Australian Parliament Sports Club de-registered as lobby group

The Australian Parliamentary Sports Club (APSC) has been deregistered as a lobby group, just days after independent Senator David Pocock was kicked out of the club after his links to the gambling lobby were questioned, Senate estimates suggest.

The club’s CEO Andy Turnbull, a businessman who runs a sporting events company, also said: cricket It said its members, including senators, had been informed on 40 occasions that a betting industry lobby group was a “corporate member” of the club and that its chief executive had played football with the club on several occasions.

APSC, which bills itself as a grassroots sports club that organizes friendly games between political insiders, politicians, lobbyists and journalists, was recently registered as a lobby group after its sponsorship was removed from the gambling industry lobby. condemned. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the club’s chairman.

On Monday morning, Turnbull said: cricket He said he initially registered the organization as a lobby group “on the advice of a very senior member”. [Attorney-General’s] However, he also revealed that he had received conflicting advice from the Australian Government Register of Lobbyists, which told him “it looks like… you don’t need to register”.

“Based on the advice given above, this morning [October 13, 2025] his record has been expunged,” Turnbull explained.

Turnbull’s company is called Sports Hydrant and he has been a registered lobbyist since September 8, 2009. He registered for APSC for the first time on September 22 this year; Deregistering the club means the club has spent less than a month. registration of lobbyists.

The statement said betting industry lobby group Responsible Wagering Australia has been a member of the sports club since July 2023 and has since “notified members and senators of Responsible Wagering Australia and other corporate members by emailing them 40 times”.

“In addition, all members who played football (soccer) have since played on Wednesday mornings with the CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia. Many other sporting events have also taken place.

“For 20 years the sports club has generated income from corporate members and sponsors without a single person having to ask a single question. Given that it has been informed every session week for 20 years, it is reasonable to assume that everyone is happy with the arrangements.”

Turnbull said he was concerned about the “due process” issue after Pocock raised the issue of the gambling lobby’s sponsorship of the club in Senate estimates, and then described Pocock’s position as “indefensible”.

Turnbull initially said he was “tasked to do everything” regarding the club’s activities “at the behest of politicians 15-20 years ago”.

However, one of the politicians of that period said this: cricket “There was never a clear understanding of why Andy Turnbull was involved,” he said on condition of anonymity.

“It was almost like he liked hanging out with politicians.”

An insider disputed the idea that the fixtures were not being used for lobbying purposes – with Turnbull saying “unwritten rule“No issues should be discussed on the pitch – comparing this to similar rules in men’s clubs.

“Nothing happens without a reason in Canberra. It’s an expensive city to go to.”

“Why are the NRL, Football Australia, the Olympic Committee and others paying the Parliamentary Sports Club to run events in Parliament? Because the Parliamentary Sports Club says they have access to Ministers and MPs. The business may not be being discussed on the field, but they are selling access under another name.”

Senator Pocock told cricket The current state of lobbying laws was “breached”, with the sports club said to resemble a “cash-for-access scheme”.

On 10 October, after Pocock raised issues with the club’s lobbying status during Senate estimates, booted Turnbull leaving the club in a move that would burst the Canberra bubble.

After and after the backlash from across the political spectrum resignations Anthony Albanese took a step back on the statements he made at a meeting after many independent MPs, including Monique Ryan, Sophie Scamps and Allegra Harcayıcı, came from the club. morning press conference He describes the plot as “David Pocock being David Pocock, inserting himself into a story.”

The Prime Minister also said, “The amount of time I spent at the Australian Parliament Sports Club this year is zero.” although he spoke at the National Press Club earlier this year. For the opening of the club.

On Friday afternoon, Albanese suggested Pocock be invited again, saying “participation should be open to everyone”. Following the Prime Minister’s comments on Friday afternoon, an offer was made to Pocock. rejected.

Pocock said he would only rejoin after a “transparent” process in which all memberships would be re-evaluated.

You can read Turnbull’s comments cricket all below.