Anika Wells
Lilley · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Eight years ago, this parliament came together in a bipartisan effort to ban what was then the primary form of foreign lottery operations in our market: lottery betting services.”
“It will be up to online platforms to implement these restrictions, and, if they choose not to, then the rules are clear: they can't show gambling ads at any time, to anyone. Sport ban The government is determined to act on the nexus that has formed between our love of the game and the push to gamble.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The recent statutory review of BetStop the National Self-Exclusion Register, tabled in February 2026, found only one in four people are aware that BetStop exists. And among people who placed a bet in the last 12 months, it was still only one in three.”
“But this critical service can be even stronger and more effective. The world is changing rapidly, and gambling companies are taking advantage of this.”
“Placing an obligation on digital services, including search engines and app providers, to block access and advertising to illegal gambling services online. 4.”
“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. Introduction This bill will introduce a meaningful and impactful suite of reforms to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from gambling harms.”
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“I thank the member for Menzies for his important question. Last year, the member for Menzies and I visited the media students at East Doncaster Secondary College to talk with them about Australia's incoming social media minimum age. Their questions were thoughtful and nuanced, and we all agreed on the importance of holding—”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The recent statutory review of BetStop the National Self-Exclusion Register, tabled in February 2026, found only one in four people are aware that BetStop exists. And among people who placed a bet in the last 12 months, it was still only one in three. We need to make sure every Australian knows about this vital service. We also need to place the onus on gambling companies, not taxpayers, to fund this work. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 also includes a number of other provisions to strengthen the operation of BetStop. This bill will expand the cost-recovery framework to ensure it covers the full range of activities that ACMA and the department undertake to ensure the effectiveness of the register, including promotion and awareness raising activities.”
“Peta Murphy was a passionate advocate for her community on issues from healthcare to employment, and on gambling harm reduction. The work she did as chair of the Inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm has had a significant impact on Australia, including through the strong measures we deliver today. Debate adjourned.”
“But Australians want to know they can sit down and watch sport or their favourite show without being inundated with gambling advertising, either on the TV, online or on the field. These are important reforms and we are proud as a government to be reducing gambling harm. There will be views from some members who, while they agree with the reform direction will say it does not go far enough. My message to them is this: if you believe in banning online keno, if you believe in supporting charities, if you believe in supporting local newsagents and if you believe in reducing gambling ads, support this bill. Finally, I'd like to say a few words about someone who was a valued member of this house, and a close friend—not only to me but to many of my Labor colleagues.”
“The harm done to entrants from these fake lotteries is one thing, but there is also broader harm to our society through the impact they are having on charities. Charity lotteries estimate these fake lotteries diverted more than $60 million from the charity sector in 2024. These vital charities are suffering, and that's why we are acting. The common thread, through our action on foreign matched and fake lotteries, is the recognition that the right to run a lottery in Australia is a privilege. Governments have long recognised that, while the chance of winning a lottery may be low, it should not be zero, and it should be fair. Because otherwise, running a lottery becomes a licence to print money—and consumers are the losers. Conclusion Australians love their sport; we are a sporting nation.”
“Fake lotteries ask you to enter a lottery as a requirement to gain access to the thing they are promoting, whether that's discounts, extra services or entry into the lottery itself. They have murky payment arrangements, where people can become trapped in monthly fees that are hard to extract themselves from. And worse, we have seen cases where these lotteries aren't operating properly under state laws, meaning that even those who win these lotteries are losing out. We saw this in South Australia where a woman thought she had won a $3.5 million property through one of these fake trade promotion lotteries and couldn't actually access this 'win' because the company was operating without the proper state licences.”
“This bill ensures that we close the loophole, protect consumers and back our local small businesses. Trade promotion lotteries Just as we are taking action on foreign matched lotteries, we are also acting on fake domestic lotteries In recent years, we've seen a proliferation online of fake lotteries operating under the guise of trade promotions. They are fake because, unlike an official lottery, the rules are never clear. There are genuine lotteries that operate under trade promotion rules. For example, McDonald's FIFA World Cup ticket giveaway, or a competition to win free groceries when you spend at a supermarket chain. The difference is these genuine lotteries are focused on promoting actual goods and services, and you don't have to buy a ticket in the lottery if you just want to buy the product.”
“Third, if there is a default and those winnings are withheld, an Australian winner would be left stranded with potentially no viable legal remedy to recover their money. It is simply not clear that the companies offering these lotteries in Australia have the balance sheets to make good on a billion-dollar jackpot if the overseas operator or agent cannot or will not pay. An unchecked default of this scale would shatter the trust Australians place in regulated lotteries, including those run by states and territories and by Australian charities. This would flow directly through to thousands of small businesses, potentially having a catastrophic effect on those relying on foot traffic and commissions from lotteries conducted in Australia. This parliament cannot, and should not, sit idly by and wait for that to happen.”
“According to media reports, a single individual, acting under a power of attorney, was responsible for making every single winning claim. We have profound concerns about this model. First, the US operators of these lotteries do not want the participation of offshore buyers or lottery couriers. In fact, a number of US authorities have actively amended their rules to explicitly exclude them and prevent winnings from being paid out to these entities. If an Australian citizen were to win a major jackpot, we cannot have any confidence these rules would not be invoked to deny the payout. Second, even if a major win were technically permitted under the rules, a jackpot of magnitude would raise serious questions about whether these opaque contractual arrangements would actually be honoured.”
“Under the new operating model, instead of offering bets on the outcome of a foreign lottery, these companies act as middlemen, offering to buy a physical ticket in the foreign lottery on the customer's behalf. If an Australian customer wins, the company claims the prize overseas and say they will forward the winnings back home. While the mechanics have changed, the threat to Australian small businesses remains the same. That is unacceptable. The government is also deeply concerned by the opaque arrangements underpinning this foreign matched lottery model. Media reports reveal that one Australian operation was acquiring its US tickets through a single establishment, the Pit Stop Sports Bar & Grill on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon.”
“Eight years ago, this parliament came together in a bipartisan effort to ban what was then the primary form of foreign lottery operations in our market: lottery betting services. On the initiative of the former coalition government, the parliament rightly recognised that these foreign operations undermined crucial income streams, not just for state governments, but for thousands of small businesses across Australia. They threatened our newsagents, pharmacies, pubs, RSLs and community clubs. As then Minister Fletcher observed at the time in relation to foreign lotteries, they 'provide little taxation revenue and no benefits to the thousands of small business owners across Australia'. Since those important reforms, new players have entered the market and are using loopholes to find their way around the laws this parliament delivered.”
“Of great concern to the government is the opportunity for that harm to extend into people's pockets, on their phones. That is why the government is committed to banning online keno through this bill. These 'pocket pokies' have a rapid-draw format, high frequency of play and high spending limits. They have a capacity to cause significant harm, with people able to lose up to $1,000 every three minutes. There is no community benefit from people participating in these games online, and we make no apologies for taking a strong stand. Foreign matched lotteries This bill also takes decisive action against foreign matched lotteries by banning them from operating in Australia.”
“But this critical service can be even stronger and more effective. The world is changing rapidly, and gambling companies are taking advantage of this. The changes in this bill will ensure BetStop can keep up with emerging and future technologies so when people opt out of marketing it isn't just email and texts but also includes apps and push notifications. BetStop will also be empowered to adapt to new ways that these companies might seek to market information in the future. It will deliver on all the legislative recommendations of the statutory review of BetStop and improve clarity, user experience and safety outcomes. Lottery and keno changes Schedule 4 introduces amendments to tackle harmful online lottery-style products. Keno Many people in this parliament have spoken of the harm caused by problem gambling on poker machines.”
“Placing an obligation on digital services, including search engines and app providers, to block access and advertising to illegal gambling services online. 4. Enabling ACMA to issue 24-hour take-down notices to these digital services and influencers to assist it with weeding out the promotion and access to these illegal gambling services. BetStop Schedule 3 will strengthen the operation of BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register—an important piece of the government's gambling harm reduction measures. BetStop enables people to self-exclude from all Australian-licensed online and telephone wagering providers. Since its launch in 2023, BetStop has had over 65,000 registrations, with over 39,000 Australians currently self-excluded from gambling, many of whom have spoken about the positive impact it has had on their lives.”
“We have already taken action against these gambling services, which operate outside Australian law without the important consumer protections that exist here, with more than 1,700 illegal gambling websites blocked since 2019. But the current settings are unwieldly and inhibit the independent regulator, ACMA, from investigating and responding rapidly. The amendments in schedule 2 will improve the government's ability to tackle illegal gambling through four key mechanisms: 1. Placing an obligation on financial institutions to block transfers from Australian bank accounts to accounts that belong to illegal gambling operators. 2. Enabling ACMA to share information with financial institutions to assist them to block transactions. 3.”
“Celebrities and Influencers Gambling companies are regularly finding new ways to advertise. The Albanese government's reforms will address this. We will ban notable people including athletes, celebrities and influencers from promoting gambling. We have used broad definitions in the legislation to reflect the fact that the nature of celebrities is changing. We know gambling companies are targeting young people through influencers on social media. The changes in this bill will put a stop to that. It doesn't matter how many followers they have or which platform they use. Under this law a gambling company cannot enter into an arrangement with an influencer to promote gambling to their followers. Offshore Gambling Schedule 2 provisions will enhance the ability to disrupt illegal gambling services.”
“It will be up to online platforms to implement these restrictions, and, if they choose not to, then the rules are clear: they can't show gambling ads at any time, to anyone. Sport ban The government is determined to act on the nexus that has formed between our love of the game and the push to gamble. Our sport stars have gambling logos on their uniforms. There are banners promoting gambling on the field. Australians love their sport. But they don't love constantly seeing gambling advertising throughout a game. This bill will put a stop to that. We will legislate rules to ensure no ads appear during play at any time of day. And we will make Australian sport a gambling-ad free space by banning ads on sporting uniforms and at sporting venues. This includes at training, at press conferences and at amateur and grassroots sports events.”
“And when these ads are broadcast we will ban advertising content that includes harmful or misleading information. The government will also ban gambling ads online. This ban applies to any online site, including on social media, news websites, Spotify and podcasts, streaming services, YouTube, and in search. The only exception will be if you are logged in, are over 18 and have an option to opt out of seeing these ads. This triple-lock approach means kids won't see ads online. And it means that people who don't want to see gambling ads online—whether they are watching a streaming service, scrolling Instagram or searching for a recipe on Google—can opt out of seeing them.”
“Advertising ban Schedule 1 is a comprehensive package of restrictions to tackle the proliferation of gambling advertising, helping keep our kids' eyes and ears free from those ads. This includes legislating a ban on the broadcast of wagering ads during live coverage of sporting events between 6 am and 8.30 pm and banning the broadcasting of odds. It is clear that there are too many ads on TV. In 2024 the number was as high as eight ads in a single hour. This is why we are making sure people are no longer saturated with gambling ads by capping the number at three per hour between 6 am and 8.30 pm. We are also ensuring our kids won't be hearing gambling ads on the drive to and from school by banning advertising on the radio during these times.”
“For Australians who don't want to participate in gambling or see gambling ads, they have become inescapable and constant. The Albanese government wants Aussie kids to be able to participate in sport—whether that's cheering on their team, knowing the stats of their favourite player or having a kick down at their local sporting field. And we want them to be able to do this without being bombarded with gambling promotion. With this bill, the government is acting to reduce children's exposure to gambling ads, reduce the targeting and saturation of advertising online and break the nexus between sport and gambling. The gambling reform bill 2026 comprises five schedules that deliver on the government's commitments.”
“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. Introduction This bill will introduce a meaningful and impactful suite of reforms to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from gambling harms. It will help minimise children's exposure to wagering advertising, while also reducing the overall saturation of advertising on radio and television, and the targeting and saturation of advertising online. The bill also contains provisions to disrupt illegal gambling operators, strengthen BetStop—the National Exclusion Register—and crack down on damaging and emerging online lottery products. Context The reason is clear: gambling advertising restrictions have not kept pace with community expectations. People are seeing too many ads, particularly during children and family programs and live sports events.”
“On the social media minimum age bill before us, the government will not support the opposition's second reading amendment, which fails to meaningfully contribute to the bill and seeks to score cheap political points. Emma Mason, an incredible parent advocate who fought for the original bill and supports our efforts to strengthen the eSafety Commissioner's powers, said: I pray that the silly point scoring nonsense we saw in late 2025 is behind us. It was a consensus law that passed in December 2024, and we need all Australian politicians to continue to get behind this legislation. Children's safety is not a political ball to be kicked around. I call on all members to rise to Emma's call to action and support the bill. We must come together and stand on the side of parents and kids, not platforms.”
“This includes harm from personalised, algorithmic recommender systems that maximise engagement and profit before user wellbeing; systems that amplify extreme content, entrench social biases and negatively impact mental health through addiction and harmful online comparisons; systems that send users down rabbit holes and create echo chambers that fuel division or extremism in the community; and systems that cause psychosocial harm by rewarding emotional intensity and conflict. Creating a digital duty of care is complex policy and cannot be rushed, but the Albanese government is committed to working with all sides of parliament to get it right because all Australians, not just young people, are relying on us to regulate the tools that are causing us systemic harm.”
“I also want to recognise the contributions made by the member for Moreton, the member for Brisbane, the member for Flinders, the member for Whitlam, the member for Curtin, the member for Kooyong, the member for Wentworth, the member for Flinders and the member for Mackellar in backing the government's commitment to deliver a digital duty of care. Building on the social media minimum age, the Albanese government will this year introduce a digital duty of care that will require all digital service providers, including social media platforms, to adopt safety by design, maximise user choice and transparency and have systems in place to prevent the harm before it occurs.”
“I thank those members who have made a positive contribution to this urgent debate on the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026. The government will not support the member for Kooyong's second reading amendment, as it largely deals with matters unrelated to this bill. I note that the government will introduce a gambling reform bill to the House this week, which includes measures outlined in the government's response to the You win some, you lose more report.”
“Rest assured, Dirk: the Albanese Labor government knows there is a lot of work to do to ensure that Australians get a fair go when it comes to securing a house of their very own. It won't be fixed overnight but we are making real progress. With my remaining time, may I indulge and say congratulations to Lucas Herrington, Brisbane's very own, who at 18 is the youngest-ever Socceroo to make his debut at the FIFA World Cup. At the game at noon on Friday, not only was he able to debut at such a young age but, by the way he carried himself, he showed that he's clearly a big game player. I think he's from Toowong Football Club. On behalf of his very proud, I'm sure, parents in Brisbane, congratulations to Lucas Herrington, and the very best of luck to the Socceroos as they go up against Egypt at 4 am our time on Saturday.”
“Sandgate resident Dirk recently wrote to me about our budget measures. He said: I was so pleased to see the government's budget trying to improve housing affordability by taking some action on negative gearing and capital gains tax. I am a bit surprised to see reports in the media of these reforms apparently not being "accepted" by millennials (of which I am one). The reforms perhaps aren't perfect but you are the first government in my living memory to take real action on this issue. So thank you. I hope the government will stick to its guns amidst actual or media-perceived pushback. Also thanks for reforming student loans ('HELP debts') and getting these debts/payments more under control. Keep up the good work.”
“Whilst there were obstacles competing against investors and other first homebuyers like herself, she was lucky enough to find a seller who wanted to give a first homeowner a go. All this would not have been possible without the help of the many Labor state and federal policies that she took advantage of, those being the First Home Super Saver Scheme, the First Home Guarantee, the First Home Concessional Stamp Duty and most importantly, as mentioned, the Help to Buy scheme. So this email is just to say thank you. We really appreciate all the implemented initiatives that have helped and, we hope, continue to help young Australians in the future. Dot will be pleased to know that we are not stopping there. In the 2026-27 budget, our government changed property investor tax breaks to give first home buyers a fair go.”
“In my electorate of Lilley, on Brisbane's north side, too many people have been working hard and trying to save but feel that the dream of homeownership is just out of reach. That's why, since being elected, the Albanese Labor government is making it easier for people to buy their very first home. Recently I received a letter from north side resident Dot about the real-life impact these changes are making in the lives of Lilley residents. Dot wrote: My 28-year-old daughter, Jackie, has recently purchased and settled in a home unit in Stafford as her very first home. As a young single woman who had worked and saved very hard, she had just about lost hope of entering the property market. When the Help to Buy Scheme commenced, she decided to apply and was approved within two weeks.”
“The Albanese government is proud to stand with parents, and we will not back down from our mission to keep kids safe from the harms of social media. As Wayne Holdsworth, the founder of SmackTalk, said yesterday: The implementation of this legislation— The social media minimum age law— and the day that it was effected December 10, 2025 is an historic day in this country's history and I'm really proud to be an Australian. The world is watching. We will continue to lead the way and, going forward, I implore all members of parliament to support the Albanese government's amendment to the social media minimum age law so that the eSafety Commissioner can hold social media platforms to account.”
“Building on our social media minimum age laws, the Albanese government will introduce a digital duty of care that will require platforms to have systems in place to prevent harm before it occurs—harm from AI chatbots that send people down dangerous paths, or 'nudify' tools that strip people of their bodily autonomy, and harm from personalised algorithm recommended systems that maximise engagement and put profit before user wellbeing; systems that amplify extreme content, entrench social biases and negatively impact mental health through addiction and harmful online comparisons; and systems that send users down rabbit holes and create echo chambers that fuel division or extremism in the community.”
“After my meeting with the founder and CEO earlier this year, Roblox introduced children's accounts with improved safety features, and Apple will soon implement a significant uplift to parental controls—a change the CEO said was inspired by Australia's world-leading approach to children's online safety.”
“I thank the member for Bass for her question and for the thoughtful and optimistic contribution that she has made to the parliament in her time here so far. Australia's world-leading social media minimum age laws sparked a global conversation that is rapidly becoming a global movement. Since our laws started on 10 December, more than five million social media accounts belonging to under-16's have been removed, deactivated or restricted. But the impact of our social media minimum age laws isn't stopping there. Our goal is for tech companies to compete on the safety features of their platforms in the same way that car companies promote themselves as the safest for your family.”
“The government will continue to work with Australia Post and all stakeholders to ensure that it remains financially sustainable and continues to meet the needs of our Australian community. I'm confident that if we all work together in good faith, Australia Post and our valued licensees will renew their partnership for many years to come.”
“The member has raised some broader concerns about the licensing network. Australia Post is working with its licensees to modernise the arrangements that govern those commercial relationships. The licensing model is decades old. It has served Australia Post and Australia very well over that time, but we cannot ignore that things are changing and that arrangements between Australia Post and its licensees must reflect that. You only need to look at the mobile phones in your pockets to understand why. There is a dramatic decline in the letter business. There is a dramatic decline in the retail foot traffic. All of that must be considered not just by Australia Post but by the licensing networks, many of whom are mum-and-dad small businesses in our communities.”
“It needs to cover its costs. But within that framework the government expects Australia Post to meet its community standards, and, in particular, the government requires that Australia Post maintains a minimum of 4,000 post offices, a number that it currently exceeds. As I said, in some cases and for a range of reasons, like sickness or retirement or personal circumstances, licensed post offices do close suddenly. Often this happens with very little notice both to its customers and to Australia Post itself. In my own community, Pinkenba Licensed Post Office is suddenly closing. Like the member for Clark, I know that will impact my community in Lilley. I'm happy to arrange a meeting for the member for Clark with the CEO of Australia Post about his specific concerns in West Hobart, just as I'm raising my own concerns about Pinkenba.”
“I thank the member for Clark for his question. I think I might speak for everyone here when I say that we love our local post offices and that many communities, particularly regional and rural communities, are dependent upon them. Australia Post represents more than just a post office. It is a hub for the community and for banking and for other services that would otherwise be non-existent in these areas. No-one likes to see them close. Regrettably, sometimes they have to close, particularly if a licensee operator hands back the licence. It's not something that Australia Post can control, but it is something that Australia Post must manage. Under our system. Australia Post is a government owned corporation. It has a board and an executive who make decisions about the post office network. The corporation must be sustainable.”
“They're Aussie born. They're immigrants. They're refugees. They're hugging strangers. This is the power of sport. Conclusion Next month we'll celebrate six years to go until the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games. And, following the passage of this bill, rules will be developed to support that and other upcoming major sporting events. This bill ensures our legislative framework remains fit for purpose, efficient and adaptable to future needs. It reflects the Albanese government's commitment to deliver incredible major sporting events and the chance for every Australian to benefit from their legacy and to unearth their own 'where were you when moments'. I thank the House. Debate adjourned.”
“With legacy support from our government, there has been: Driven by this growing demand, the Albanese government invested $200 million in the historic Play Our Way program. There are almost 300 community projects as part of Play Our Way that are improving facilities, creating programs and enabling the purchase of equipment to help more girls and women play and stay in sport. Uniting Force o f Major Events Recently, 4.78 million Australians tuned in to SBS, our national multicultural broadcaster, to watch the Socceroos defeat Türkiye. Thousands more gathered in city squares, community football clubs and pubs around the country. These are Australians from all walks of life—different backgrounds, different languages, different lives yet united, not divided and not seeking to divide. The fans—just like the Socceroos themselves—are all of us.”
“Existing exemptions will continue to apply, including for the purposes of reporting, criticism, review and the provision of information. COMMUNITY IMPACT OF HOSTING MSEs In the past four years, the Albanese government has committed to support more than 15 major sporting events here in Australia. Australians can be proud of the impact these events have had so far. Not only did the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball world Cup inspire the legendary Lauren Jackson to return to the court, but it prompted the expansion and reach of the 'She Hoops' initiative for women and girls, created and fostered by Lauren herself, along with some of her incredible Opals team-mates. The community legacy of other recent events includes: I touched earlier on the power of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the numbers don't lie.”
“This bill will improve responsiveness to an evolving major event calendar, reduce the need for repeated legislative amendments and ensure protections can be implemented in a timely and proportionate manner. Importantly, appropriate safeguards will remain in place. Rules made under the act will be legislative instruments subject to parliamentary scrutiny, including disallowance, and the declaration of major sporting events will be guided by clear statutory criteria set out in the act. In addition, the bill removes outdated provisions relating to historical events. The framework maintains a balanced approach to the protection of rights. Restrictions will apply only to unauthorised commercial use of protected indicia and images.”
“INVESTMENT IN MAJOR EVENTS Since 2022, more than $189 million has been delivered by the Albanese government in support of major sporting events here in Australia. The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup brought Sam, Courtnee, Mackenzie and Mary onto our pitches, and into our living rooms and pubs. 'Tillies' is the most recognisable national team nickname in our sporting lexicon, and the fields of dreams they played on in 2023 have genuinely inspired a new generation of Australians to play the round ball game—so many of them girls and women. Along with event delivery partners and international sporting bodies, we are working to ensure future events are supported by the highest standards of integrity.”
“Ambush marketing also undermines the value of official sponsorship arrangements, reduces private investment in major events, and can increase the financial burden on governments to support the delivery of those events. Under this framework, key elements of protections—including the declaration of major sporting events, the identification of authorising and event bodies, the specification of protected indicia and images, and applicable protection periods—will be set out in rules made under the act. Clarifying that unauthorised commercial use of protected indicia and images in these contexts can constitute advertising for the purposes of the act will help ensure the legislation remains effective and fit for purpose.”
“The minister must be satisfied the event is: A central element of this framework is the introduction of clear statutory criteria to guide the declaration of major sporting events. These criteria ensure protections are applied in a transparent, consistent and targeted way. This includes protection against what is known as 'ambush marketing by association', where a business seeks to promote itself by creating a misleading impression of an association with a major sporting event without authorisation. When fans pay good money to pull on jerseys, T-shirts, scarves or hats to support a major event, they need to know they are wearing the real deal.”
“BILL DETAIL A critical element in securing and successfully hosting these events is ensuring event owners and their commercial partners can protect the emblems and images that are associated with events, the event intellectual property rights. This bill introduces a more flexible and efficient approach for Australia's hosting of major sporting events. The current act provides important protections but relies on schedules within the legislation to prescribe individual events. This requires amendments to primary legislation every time protections are to be extended to a new event. This bill establishes a rules based framework that enables major sporting events and associated protections to be prescribed by legislative instrument by the minister, rather than through amendments to primary legislation.”
“This funding lays the foundation and provides stability ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where new chapters will be written. It goes without saying that the Games will look different to Melbourne and Sydney. The Brisbane 2032 stories will be of a modern Australia in a growing cosmopolitan city and state. Hosting major sporting events offers so much more than feel-good moments and real-life dramas. They are an important part of Australia's cultural, social and economic landscape. Major sporting events provide opportunities to showcase Australia to the world, drive tourism and trade, and connect us with our Pacific neighbours and beyond. They inspire participation in sport and physical activity across our communities, through inspiring moments, grassroots legacy programs, and talent identification programs.”
“Thousands of others watched on brand new television sets—a few at home, but mostly in community halls and in shopfront windows, as the ABC, TCN9 and HS7 were launched, bringing TV to Australians for the very first time. The Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games wrote new chapters: Cathy, Thorpey, Louise, Gazey, and the Oarsome Foursome. Through Sydney 2000, our athletes galvanised the country in such a way that they are known simply by first names—or, in the great Australian tradition, nicknames. Future MSEs and support for athletes On June 17 our government announced a commitment of $513 million over two years from the Albanese government to support Australia's athletes in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill amends the Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Act 2014 to modernise Australia's framework for protecting the commercial rights associated with major sporting events. Major sporting events create 'where were you when?' moments. They create 'hug a stranger' moments. They get us up, they get us together, often in the dark of night or at the crack of dawn to cheer, to chant and to cherish those heart-stopping moments as chapters in our nation's history are written in real time. Seventy years ago, on a warm November day, more than 107,000 people packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the opening ceremony of the 1956 Olympic Games.”
“This in turn allowed for an increase in the performance of the existing satellite service. Last year I also spoke about finishing the job and upgrading the final 622,000 premises on coalition copper to faster technologies, predominantly full fibre, with the Albanese government investing up to $3 billion. One thing that hasn't changed since last year is our belief—Labor's belief—that the NBN should always remain in public hands. Unfortunately, one other thing that hasn't changed since last year is the views of those opposite. In 2024, the coalition opposed the commitment to public ownership bill—”
“That's over 10 million homes and businesses. This was possible because of our 2022 investment to upgrade 1.5 million premises from coalition copper to full fibre. That work was completed on time and on budget by NBN Co. Their dedicated work continues, with tens of thousands of homes and businesses making the switch to full fibre every month. More customers are also taking up higher speed tiers, helped by NBN's Accelerate Great program, which has given speed increases at no additional wholesale cost. Work is also complete on NBN's Fixed Wireless and Satellite Upgrade Program, which, thanks to the Commonwealth's investment of $480 million, is now providing up to five times faster speeds over fixed wireless. These upgrades have also expanded the fixed wireless footprint to some premises that were on satellite services.”