Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young threatens to block ‘full of holes’ gambling reform in Senate showdown

The Albanese government faces the prospect of its gambling reforms being blocked in the Senate as Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young warns she will vote against the legislation unless ministers agree to tougher measures.

Ms Hanson-Young criticised the package as “full of holes” and said the Greens are not prepared to support the legalisation in its current form.

“I’m not prepared to vote for what’s on the table at the moment … I have said to the the government – if you are not prepared to do what’s needs here, well we’ll take this out of your hands and do it in the Senate ourselves,” she told the ABC in an appearance on Insiders on Sunday morning.

She argued that there was enough opposition within the Senate to force changes of the government’s proposal, including among Labor MPs.

“Because the majority of senators know that what the government has put on the table is not good enough including a bunch of their backbenchers,” Ms Hanson-Young said.

The Coalition has already indicated it will oppose the legislation as it stands. Opposition communications spokesperson Sarah Henderson said last week that the Coalition would vote against the package in its current form.

Ms Hanson-Young said she had discussed the proposed reforms with Communications Minister Anika Wells but wanted the government to make clear what changes it was willing to consider.

“I have had some conversations with the minister about this, and I was really clear that what is on the table is not enough,” Ms Hanson-Young added.

“I haven’t spoke to the Prime Minister about this yet. But the government has got to put its cards on the table.”

She also said if the government wanted the Green’s support it should quit “playing games” and put vulnerable Australians first.