Cowper MP Pat Conaghan has crossed the floor of parliament for the first time in his political career, taking a stand against gambling reforms he believes won’t “make any difference whatsoever”.
“We don't want to see these [gambling] ads on TV anymore. We don't want predatory practices by online wagering services,” Conaghan said at parliament on Tuesday.
“So I think we've really missed an opportunity here to do the right thing by the public.”
A member of the Nationals, Conaghan voted against the government’s reforms despite a deal being struck between Labor and the Coalition.
What happened: The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and is expected to pass the Senate this week.
The bill seeks to limit when, where and how often gambling ads can be displayed, what can be advertised, and tighten restrictions on inducements from betting companies to gamblers.
Australians will also be able to opt out of seeing online gambling ads, via a new register.
Changes: Late amendments to the bill include a ban on gambling ads during kids’ programming and in the 15 minutes before televised sports matches, and a limit of three ads per hour starting from 5am.
Not impressed: Conaghan’s party agreed to the changes, but he believes they don’t go far enough - choosing to cross the floor and vote against the bill.
Conaghan said he was “really sad” the reforms do not seek to implement the full 31 recommendations of the Murphy report, which call for “a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling”.
Landmark report: The 2023 report was the result of a parliamentary inquiry chaired by late Labor MP Peta Murphy, with Conaghan serving as deputy chair.
Conaghan said the inquiry’s recommendations were informed by “really sad stories about family members taking their own lives because of the shame and the debt”.
Research from the Australia Institute shows Australians have lost over $104 billion to gambling in the three years since the report was released.
Speaking out: Conaghan claimed Australia’s politicians “don't have the internal fortitude to implement the report”.
“The best thing that Labor could do is implement the report in full. I won't make any friends in the Coalition by saying I think we're being weak by not implementing those [recommendations],” he said.
Next steps: The reforms will continue to be debated in the Senate and are expected to pass the Upper House by the end of the week.
The changes are set to take effect from January 1 2027.