Greens say leaked classified document on pokies reform ‘a huge concern’
Henry Belot
The NSW Greens party says a leaked classified document recommending anonymous gambling on poker machines continue until 2028 is “a huge concern”.
A draft report by the independent panel for gaming reform’s executive committee has recommended a “centralised account-based gaming system” be launched in 2027, before becoming mandatory for all venues in 2028.
This new system would be linked to a statewide self-exclusion register and facial recognition technology. It should also collect data “to enable automated risk monitoring” of transactions.
Cate Faehrmann, who leads the NSW Greens’ gambling portfolio, says the government cannot afford to wait until 2028 for a mandatory system.
At this rate, it doesn’t seem as though there is going to be anything resembling cashless gambling in NSW in this term of government.
Given NSW has more than 87,000 poker machines, it will be incredibly disappointing if the report doesn’t offer recommendations as to how to reduce this number.
If an account-based system means that people are identified and need a card or digital wallet to play, which isn’t linked to their bank accounts and sets play and daily limits, then that sounds promising.
The executive committee’s recommendations have been shared with a broader panel of stakeholders and are now being debated.
The NSW government has notreceived a final copy of the report and says it won’t speculate on what it will recommend.
Key events
Catie McLeod
Suppliers do not pay Coles for better supermarket shelf positions, inquiry told
The Coles chief commercial officer, Anna Croft, says the supermarket giant doesn’t allow suppliers to pay for “better shelf positions” but they do pay to be part of promotions.
Croft and other senior Coles executives have been giving evidence for a second day at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry into the supermarket sector.
Under questioning by the counsel assisting the inquiry, Naomi Sharp SC, Croft said that in most cases suppliers paid Coles if they wanted to “grow their volume” by having their products promoted to shoppers.
Sharp said:
When we put a promotional plan together, we will agree … collaboratively with our suppliers in terms of how we want to think about growing their volume.
And if we are going to promote, the supplier would make a contribution to that promotional time.
Croft said many suppliers made a financial contribution to help cover the difference if Coles were to reduce the standard retail price of an item to sell it at a lower, promotional price.
However, she said it was “not uncommon” for Coles to promote fresh meat and produce on its own, without requiring suppliers to pay the supermarket.
Croft said it was “more unusual” for the suppliers of packaged goods to have their products promoted without making a financial contribution.
The ACCC is due to hand its final report from its inquiry to the federal government by the end of February.
Here’s a few more pictures from the Rising Tide climate protest in Newcastle.
The always excellent Weekly Beast is up:
Childish Gambino Australian tour cancelled
Childish Gambino has cancelled his Australian tour. The rapper, real name Donald Glover Jr, said in a statement via Frontier Touring:
Unfortunately, my path to recovery is taking longer than expected. The upcoming concerts in Australia and New Zealand are cancelled. One of the last things I’d ever want to do is disappoint my fans. I really appreciate the support you have shown and know that I will do what I can to give u an exceptional experience when the time is right. Thank you
If you’re interested in the cricket, and I am very sympathetic to that view, you can find our coverage over here (lunch break almost finished):
Sarah Basford Canales
Nacc inspector, Furness, sees public benefit from corrupt conduct findings
The Nacc inspector, Gail Furness SC, said the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (better known as ICAC) believes its role is to make findings of corrupt conduct.
Furness is also the NSW ICAC inspector.
The Indi MP, Helen Haines, had asked her why it’s important for anti-corruption bodies to make corrupt conduct findings, even if there is no possibility of criminal charges or financial compensation.
Haines asked the question because the Nacc earlier said “stamping” corrupt conduct on robodebt referrals would not have advanced the public interest because it could not do anything beyond that.
Furness replied:
If I can, in answering that question, have regard to my other hat, which is as [ICAC inspector]. That body doesn’t, and never has, and has never sought … any power other than to refer for consideration to the DPP if they think there may well be some criminal conduct.
But generally they make findings of corrupt conduct. They consider that to be their role, and I consider that there’s public benefit in a finding of corrupt conduct, based on my experience with the ICAC and my understanding of how they work and the results of their work.”
Man dies in helicopter crash in south of NSW
A man has died after a helicopter crash in the south of NSW.
NSW police said in a statement that just before 12pm emergency services were called to One Tree, about 40km west of Hay, after reports of a helicopter crash.
A man believed to be aged in his 40s who was a passenger in the helicopter was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
He is yet to be formally identified.
The pilot – a 39-year-old man – was treated for minor injuries before being taken to a Melbourne hospital in a stable condition.
Police said:
A crime scene has been established by officers attached to Murrumbidgee Police District and an investigation into the cause of the crash will be undertaken by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
Sarah Basford Canales
Inspector received unprecedented number of complaints about Nacc’s robodebt decision
The Nacc inspector, Gail Furness SC, says it was “not a difficult decision” to investigate the Nacc’s decision not to dismiss robodebt referrals.
At a parliamentary inquiry on Friday afternoon, the watchdog’s watchdog says she never received, or heard of others receiving, so many complaints about the same matter in her time.
Furness says:
My jurisdiction as set out in the act was the conflict of interest, which was raised by a number of people, and the terms of the media release, they particularly generated my concern, given the nature of my jurisdiction. In my experience of complaints, which goes back some time, I don’t think I’ve ever received, or heard of that number of complaints being received, about the same matter in a way that they were not automatically generated, so it was not a difficult decision.
Sarah Basford Canales
Some current Nacc investigations could cross ‘exceptional circumstances’ bar, Brereton says
The Nacc’s appearance has now wrapped up and the inspector, Gail Furness, is now fronting politicians at its inquiry.
But before we bring you that, let’s revisit a notable non-robodebt-related detail revealed.
The Nacc has held a number of private hearings since it opened its doors in July 2023. The hearings have been as a result of seven investigations featuring 26 people.
The Nacc can hold public hearings if there are “exceptional circumstances” – a bar criticised for being too high by transparency advocates and many crossbenchers.
The commissioner, Paul Brereton, says “none of them have crossed the exceptional circumstances line” but there were “a couple of investigations on foot at the moment that could potentially get there”.
Brereton says public hearings can occur if there is a “high level of confidence” that corrupt conduct can be found.
I think the prominence of the person of interest and their position will be a relevant consideration, because if the investigation involves someone in a high public office, that might make the circumstances exceptional.
Circling back to our earlier post, Nationals senator Matt Canavan has said he is “uncomfortable” with the responsibility being given to the eSafety Commissioner through the social media age limit bill.
In a post to X, he wrote:
I am also uncomfortable with the eSafety Commissioner having this responsibility. Whatever you think of [Julie Inman Grant] the fact is she has not established widespread trust and support for her role.
She has too often veered into opining about what she thinks the world should look like. Such discretionary, political rhetoric reduces trust in public officials who should simply and dispassionately apply the law.
The eSafety Commissioner was contacted for a response. Her team pointed to a statement she issued yesterday on the legislation, which welcomed its introduction:
While the final contents and passage of the legislation remains a matter for Parliament, should it become law, eSafety looks forward to working closely with government, industry and the Australian community to ensure its effective implementation.
Emily Wind
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today – and throughout the week! Nino Bucci will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.
Brereton apologises for misleading public in media statement
Sarah Basford Canales
The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, has apologised for misleading the public in a media statement suggesting the public service commission could sanction five of the six robodebt referrals it declined to investigate.
To recap, the Nacc’s watchdog, the inspector of the Nacc, found its media statement was “misleading” because it claimed the Australian Public Service Commission “had remedial powers and could impose a sanction in relation to the persons referred”. The inspectors report said:
In fact, it could not because five of the referred persons were no longer public servants and the sixth never was a public servant and the APSC could only impose a sanction on current public servants.
At his appearance at a parliamentary inquiry this afternoon, Brereton said the Nacc didn’t have the “disciplinary powers” the APSC had but conceded he hadn’t considered they could not be used against the referrals.
Unfortunately, in stating that in the context of this case, that gave the impression that it could imply sanctions in the present case when it couldn’t, because by then, all the public servants had left the APS. It was not our intention, it was not my intention, to convey that impression, but I accept that that was the effect, as we said in our submissions to the inspector. That was unintentional, and we are sorry for it.
The Greens senator, David Shoebridge, said Brereton must have already known the public servants had left their jobs and could therefore not be sanctioned when the statement was released.
Brereton rejected the assertion, calling it “offensive” and “false”. He said:
I do not believe that I knew that all of them had left, although I certainly knew that most of them had. I did not, at the time of approving that release, turn my mind to that factor.
