Live: Liberal MP signals Coalition will seek to strengthen gambling ad laws

Liberal MP Simon Kennedy has signalled the Coalition will seek to strengthen the government's gambling advertising laws before parliament.Follow all the updates in our live blog. Tue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:27amTue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:27amRishworth says interest rates and supply also contribute to negative equityEmployment Minister Amanda Rishworth has appeared on a Channel Nine panel this morning where she's been asked about One Nation and negative equity.Pauline Hanson barred ABC, The Age and The Guardian journalists from a press conference unveiling her Victorian upper house election candidates yesterday.The employment minister says politicians need to be accountable, and sometimes that involves answering uncomfortable questions."As a politician, you have to turn up and answer questions, so by saying you've got nothing to hide, I don't know why she would want to bar ABC, The Age, The Guardian. I'm not sure who was left at her press conference," Rishworth says.Meanwhile, the latest figures from property data firm Cotality show national property prices in July fell 0.7 per cent, making it the largest single monthly decline in value since December 2022.Asked about negative equity concerns among mortgage holders, Rishworth says several factors contribute to negative equity, including interest rates and supply."We have seen in the recent past, for example in 2022 there was when interest rates went up, there was a fall in house prices over the short term. Over the long term, Treasury is very clear that there will be a sustainable increase in house prices," Rishworth says.Tue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:14amTue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:14amJane Hume rules out coalition with One Nation after next electionActing Opposition Leader Jane Hume has repeated that the Coalition will not enter an alliance with One Nation after the next election.On Sunday, the Liberal senator categorically ruled out governing in a coalition with the right-wing party on Insiders.Asked again on Channel Nine whether the Liberals will form a coalition with Pauline Hanson's party, Hume says: "Not on my watch"."Never under my watch will there be a coalition between the Liberal Party and One Nation," Hume says."We are not forming a coalition with One Nation. I can guarantee you of that."But would the Liberals do a preference deal with One Nation at the next election? Hume has left the door open to it."Preferences are always a discussion that occurs just before an election, once we know who the candidates are, once we know what their policies are."Tue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:03amTue 4 Aug 2026 at 7:03amLiberal MP says he supports efforts to strengthen gambling advertising lawsLiberal MP Simon Kennedy says he supports greater action to tackle gambling inducements, following claims gambling companies had offered problem gamblers drugs and escorts to keep them losing money.The government's digital advertising reforms, which require the support of the Coalition or the Greens to pass the Senate, restrict TV and radio gambling ads during certain times but provide no limits on digital ads unless a person chooses to opt-out.Kennedy, who has previously called for digital advertising to be opt-in rather than opt-out, says the claims of "predatory inducements", aired during a parliamentary committee into the reforms, illustrate a need to impose a "duty of care" on the industry.He insists the Coalition will ensure the government's reforms are strengthened."We will be strengthening these laws and I will be fighting for that," he said."I don't care who that's working with. I'm not worried about political alliances, what I'm worried about is protecting vulnerable Australians and children from predatory gambling advertising."Tue 4 Aug 2026 at 6:59amTue 4 Aug 2026 at 6:59amGood morning 👋Hello and welcome to our federal politics live blog! It's great to have you join us early on this Tuesday morning.I'm Josh Boscaini, joining you live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's federal politics news!I'm not sure what today could bring us, but let's get right into it and see what happens in the wonderful world of politics.