The Parliamentary Sports Club has booted out Senator David Pocock. Photo: Supplied.
ACT independent Senator and former Wallabies captain David Pocock has been booted off Parliament House’s social sporting club for daring to raise concerns about its links to the gambling industry.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is president of the club.
During Senate Estimates hearings this week, Senator Pocock raised the issue of the Australian Parliament Sports Club having registered itself as a lobby group with clients from (among others) the gambling, alcohol, big pharma and fossil fuel sectors.
Many sporting peak bodies have also been listed as its clients.
The gambling lobby sponsors the club through the peak representative body, Responsible Wagering Australia.
Senator Pocock asked if it was appropriate for the PM to be the president of a lobby group sponsored by the gambling industry and whether lobbyists were buying access to the Federal Government through the club.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who was fielding questions for the government in the hearing, said it was outrageous to make such a suggestion.
By Friday morning (10 October), Mr Albanese had himself dismissed the claim, saying being president of the club “comes with the gig” of being PM and that Senator Pocock was chasing more media.
The PM praised the club for raising money for charity, adding that he had spent no time this year involved in the club’s sporting events.
“I have participated in zero events in terms of sports, just because I’m a bit busy,” he said.
“But I tell you what, things like playing football, as they do with the people who sell the Big Issue and homeless people, is a good thing.
“A bit of fun playing State of Origin that David Pocock has participated in. You know, last time I did participate, David Pocock was participating as well, so that’s a question for Mr Pocock.”
The game the Prime Minister is referring to took place in July. The parliamentary sports club didn’t register as a lobby group until two months later, so it is unclear what question the PM thinks should be asked of Senator Pocock.
The club has also confirmed it had kicked Senator Pocock from its membership list on Thursday evening.
The Senator is barred from attending the club’s games and social events, as well as participating in chat groups.
Senator Pocock said he was “dismayed” at the club’s action, which was making a decision to remove a parliamentarian from its membership rather than tighten the criteria of companies that can sponsor the club.
He said the club should reconsider whether a parliamentary sports club should have corporate sponsors at all.
“Sport brings people together and I have loved being an active participant in the parliamentary sports club since being elected,” Senator Pocock said.
“The parliamentary sports club provides a valuable opportunity to bring parliamentarians and their staff from across the political spectrum together to build positive relationships in an otherwise combative arena.
“I was shocked to learn that the club was selling access to parliamentarians to companies and their representatives.
“Being kicked out of the club for raising concerns around gambling lobbyists buying access to the club shows the influence vested interests have here in parliament and just how normalised this has become.
“It’s no wonder we haven’t seen the action to end gambling advertising the majority of Australians are desperate to see when gambling lobbyists are calling the shots in Canberra.”
Club sponsorships starting at $2500 have been sold by the club, with Responsible Wagering Australia – the peak body for gambling companies like SportsBet – being among the takers.
Senator Pocock first raised the issue privately with the club’s chief executive Andy Turnbull, but went public in Estimates after receiving an unsatisfactory response.
Mr Turnbull told Senator Pocock in writing that he was no longer welcome at the club.
The club organises friendly morning sports games between parliamentarians, political staffers, public servants and (it seems) lobbyists.
It registered as a lobby group on 22 September on the Attorney-General’s Register of Lobbyists.
As clubs go, though, the parliamentary sporting club is far less formalised than some of parliament’s other social groups.
