Topics: eSafety Commissioner, Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, social media ban, Sex Discrimination Act
Alex Thomas: It’s time to speak to Shadow Communications Minister, Sarah Henderson, who joins us live now. Good morning to you, how concerned are you by what you heard from the eSafety Commissioner at the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion?
Senator Henderson: Alex, good morning. I’m concerned about the online safety of every Australian and that is why we are taking such a strong stand in relation to the Bill before the Parliament right now. Unfortunately, we are seeing time and time again where this Minister for Communications, Anika Wells, is incompetent. She is not doing a good enough job and she is continuing, along with the Prime Minister, to compromise the online safety of all Australians. So we need to do everything possible to protect, particularly children, but all Australians from insidious online harm.
Alex Thomas: She was making the claim that X fought to keep up online those gory videos from the Bondi Beach massacre.
Senator Henderson: Well, that is concerning, Alex, but you know, I think all Australians are concerned about online safety right across the board, and particularly the social media platforms. And we have seen the social media ban. The only thing the government has done in four years is put in place a defective social media ban which has been rushed, which has been poorly designed and very badly implemented. And now, what we are dealing with right now in parliament, is a mad scramble by this incompetent minister to fix her broken ban.
We won’t stand for it. These sorts of laws need proper scrutiny and transparency and accountability, and as a Parliament, Alex, we have a responsibility to do everything possible to keep children safe online and Australians safe online. And that is why we have initiated a Senate inquiry into amendments to the Online Safety Act which are currently before the parliament because they’re not good enough. We already know, I think, that the minister has made some gross mistakes. She’s rushed this through again, and Australian parents, Australian children, and all Australians deserve so much better.
Alex Thomas: I mean, adjacent to online abuse is the story we’re running today, Andrew Hastie, telling us here at Sky News that he was essentially threatened ahead of time by a senior One Nation figure, following or ahead of that abusive online campaign that he’s faced, that’s led to increased police security at his home and his office. Is this a taste of things to come in political campaigning?
Senator Henderson: Well, we’re obviously all really concerned and I really feel for Andrew with what he’s going through. As elected representatives, we need to know that we can do our job and, and be safe in the way that we do our job. But when our families come into the picture and when their safety is at issue, that’s very, very concerning.
Alex Thomas We’ve seen calls today from former New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott, for Angus Taylor to resign over his links to a central figure in a corruption probe. Should he go?
Senator Henderson: Alex, this is just ridiculous. I’m sorry. We’re not going to buy into that rubbish from New South Wales Labor. The fact of the matter is that Angus is doing a superb job. We are working very hard to hold this terrible, shocking, lying, deceiving government to account, which has sold out every single Australian including, of course, its Budget of broken promises and lies.
Alex Thomas: And you must have sympathy as well for the Liberal Party in your home state of Victoria, facing a legal challenge now from Moira Deeming. Has she gone too far?
Senator Henderson: Well, I am personally disappointed that Moira did not withdraw her police complaint and apologise to Matthew Guy. I really feel for Matthew Guy. The allegations that were made against him were completely unfounded and this is now, of course, a matter for the internal processes within the Victorian Division of the party.
Alex Thomas: Okay, I mean, there is the concern, isn’t there? That she’s maybe throwing away some of the sympathy that she built up over that 2023 expulsion from the party, that was in connection to the ongoing debate about the definition of sex in our laws, in our society. Former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, admitting it was a different time in 2012 when her government changed the definition of sex in the Sex Discrimination Act. Is it time to take another look at that?
Senator Henderson: Of course and it was an absolute disgrace that when we put our private senator’s bill into the Senate, it was blocked by Labor and the Greens. The removal of biological sex from the Sex Discrimination Act is appalling, and this was done by Julia Gillard. So, she needs to take responsibility for, frankly, compromising the rights, the dignity, and the privacy of Australian women who have been effectively expunged from being protected under the Sex Discrimination Act. The Coalition is determined to fix this law and Julia Gillard needs to take a lot of responsibility for what she did.
Alex Thomas: Okay, Shadow Communications Minister, Sarah Henderson, thanks for your time on the show today.
Senator Henderson: Thank you.