard in the state supreme court this morning. Loughnane and other Liberal executives are planning to meet on Friday evening to determine Deeming’s candidacy after she made a police complaint against Matthew Guy, the opposition’s public transport spokesperson, alleging he put her in a “headlock” at a gala dinner on 23 May.
Victoria police investigated the incident and found “there was no offence detected”. Guy has demanded a public apology from Deeming but she says she misunderstood the meaning of headlock and has refused to apologise.
She has been invited to the state executive meeting to tell her side of the story.
In a statement to AAP, Deeming’s lawyer said his client’s complaint was made “honestly, in good faith and only as a matter of last resort”.
Good morning
Good morning, and happy Friday. Nick Visser here to wrap up the week after a busy stretch in parliament. Here’s what’s on deck:
Liberal MP Moira Deeming has lodged legal action against the party’s Victorian president, Brian Loughnane, which is set to be heard in the state’s supreme court this morning.
Microsoft has struck a deal with Nine to pay the media company for its content. Under the agreement, Nine’s journalism will play a “crucial role” in AI outputs generated for its Copilot service, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
And it’s finally snowed significantly in New South Wales and alpine Victoria, in good news for skiers.
We’ll bring you more soon.