An MP Asked What's the Point of a Gambling Inquiry If Nothing Changes

Nationals MP Pat Conaghan gave a speech in parliament on 13 August 2026 demanding action on gambling reform. He pointed to evidence from a parliamentary inquiry that heard this month about betting companies targeting vulnerable people. The Guardian

Conaghan's speech relied on testimony from former rugby league player Luke Bateman. Bateman told the inquiry that gambling company promoters gave him cocaine and alcohol, and that the betting industry showed no duty of care toward him. The inquiry reported its findings in August 2026.

The bill Conaghan is pushing is called the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026. It is a private member's bill, which means it was introduced by an individual MP rather than by the government. These kinds of bills rarely become law without wide support across parliament. Hansard, the official record of what happens in parliament, listed the bill as before the House of Representatives on 2 July 2026, with a reporting date in August after a three-month inquiry. The Hansard office publishes transcripts and runs an X account called @AUS_Hansard that posts when new transcripts are available.

Here is why the bill's chances are slim without government help. A private member's bill needs a majority vote to pass, but it also needs the government to make time for it on parliament's schedule. The Coalition opposition cannot control what gets debated. Labor, as the government, decides that. Conaghan can keep pushing, but whether the bill actually gets to a vote is up to the government.

Bateman's allegations gave Conaghan's speech its sharpest edge. The claim that betting promoters helped a client access drugs and alcohol while having no legal duty of care is the kind of evidence that puts pressure on MPs who might rather leave the issue sitting in a committee.

The broader picture is that Conaghan's question, captured in the Guardian's footage, is really a challenge to parliament itself. When an MP asks what the point of an inquiry is if it produces evidence of wrongdoing but nothing changes, he is criticising the committee system, not just gambling policy. It is an argument that resonates with colleagues who have watched inquiry recommendations get quietly ignored.

There is also a political dynamic worth noting. Conaghan is a Nationals MP pushing a reform that clashes with the more libertarian leanings of parts of the Coalition base. Gambling reform has traditionally been treated as a conscience issue, where parties do not force their MPs to vote a particular way. By sponsoring this bill and using inquiry testimony to apply public pressure, Conaghan is signalling he plans to keep pushing through August and beyond.