A predator that stalks its prey in dark rooms

We like our enemies to be obvious and brutish. Gambling, a predator that stalks its prey in dark rooms reeking of stale smoke and shattered hopes, fits the bill perfectly.

But we've barely heard a whisper about it during the federal election campaign. Strange? Not in this era of political timidity. If one outcome is guaranteed when the country goes to the polls next weekend, it's that the meek shall inherit the nation.

The spineless nature of modern politics was exposed again this week with the revelation that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had used his "captain's call" to block long-called-for gambling advertising reforms to avoid a messy brawl during the campaign with the powerful wagering lobby.

Labor has bragged for years about its preparedness to stand up to the gambling industry, citing surveys showing more than three-quarters of Australians not only want tighter restrictions on the incessant betting ads flooding our screens, but further measures to limit the $10 billion we lose in wagering each year.

Yet when the moment arrives to confront the bully - a powerful gang of sports bodies, media companies and multinational "entertainment" entities - Labor goes weak at the knees, with Albanese stalling for time by stating that "more needs to be done" and "we need to get it right".

Sounds suspiciously like more "reviews" and further "studies" will be required. Proof, surely, of this government's allergy to controversy when votes are at stake.

If the PM genuinely believes gambling advertising poses a threat significant enough to warrant government intervention - a bipartisan inquiry in 2023 called for the establishment of a national regulator and a blanket ban on gambling ads phased in after three years - then the public deserves to know now.

Several Labor MPs, including Jerome Laxale who currently holds the ultra-marginal seat of Bennelong, have publicly declared their disappointment with the government's sluggish response to that 2023 inquiry. They've made it clear they anticipate reform if the government wins another term.

So if Labor plans to limit gambling ads if re-elected - and polls this week show it now has a strong chance to rule in its own right - it owes it to Australians to say it now.

Election campaigns should allow voters to assess a leader's vision for the country. Otherwise policy becomes nothing more than political ambush.

But this issue is more than just about gambling. It's also about the selective morality of modern government and how far it should bend to popular public opinion.

We treat gambling as the social equivalent of asbestos. There's no disputing its insidious effects. More than a million Australians are said to experience the impact of betting addiction, ranging from bankruptcy and family violence to crime and suicide.

Yet we rarely show any inclination to rein in others responsible for causing societal harm.

Alcohol is a leading contributor in domestic violence, road trauma and chronic illness. It also happens to be the national social lubricant. You'd like to curtail its constant presence on our screens? Party pooper. Don't you realise booze is all about fun, mateship and aspiration?

Fast foods and ultra-processed meals are driving our obesity epidemic and raising levels of diabetes and heart diseases, with commercials for sugar and fat-filled food constantly shadowing children's TV and saturating free-to-air and digital platforms. But that industry, too, benefits from powerful lobbying and is given a free pass because of its "contributions" to the economy and jobs market.

Where should government intervention end? Harm is a crowded marketplace. Do we limit the annoying ads for those monster SUVs and high-emission urban tanks now hogging our streets and fouling our air? Nah. They're symbols of power and aspiration, so protected the government bestows tax relief on those desiring them.

The list goes on. Fossil fuel companies have indisputably driven climate change, higher levels of air pollution and contributed to long-term ecological damage. Should we limit their ads where they pose as "green innovators" while behind the scenes lobbying against tighter emissions regulations? Nah. They're big political donors, for one thing. And they create a lot of jobs in marginal electorates ...

Perhaps Albanese is wary of tightening the rules around gambling ads because he knows it won't stop there and that eventually there must be limits to the role the government should have as society's moral guardian.

But that's being overly generous. His reluctance to act is further evidence of a government more frightened of headlines than harm. In such a tepid federal election campaign that, surely, is the safest bet.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you support a clampdown on gambling advertising? Or do you believe there should be limits on the government's role as society's moral guardian? What other industries deserve tighter advertising regulations? Have you experienced gambling's downside? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

THEY SAID IT: "Gambling: the sure way of getting nothing for something." - Wilson Mizner.

YOU SAID IT: Jenna Price presented the shocking numbers of women killed as a result of domestic and family violence and asked what community measures you've seen and whether the issue affected your vote.

Lee shares how Wagga Wagga is taking action. "Wagga has a community project called Project 2560. This is trying to decrease the amount of domestic and family violence. Wagga has a very big problem with violence against women. One of the things it is agitating for is a men's centre. This would provide individualised support to men who use violence, address their health issues including mental health, drug and alcohol and physical health. The project has recognised that helping women to leave violence as the only solution is not a real solution. It helps that woman and family but often the male moves on to the next woman. We need to address the male's use of violence in an attempt to keep other women in that man's sphere of influence safe."

Sharon poses a question: "Let me say from the outset that I don't advocate violence of any sort for any reason but I wonder if the headline was reframed: 'POLITICIAN MURDERED IN VIOLENT ATTACK! 267th MP MURDERED THIS YEAR. IT'S A CRISIS!' Would things be done things be done differently?"

"I can't help but juxtapose the lead on possible actions to curb domestic violence with the day prior's on defence spending," says Andrea from Adelaide. "More than one woman a week dies at the hands of a current or former partner or family member. How many people in Australia die each year from foreign weaponry? (None.)

"My rational brain tells me that we should be spending "defence" money to protect Australians from the threats that are actually killing us, e.g. gender-based violence, suicide, preventable disease, poverty, mental illness, climate events, etc, etc. But apparently the lure of photo ops with big shiny boys' toys and weapons suppliers' corporate hospitality is too ingrained in our politicians."

Carol shares a strategy implemented on a trial basis over a decade ago also in rural North East Victoria. "A simple, effective personal alarm was issued. Putting the perpetrators, victim's families, neighbours and community on notice. Funding was withdrawn ... AFTER ... the program PROVED effective??? ... WHY cannot something so simple, SO cost effective and most importantly SO intimidating to perpetrators NOT be reviewed, if not issues, across the country!"

Jennifer in Canberra says all kinds of violence need attention and intervention. "The harm that is done is immeasurable. It harms the victim, witnesses and the perpetrator, so let's look at the whole picture, beginning with the bullying at it's genesis. Focusing only on violence against women divides people instead of using all our resources to deal with the issue. We need safe havens in every community for those escaping violence wherever it occurs."

"As a bloke I have never understood the whole male violence thing," says Ian. "It's been said a hundred times but it needs to start with young men and boys ... There needs to be a wholesale and wide-ranging effort to promote to young males, concepts of masculinity that are diverse - there are many ways to be a man, all of which involve being authentic to oneself (it's OK to play the flute or have an ant-farm) - and sit squarely within modern concepts of gender equality. There should be educational materials and programs in schools and clubs. We need to revive masculine concepts of kindness, duty and self-sacrifice, not being right but doing right. In the end, it's about values-based self-respect."

Old Donald says: "Can Jenna Price please stand for parliament next time round? And might I just have one sentence today to agree with Caroline from yesterday and thank her for adding strength to my own body donation commitment and views?"