By LIAM DURKIN
FORMER Member for Morwell, Russell Northe has spoken publicly for the first time since he was handed a 21-month prison sentence.
The disgraced MP, who battled depression and gambling addiction, addressed the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee last week.
Mr Northe sat alongside former NRL player Luke Bateman as those with lived experience from gambling harm.
Mr Northe was jailed in 2023 after pleading guilty to two charges of misconduct while in public office.
He was charged after using taxpayer cash for administration purposes to fuel his gambling addiction. Mr Northe falsely claimed $175,813.40 in public expenses, which he used on gambling services. It is estimated he accrued gambling debts of around $400,000.
The senate hearing ran as pressure mounts on the Albanese government to introduce tougher gambling reforms.
The senate has been in gridlock over the proposed changes, amid fears consumers are being saturated with gambling ads.
Inducements by gambling companies are also at the crux of the debate.
Mr Northe said he was frequently targeted by inducements during his addiction.
“From my own experience, what happened to me quite regularly was I would open and close accounts on a regular basis, that was a cry to help for me, closing an account (trying to get out) during that period where I was stopped gambling and I had closed an account, I would be targeted, contacted by the gambling company to reopen an account again, with inducements and incentives, so that was certainly the tactic that was used in my experience,” he explained.
“I’ve seen my file notes on accounts where it says explicitly this customer has closed their account, let’s offer them some bonus bets, inducements to reopen an account.”
The Coalition (who Mr Northe served from 2006 until leaving the Nationals in 2017), Greens and senate crossbenchers are all calling for sweeping changes to the country’s gambling reforms.
Calls to ban inducements came after strong allegations from Mr Bateman that betting companies offered drugs and even prostitutes in order to keep people on the punt.
Mr Northe cited the Murphy Report (You wins some, you lose more, published in 2023) during his testimony last week.
“On recommendation 16 of the Murphy Report, it says to ban inducements without delay,” he said.
“Here we are, 1132 days down the track and it’s still happening.
“What carnage has been caused in that time?”
The bill proposes advertising restrictions on gambling ads to three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, on radio during school pick-up and drop-off times, as well as logo bans on professional sporting uniforms or in stadiums.
Communications Minister Anika Wells will attempt to negotiate with the Coalition and Greens this week. Her predecessor Michelle Rowland had previously proposed a limit of two gambling ads per hour.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson slammed the bill.
“The bill ignores gambling inducements which are causing immeasurable harm to some Australians,” she said.
“There is mounting evidence legislative action is required to combat predatory inducements which target high risk or vulnerable gamblers.
“The government’s bill, on its face, permits up to three gambling ads per hour during children’s television which is untenable.
“For live sport streamed online, Labor’s proposal would allow gambling ads to appear during any break in play, even after a goal is scored, which is currently prohibited. The five-minute gambling ad blackout which applies before and after live sport, between 5am and 8.30pm, has also been removed.”
Mr Northe has been largely unseen in the Latrobe Valley since he left politics four years ago.
A Latrobe Valley court heard Mr Northe was working as a manager at Coles in Cowes in 2023.
Mr Northe served as the Member for Morwell from 2006 until retiring before the 2022 state election.
It was reported he owed local businesses and people in the Latrobe Valley community more than $400,000 in 2018. He had paid back more than $250,000 of the $675,000 owed, the Herald Sun reported.
He served with the Nationals from 2006 until taking indefinite leave in 2017 to deal with depression. Mr Northe quit the Nationals that same year.
Somewhat ironically given the Gippsland New Energy Conference begins next week, Mr Northe had a brief stint as the state’s Minister for Energy and Resources in 2014.
Away from politics, he was a champion local footballer, described by many as the one of the best players to ever play in the Gippsland League. He apparently handled the wet ball better than anyone.
His battles with gambling addiction were well-documented.
The issue was thrust further into the spotlight after this year’s Victorian state budget, when it was announced the then Allan-government reached an agreement with The Lottery Corporation on a 40-year extension of the Victorian public lottery licence.
The existing 10-year agreement with The Lottery Corporation was set to expire on June 30, 2028. As part of the extension, The Lottery Corporation will pay the government $1.145 billion upfront.
The extension was awarded following a period of exclusive, bilateral negotiations between the government and The Lottery Corporation, although many voters simply viewed it as a way for a cash-strapped government to ensure some income was reaching its coffers.
The power of betting agencies was demonstrated during COVID, when virtually every sport bar horse racing was banned.
Racing Victoria pocketed $16.6 million in COVID “emergency funding” from the government in the first year of the pandemic.
Online betting rose by nearly 25 per cent when the pandemic first hit.
If you or someone you know needs help, phone:
Gambler’s Help: 1800 858 858
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
