Alliance for Gambling Reform Refuses to Sign Government NDA
One of Australia’s biggest campaigners against gambling has refused to sign a controversial non-disclosure agreement (NDA) required for a government briefing on proposed gambling advertising reforms.
Australian government sends NDA to Alliance for Gambling Reform.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Following criticism that the government consulted betting companies before engaging with gambling harm advocates, the Alliance for Gambling Reform received an invitation to a government briefing on Monday evening. This invitation included a 12-page NDA intended to keep the discussion confidential, but the Alliance’s chief advocate has said that they will not sign it.
We’re not going to sign it. How can we sign something on an issue that’s already in the press? We are very happy to be briefed, but no, we will not be signing a non-disclosure agreement.
Government Will Not Introduce Total Ban on Gambling Ads
Costello was talking about leaks published on Sunday and Monday that indicated the Labor government would not enforce a total ban on gambling ads. Instead, the proposal suggests banning gambling ads online, during televised sports events, and for an hour surrounding live sports.
Additionally, it would cap general TV programming to two gambling ads per hour. This proposal, which has not yet been approved by the cabinet, falls short of the complete ban recommended by a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy and various public health experts.
The Albanese government has previously faced criticism for applying NDAs to various confidential consultations, including those on the national disability insurance scheme, the religious discrimination bill, and environmental reforms.
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Concerns over Future Public Discussions
Martin Thomas, the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s chief executive, expressed concern about transparency, stating that signing an NDA would prevent them from freely discussing the reforms if they are not evidence-based.
We’re a very small organisation, and to try to get the legal advice to determine whether we’re able to still speak out or not on the issues that are in the public interest at short notice is difficult. We just don’t want a ridiculous situation where if elements of the policy are made public, somehow we’re stopped from being able to speak about them. We can understand that some elements may need to be confidential, but this NDA does appear to be over the top.
The Alliance were not the only organization to be sent an NDA. A spokesperson for Wesley Mission, a Christian community services organization, confirmed receiving an invitation with an NDA requirement and stated they are considering their options.
Contained within the NDA is the text, “The Commonwealth wishes to enter into confidential consultation discussions with the Confidant to inform the development of proposed Commonwealth reforms to gambling advertising.”
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