Hello and welcome to our national news blog for Wednesday, August 19. It’s been a big week for federal politics already, as the government makes significant headway on its gambling and NDIS reforms. Here’s what is making news today.

• Labor’s gambling reforms passed through the House of Representatives yesterday. The laws will allow people to opt-out of gambling advertising, but have copped heavy criticism from opponents who say they do not go far enough to protect people, including children and young adults, from gambling harms.
• Sweeping cuts to the NDIS are expected to become law as early as this week, after the government’s NDIS Reform Bill passed the Senate last night. The contentious overhaul should recoup $37 billion for the federal budget over four years, and $150 billion in a decade.
• AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon released a statement last night responding to news that police were investigating an alleged incident of sexual assault involving a group of Sydney Swans players. “Our first question should not be what this means for a football club. It should be whether our actions match the standards we stand for and the community expects of us,” the statement said. Last night, the Swans issued a separate statement saying the club would finalise sanctions for “all players involved”, as the club board decided on punishments in a late-night crisis meeting.
• And mushroom murderer Erin Patterson will return to court today to appeal her convictions after she was found guilty of using poisonous mushrooms to murder relatives Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and was found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. Patterson was sentenced to life in jail, with a non-parole period of 33 years.