“The minister complies with all relevant guidelines for both declarations and travel, including the register of members’ interests, and the parliamentary business resources framework,” the spokesman said.īookmakers and their lobbyists were substantial sponsors of the major parties before last year’s federal election. Does that sound right to you? To me, it’s sort of sickening.”Īfter citing a host of measures taken since the election to reduce problem gambling, including a self-exclusion register, mandatory classifications for video games with gambling-like content and legislation to ban credit cards for online gambling, Ms Rowland’s spokesman said no rules were broken. It seems to be a system under which unless the people paying the money are fools, they’re gaining access to information or influence in return for a donation or the cost of a dinner. “It seems to be selling government knowledge to a select few.

“The point about all of this is, for too long, we’ve permitted a system under which governments – it’s always the government of the day – have been able to fundraise off the back of controlling power,” Mr Watson said. Geoffrey Watson, SC, who led the prosecution by NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption in several campaign finance-related cases, said such events raised serious questions about how political parties used access to powerful people to raise money for elections, and also whether the activities were adequately disclosed in public records.

Ms Rowland faced calls to resign and was forced to defend receiving $19,000 in donations from Sportsbet on the eve of last year’s federal election, including an $8960 dinner at Rockpool – another high-end venue in Sydney – to support her campaign. The revelation is the latest illustration of the secret and lucrative lobbying efforts by the gambling industry, which has lined the pockets of both major political parties over many years. Membership of the forum costs up to $110,000 per year and offers varying degrees of tiered access to key politicians.

The lunch was labelled a “policy briefing” with Ms Rowland, who has a key role in gaming policy, and was teed up by Labor’s corporate fundraising arm known as the Federal Labor Business Forum, according to sources. Responsible Wagering Australia – which represents Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, and Bet365 – paid for the November 16 lunch at Society Restaurant.Ĭommunications Minister Michelle Rowland. Gambling executives hosted Communications Minister Michelle Rowland at a lavish lunch on her birthday last year in the private dining room of one of Melbourne’s best restaurants.

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