Independent Senator removed from Parliament’s social sports club

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Senator David Pocock has been booted from parliament's social sports club after questioning whether it was appropriate for the club to be sponsored by a gambling industry lobby group. Among the corporate members of the club is responsible wagering Australia a peak body for the gambling industry that represents companies like Sportsbet.

Transcript

00:00Recently, it was uncovered that there's actually corporate sponsorships and sort of payment

00:06for access.

00:07If corporates pay, then their rep or reps get to come play sport.

00:12And on top of that, the sports club has actually been a registered lobbying organisation.

00:18And I just think this highlights all the problems when it comes to something like gambling,

00:22where we have this cosy relationship between politicians, the government, and a gambling

00:29industry that is bombarding us with ads, and we've seen a government not willing to act.

00:35And so you've raised those concerns and that's led to the club saying you can't be a member

00:40anymore.

00:41Does that mean you can't participate in any of those sporting events that take place in

00:44the mornings?

00:45Yeah.

00:46I got a message yesterday saying that.

00:47I called the CO.

00:48We had a pretty robust discussion about it, but I've raised concerns privately and then

00:54at Estimates, I was asking about what are the implications of having the Parliamentary Sports

00:58Club, which is a registered lobbying organisation having the Prime Minister as the President,

01:03that puts him in a very awkward position.

01:04And it puts all of us in awkward positions to be essentially members or the president of

01:10a lobbying organisation that takes money from a gambling company.

01:13And while the major parties may take donations from the gambling industry, I certainly am not.

01:19And this is an important issue for the people I represent.

01:22Nonetheless, you said to yourself you weren't aware that they sponsored the club until it

01:28came to light.

01:29So I take it from that you haven't had any pressure or conversations from any representatives of any

01:35of the gambling firms that might have been taking part.

01:38Is it having any real effect on yourself and other members taking part in the sporting events?

01:43I think it shows the soft power and just how it shows, I think at a micro level, why gambling

01:52companies are sponsoring sports so much, because it's about human connection.

01:58And it is for them about buying social licence, getting in front of people, associating the thing

02:03that they love with this industry, which yes, if you're over 18, go for it.

02:08But more and more, we know this is becoming a problem for young people.

02:12They're essentially being groomed to think that sport and gambling go like this.

02:17And when it comes to the Parliamentary Sports Club, that's what's happening.

02:21The Prime Minister says, look, people turn up and play sport.

02:25This is on the register.

02:26It's transparent.

02:27So it's not like it's hidden.

02:29So what's the big deal?

02:30What would be your response to the Prime Minister?

02:32Well, many parliamentarians I've spoken to weren't made aware of this when we signed

02:37up.

02:38The thing we want to do is just turn up and play some sport.

02:40Our understanding was we paid a fee to cover things like insurance and maybe, you know,

02:45for the balls and the cones.

02:46A couple of cones around the edge.

02:47Exactly.

02:48Yep.

02:49We didn't know that behind this was actually this registered lobbying organisation.

02:53And I just take exception to that.

02:55I hear every week from Canberrans who are frustrated with the lack of action on gambling.

03:01And so for the PM to brush it off as a minor issue, I actually think this highlights some

03:06of the big problems in this place when it comes to the influence of vested interests and a

03:13government putting their interests ahead of everyday Australians.

03:16Great ass rounds.

03:18Great ass rounds.

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