“The government has been working hard on a comprehensive approach to tackling gambling harm.”

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Costello, who lives in the south-eastern Melbourne seat of Dunkley, said the government should have announced new laws to enact Murphy’s recommendations, which he suggested branding “Murphy’s law”, ahead of the byelection.

“It’s one of the most socially significant and courageous recommendations in recent political history and it would have been fitting to highlight it and honour her,” he said.

“She was courageous and morally clear on sports betting ads and protecting children from grooming. That would be applauded by most of this nation, including people in Dunkley.”

A spokesman for Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who has consistently said she is committed to harm reduction, said the minister had been meeting with public health experts, academics and harm-reduction advocates.

Gambling policy has not featured as an issue in the lead-up to Saturday’s byelection, which has been focused on the cost-of-living debate.

Labor ads designed to test voter responses to potential Liberal attack lines have been leaked, revealing the government was worried it would be attacked as anti-Victorian.

“Sydneysider Anthony Albanese has cut infrastructure funding,” runs one of the ads, which were tested in focus groups as Labor prepared for the campaign.

Another referenced Labor’s decision to axe the Frankston-Baxter rail route in the electorate, while yet another stated Labor’s infrastructure decisions represented the “worst rip-off Victorians have ever faced by a federal government”.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said the fake ads proved Labor was sensitive about how its funding decisions would be received in Dunkley.

“Labor can’t spin their way out of infrastructure cuts that even [Victorian Labor treasurer] Tim Pallas describes as a ‘shocker’,” she said.

”These mock attack ads show Labor knows it has done the wrong thing and is war gaming against the very people who have been betrayed.”

A Labor campaign spokesperson said the party expected Dutton to go negative.