Crossbenchers have urged Labor MPs who privately support bans on online gambling ads to publicly back the idea and stand up against the “vested interests” of media and gambling companies.

The call comes as the release of Communication Minister Michelle Rowland’s diary shows that it was media executives — not betting companies — who were afforded early in-person meetings with the minister to discuss the government’s contentious gambling ad reforms.

Labor is set to introduce its long-awaited gambling package to Parliament, though it will fall short of the sweeping reforms recommended by a cross-party committee chaired by the late MP, Peta Murphy.

According to a proposal put to stakeholders who have signed confidentiality agreements, first reported by Nine newspapers, the government plans to put a cap on how many ads can run on TV rather than a blanket ban.

Former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull this weekend called for a total ban on online gambling ads, after reports Labor was instead considering a cap. On Monday, a group of crossbenchers joined gambling reform advocate Tim Costello in Parliament to claim Labor MPs privately supported a total ban and demand they make that stance public.