"The reality is that Albanese does not want to upset the profitable nexus between sport, gambling and television. He has been convinced that without gambling revenue, television would not survive, and without television licensing deals sporting codes would not be able to support children’s football.

"It’s a sorry world if an under-7s side is dependent on gambling addicts for its existence. Somehow, this is the world in which Albanese lives. It’s very unlikely this is true, but it sounds convincing in the box at State of Origin. If it were true, of course, the government could always step in and fund children’s sport. That would require strength and decisiveness and several other attributes that on this issue elude Albanese."

#LaborValues #AusPol #Gambling
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/editorial/2026/04/04/albaneses-gamble

Albanese’s gamble

This is how Anthony Albanese works: he takes too long to make a decision and when he finally does the decision he makes is too weak. He is like an orange tree fruiting in summer, small and pale and sparsely set. Politically, this is a terrible characteristic. He weathers all the opprobrium of indecision and then, in eventually acting, reminds everyone of his inadequacy. Speed is not traded for thoughtfulness or thoughtfulness traded for urgency. He is simply slow and wrong. He is at once late, indecisive and insubstantial.

The Saturday Paper
@luciedigitalni personally I have sympathy for Albo, particularly with the failure of the voice referendum (and before him with scomo and the bushfires&covid). I think he has learnt the lesson (not unjustified) that his principle job is to keep Australians safe - undisturbed from change.
I wonder it says more about us.

@markopolo141 @luciedigitalni Governments like to "Nanny-state" us (alcohol laws, drug laws, gay marriage laws, drink driving & phone use laws, social media laws, anti-protrst laws, laws against saying particular phrases).

The difference with the gambling ad ban law is there is a rich lobbyist whispering into the ear of every PM there is (or will be) telling them this law is baaaaaad. Same goes for much needed climate/environment laws.

#auspol