Topics: Digital Duty of Care, Jim Chalmers
Senator Henderson: Well, good morning. Look, I just wanted to start by saying that Anika Wells and the government need to start telling the truth about what is in their Digital Duty of Care bill. We have heard scathing evidence yesterday in our Senate inquiry that this is not fit for purpose. The eSafety Commissioner has launched a scathing attack on the government for removing these mandatory codes and standards, which set out all of the prescriptive obligations on the digital platforms, app store providers, and other online services as to what measures to take to keep Australians safe online. Unlawful material like child sexual abuse material, terrorism material, age-restricted material like eating disorders material and pornography.
So this is a shocking failure of Anika Wells, who clearly does not know what she is doing. We have heard, I totally reject what Sarah Hanson-Young has just said. This bill gives the government and the regulator, wide-ranging discretions including to shut down lawful speech, to shut down what Australians should be able to see and say online. There is a provision in the bill which allows the regulator to determine that any material or conduct is seriously harmful to children. There are no limitations on what she can determine is seriously harmful. So that could include, for instance, material which criticises the government’s climate change policies because the power is there.
We heard yesterday Google has raised serious concerns that they might need to shut down under 18s from accessing Gmail and other services. This is a dog’s breakfast of a bill. We want to see kids safe online. We want to see Australians protected but why on earth is this government removing the mandatory codes and standards, which are fundamental to the operation of the Online Safety Act? And it just goes to show that this minister does not know what she is doing. And for her to go on breakfast radio and say that the online safety of Australians is unregulated, is a blatant Labor lie. And Australians are sick of the lies, it is no wonder that Australians no longer trust, in the large part, the Albanese government.
Journalist: Senator, I may just get your comments on a broader issue today. What do you make of the comments by Cabinet Minister, Murray Watt, urging his backbenchers to not brief or leak against Jim Chalmers?
Senator Henderson: Well, clearly, Jim Chalmers is failing Australians, and Jim Chalmers is toxic within his own party. The Budget is one of the worst things that we have ever seen in this country. Australians are suffering right across the board. The economy is imploding. Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese are primarily responsible for the economic harm being caused to Australians. And it is no wonder that Labor’s backbench is briefing out against Jim Chalmers.
Senator Henderson: Thank you.