Bill Browne

Over at the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee again:

Senator David Pocock asks Senator Penny Wong about the Albanese Government’s failure to implement the Murphy Report into gambling reform and inconsistencies in Government disclosures.

He is particularly interested in a surprising link between the Prime Minister and a lobbying organisation.

Australian Parliament Sports Club is a registered lobbying organisation, and lists gambling peak body Responsible Wagering Australia as a client. The story was broken by Daanyal Saeed in Crikey.

Senator Pocock says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the president and asks if this is a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.   

Senator Wong says she doesn’t think the club is a lobbying firm as people generally understand it and says Senator Pocock is just trying to get a political grab.

But from my read of Saeed’s story, the Club does seem to sell cash-for-access to gambling and alcohol interests, among others. If anything, that goes beyond mere lobbying.

It’s yet another reason the Australia Institute has recommended requiring all cash-for-access payments to be disclosed.