David Pocock booted from Parliamentary Sports Club after calling out lobbying sponsorship, questioning Anthony Albanese’s presidency
“I have always found you to be a kind and pleasant person who bears the title of sports hall of fame in Parliament well and you have been a valued member of the club,” Turnbull wrote.
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“Unfortunately, this week you have thwarted 20 years of serious effort to bring a harmonious and enjoyable environment to a small portion of each sitting day.
“You have chosen a cheap method that will not affect the outcome of your anti-gambling campaign. I am sorry that the matter has come to this, but you have left me no other choice. I wish you success in your anti-gambling campaign.”
Pocock, the former captain of the Australian men’s rugby team, said: “There is nothing cheap about questioning the propriety of the Australian prime minister being president of an organization that receives money from the gambling lobby and is also on the list of lobbyists.”
In a statement released on Friday, Pocock said Responsible Wagering Australia’s sponsorship showed the club was open to use by “vested interests”.
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Pocock said in a statement: “I was shocked to learn that the club was selling parliamentarians’ access to corporations and their representatives. Being expelled from the club for raising concerns about gambling lobbyists buying access to the club shows the influence of vested interests here in parliament and how normalized this has become.”
“It’s no wonder we haven’t seen action to put an end to gambling advertising,” he said.
Lynda Voltz, the NSW Labor MP for the state seat of Auburn who co-ordinates the club’s state equivalent and has worked directly with Turnbull, said: “Frankly, I think it’s a disgrace.”
“Pocock has the right to ask questions in the Senate picks, and the House Sports Club should not have the right to choose who plays based on the questions asked in the Senate picks,” Voltz said.
“Firing Pocock for his comments gets to the heart of his arguments,” he said.
Independent MP for Sydney’s eastern ward of Warringah, Allegra Harcama, described the expulsion of Pocock, who resigned from the club earlier this week over his involvement with gambling firms, as “an absolute disgrace”.
“The sports club should represent the love of sport, not the sad addiction of politicians to the gambling lobby,” he said in a statement.
“I cannot be part of a club that supports the gambling lobby.”
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who regularly attends the sports club, said Pocock should be reinstated and said: “Rugby is played in the paddock, not in the changing rooms.”
“[With regard to Pocock’s criticism]Anthony Albanese is probably a bit tougher than he’s given credit for, and this criticism probably doesn’t bother him too much. “We must all move on, Pocock must be reinstated,” Joyce said.
Responsible Betting Australia chief Kai Cantwell said: “Parliamentary sport has never been about lobbying; it’s about giving not just parliamentarians but everyone working in the house a rare chance to step away from demanding schedules and enjoy an hour of exercise.”
“RWA’s work on regulation and harm reduction takes place through appropriate parliamentary and regulatory processes, not on the sporting field.”
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