Anika Wells
Lilley · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Eight years ago, this parliament came together in a bipartisan effort to ban what was then the primary form of foreign lottery operations in our market: lottery betting services.”
“It will be up to online platforms to implement these restrictions, and, if they choose not to, then the rules are clear: they can't show gambling ads at any time, to anyone. Sport ban The government is determined to act on the nexus that has formed between our love of the game and the push to gamble.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The recent statutory review of BetStop the National Self-Exclusion Register, tabled in February 2026, found only one in four people are aware that BetStop exists. And among people who placed a bet in the last 12 months, it was still only one in three.”
“But this critical service can be even stronger and more effective. The world is changing rapidly, and gambling companies are taking advantage of this.”
“Placing an obligation on digital services, including search engines and app providers, to block access and advertising to illegal gambling services online. 4.”
“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. Introduction This bill will introduce a meaningful and impactful suite of reforms to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from gambling harms.”
The complete record
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“I thank the member for Cunningham for her question and acknowledge her relentless advocacy for improved telecommunications in her community. The Albanese Labor government is getting on with the job of providing every Australian with reliable high-speed broadband by ripping up coalition copper and installing futureproof fibre. Our vision is absolutely clear: making Australia the most connected continent on the face of the earth. No matter where you live or what you do, you deserve the ability to connect, whether it's so you can work from home, run a business or stay in touch with those you love. In July last year, I updated the House on the Albanese Labor government's investment in the NBN. Since then, I'm pleased to report that 90 per cent of the NBN's fixed-line network is now able to access gigabit speeds.”
“So we're creating the minimum age for social media, and then the next step is to legislate the digital duty of care. Under the digital duty of care, AI chatbots will have to adopt safety-by-design principles in how they develop their tools from the start, and they will have to continue to have systems in place to protect young Australians from harm. So the short answer to your question is yes. If big tech companies want to do business in Australia, they will have to abide by our world-leading online safety laws.”
“We have already seen one chatbot provider leave the country since we did this because of the high bar that we have set. The digital duty of care builds on our world-leading online safety work to minimise online harms and to hold big tech accountable. Last year, we delayed access to social media, as you mentioned, until the age of 16, with five million accounts deactivated so far. We've quadrupled the eSafety Commissioner's funding to ensure that they can enforce the law and to help Australians who face serious abuse online. The social media minimum age law deals with really specific harms that come from social media—in particular the big four. That's algorithms, disappearing messages, popularity metrics and endless feeds. Chatbots aren't social media. They're really antisocial media in that there's nothing social about them.”
“I thank the member for her question and for her ongoing interest in and commitment to advocating in this really important space. Australian parents are understandably worried about the rise of AI and what it means for their kids and, in particular, for their teenagers. Chatbots and nudify apps are things that we just never had to deal with when we were growing up. Right now, all digital platforms—and that includes AI chatbots—must protect young Australians from online harm, and, if they don't, they face a fine of up to $49.5 million from the eSafety Commissioner. On top of that, we are restricting AI nudify apps and nudify tools, because there is absolutely no place for these abhorrent tools in Australia. I hope we can all agree with that.”
“The digital duty of care will empower eSafety to react twice as quickly to cyberabuse and to compel more transparency from tech companies, to keep Australians safe online. We have a long-term view and a strategy to ensure that safety is built into online products and is not an afterthought. As Catherine West wrote in the Australian , all parliamentarians across every party should support the digital duty of care with 'the same multipartisan resolve that delivered Australia's landmark social media ban'. She wrote: This is not a political question. It is not an issue that should be bargained or traded or compromised. It is a question about what kind of society we are. The Albanese government have got the backs of Australian families against big tech, and we will not back down.”
“If eSafety finds these platforms have systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations, I expect the eSafety Commissioner to throw the book at them in court, because the Albanese government is on the side of parents and kids, not of platforms. That is why we quadrupled funding to our independent regulator and why we are introducing a digital duty of care. The Albanese government's digital duty of care will change the foundation of Australia's online safety laws. It will recognise that big tech have the technology, have the resources and have the responsibility to manage harms before they occur, rather than solely relying on individuals to report harmful material post exposure, and they will have to ensure the safety of the features they choose to adopt, like AI and like algorithms.”
“I thank the member for Dunkley for her question and for her advocacy for her powerful local organisation SmackTalk. The Albanese government is taking world-leading action to protect Australians from online harm, especially children and young people, who are the most vulnerable. Our social media minimum age law has so far seen the accounts of five million under-16s removed, deactivated or restricted. We are already seeing the green shoots of what the world looks like for young people without the pervasive and persistent pull of social media. They are playing more sport, they are reading more books and they are reconnecting with their friends and their families in real life. eSafety is actively investigating potential noncompliance by Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.”
“I thank the member for her question. Our significant reforms will minimise children's exposure to wagering advertising. They will break the link between sport and gambling, and they will reduce the saturation and the targeting of wagering advertising. The response we tabled was at the first opportunity granted by the parliamentary guidelines. We tabled it through the usual way, and the action we are taking to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from the harms of gambling was announced by the Prime Minister at the National Press Club. We will deliver a significant package, as we announced there, with measures that will reduce the harm from gambling. The package has been carefully developed with harm minimisation at front of mind to stop the deluge of gambling advertising.”
“Grants of up to $5,000 will be delivered via the Department of Social Services to help community organisations to support their volunteers. Congratulations to all the award winners and to the successful grant applicants. We really appreciate you.”
“For three decades, Bev was a driving horse driving force behind the Boondall Synchronized Ice Skating Club. As president, she helped shape the club. She helped promote the sport locally and beyond as an international team leader for Australia. We celebrate Bev's extraordinary contribution and we farewell her with gratitude. At the awards breakfast, we also welcomed some of the nearly 30 not-for-profit organisations who will share in over $66,000 thanks to the 2026-2027 Lilley volunteer grants program, funded by the Albanese Labor government. The successful applicants were selected from nearly 60 expressions of interest. The Lilley volunteer grants recognise the vital role volunteers play in building resilience and cohesive communities.”
“In contrast, we also honoured 16 northside residents for the Elaine Darling Lifetime Contribution to Volunteering Awards who have collectively given hundreds of years of service to their respective communities and organisations. These are people like 90-year-old Mavis Baxter from Wavell Heights, who began volunteering at the tender age of 16 at Norths rugby league club and has continued serving her community for decades across sporting and historical organisations like Nundah amateur swim club and the Nundah & Districts Historical Society in her later years. Her lifetime of selfless service, including recognition through life memberships at several organisations, reflects a remarkable legacy of contribution to her community. There is also the late Beverley Donaghey.”
“It was wonderful to honour young recipients like Clara Scott, age 11, of Chermside West, who has already contributed hundreds and hundreds of hours of volunteer service to her community through school events, through reading support, through the Chermside & Districts Historical Society projects, through scouting and through Parkrun; and Archie Dutschke. Each week, 16-year-old Archie gives his time to Auskick at the Aspley Hornets, encouraging younger children as they build skills, teamwork and confidence through sport. His reliability and quiet leadership have made him an invaluable part of the team at the Aspley Hornets, and we appreciate him.”
“Last week, as the federal member for Lilley, I was very pleased to have the opportunity during National Volunteers Week to recognise the exceptional service of 40 volunteers across our northside community. The annual Lilley Volunteers Awards breakfast, which was held at the Geebung Bowls Club, is our way of saying thank you to volunteers, to leaders, to mentors and to organisations whose work is often performed quietly behind the scenes but whose impact is felt right across Lilley. Through service, leadership, advocacy and practical support, each recipient has made a meaningful difference.”
“I thank the member for her question. As I have said to her on her two previous occasions, I've given a full account of that to IPEA. There is a full report available, published online, and you can refer there for the full account of the trip, which was considered completely within the rules.”
“This bill is, first and foremost, about looking after consumers as well as driving fairness and building trust in the vital telecommunications industry. I call on members to support the bill.”
“We all want to ensure the telecommunications industry meets and delivers a higher standard for customers. This is what these reforms will deliver. I note the opposition support this bill. We welcome them joining us to protect consumers. I note the member for Lindsay introduced an amendment. We will not be supporting this amendment, which, in practice, has functioned as an opportunity for the opposition to talk about anything other than the substance of this bill. For example, the member for Goldstein used his time to talk about how the government seeks to control Australians. Despite the member's ongoing and lively contributions to the House, the Albanese government is focused on delivering consumer protections for all Australians.”
“Specifically, the bill amends the Telecommunications Act 1997 to increase the civil penalties the Federal Court can issue for breaches of industry codes and industry standards from $250,000 to nearly $10 million or more in some circumstances. The bill clarifies the minister's powers to increase infringement notice penalties; makes telecommunications industry codes directly enforceable by ACMA, enabling the regulator to take swift action; establishes a carriage service provider, CSP, registration scheme to increase visibility of CSPs operating in the market; and stops the operation of those who pose an unacceptable risk to consumers. Our government has listened to the feedback of industry, regulators, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and consumer advocates.”
“Consumers must be front and centre in the work that ACMA does, and I expect them to be proactive in executing their regulatory functions. The Albanese government is committed to supporting reliable, high-quality and affordable telecommunications services, supported by a strong regulatory and consumer safeguards framework. Already we are undertaking some significant improvements to the telecommunications industry. We have mandated that telcos must notify customers, emergency services and regulators of outages immediately, while also tightening oversight of triple zero. Telcos have a responsibility to prioritise their customers, and we are ensuring the industry meets these expectations. We will continue to do this work to improve the sector. We are ensuring that the industry meets these expectations, and this bill will help.”
“I thank the members who contributed to consideration of the Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025. This bill is about one simple thing: keeping Australians connected and keeping Australians protected. Telecommunications are critical to our everyday lives, but we must ensure the system delivering these services to paying customers is fair and accountable. The reforms in this bill will significantly strengthen the safeguards to protect consumers, improve enforcement tools and incentivise better behaviour through tougher penalties. They give the industry regulator—the Australian Communications and Media Authority, or ACMA—the tools it needs to ensure telecommunications companies do the right thing by their customers and act quickly in relation to misconduct. That is what we expect from the regulator.”
“I thank the member for her question. This has been the subject of a full audit of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. I voluntarily referred myself to IPEA to review all of my travel across 2022 to 2025. IPEA reviewed nearly 2,000 line items and 243 different trips during that time. During this trip, IPEA has deemed this trip's dominant purpose to be for parliamentary purposes. It encompassed four different matters across two days: an announcement of Sporting Schools funding and three other appointments across the two days. IPEA has viewed this to be entirely within the rules. If you have further questions, I can refer you to the report, which is publicly available and 256 pages long.”
“Thank you very much for the question. Yes, I stand by everything that I have said to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, and they have reviewed all the documents that I have contributed on that matter. I also note Minister Picton has confirmed that series of events in a series of media outlets.”
“We are working every day to introduce a digital duty of care this year that puts the onus on tech companies to protect Australians from online harm before it occurs.”
“As the independent regulator, e-Safety is actively investigating potential noncompliance in relation to five platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. And if e-Safety finds these platforms have systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations, I expect the commissioner to throw the book at them. Australia's leadership in online safety has started a global movement, with more than a dozen countries now following our lead. Just this morning I met with Canada's minister for culture and identity. These leaders are asking Australia to share our expertise and experience. The drumbeat against social media harm is growing. The time for accountability is here. We started with our world-leading social media minimum age, and we will hold them accountable for it.”
“Despite this remarkable progress, the report also shows that some social media giants are simply not doing enough. Some seem to be trying to get away with doing the absolute bare minimum. The eSafety Commission report exposes unacceptable systems being adopted by age-restricted social media platforms, including allowing under-16 users to repeatedly attempt age assurance until they pass, not doing enough to prevent underage users whose accounts have been deactivated from immediately opening a new one, and ineffective and inaccessible pathways for parents and for others to report underage users. All of the platforms covered by our social media minimum age requirement said they would respect the law. If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws.”
“I thank the member for Hughes for his question and for his efforts to make online safer for all the kids under his stewardship in Hughes. Since gen alpha got their first smartphone and their first social media account, they have been connected to an addictive dopamine drip. Targeted algorithms, doomscrolling, persistent notifications and toxic popularity meters have stolen their attention for hours every single day, and, as a nation, Australia took bold and decisive action to protect our kids, and to give them back three more years from the persuasive and pervasive pull of those algorithms. The eSafety Commissioner's first compliance report, released today, shows that five million under-16 social media accounts have been removed or deactivated or restricted as a consequence of Australia's world-leading social media law.”
“Separately, the Friends of Nundah Historic Cemetery group received $6,500 to develop a website, which will include an interactive map of Queensland's oldest cemetery. This will allow visitors to locate the graves of service personnel and view detailed biographical information of the area's first settlers. These are important local projects for my community, and I look forward to each progressing in my patch on the north side. With my remaining time, I wish the Brighton Roosters all the very best against the Logan Pride this Saturday in the first round back. Also, in the Hostplus Cup, very best of luck to the Norths Devils, who will be off to Toowoomba for round 2 on Sunday. Good luck, everyone.”
“More than 1,300 netballers play at Bradbury Park each week, and this new clubhouse provides a modern facility to support the growth of netball across the northside. This is yet another demonstration of us delivering not only on our election commitments but on our broader commitment to develop Australia by funding projects that build opportunity and improve liveability. Two organisations in my electorate of Lilley are receiving grants under the Albanese government's Saluting Their Service program. Everton Park State School P&C will receive $10,000 to construct a memorial garden, install a flagpole and relocate a memorial rock and plaque on the school grounds. There are many Defence Force families at the school, and I know this project will be welcomed.”
“A proud member of the Australian Labor Party, Ron was farewelled by his wife of 62 years, Annette; his children, Karen, Chris, Paula and Warren; and their families and friends on 14 January. Vale, Ron Virgen; our community will be poorer without you, Last month, it was my great honour to officially open a new state-of-the-art netball clubhouse in my electorate of Lilley thanks to a $3 million investment from the Albanese government. The new Brisbane Netball Association clubhouse at Bradbury Park, Chermside, delivers better accessible facilities, changerooms, new administration spaces, function rooms, canteen and registration areas, storage amenities and spectator areas along with carpark upgrades. The BNA has been around for more than 50 years, and this $3 million investment helps set them up for the next 50.”
“Northside has lost a valued community champion with the passing of Banyo resident Ron Virgen OAM on 30 December 2025. Ron's life was dedicated to service. A 20-year Army veteran, he saw active duty in Borneo with the 4RAR during the Indonesian confrontation. His service did not stop there. When Ron finished his military career, he channelled his passion into helping war widows and veterans through the Banyo RSL subbranch in my electorate of Lilley. Ron was instrumental in establishing Australia's first RSL citizens auxiliary, supporting non-veterans and allowing them to give back as well. This model has now been adopted nationally by the RSL. Ron deservedly received his Order of Australia medal in 2010 for service to the welfare of veterans and their families through the Banyo RSL subbranch and to youth.”
“I draw the attention of the House to the passing of Judi O'Dea, an iconic woman of Brisbane's northside who passed away very suddenly on Saturday night. She is mourned very deeply by the Brisbane northside community and particularly by her husband, Patrick, and by her daughter, Harriet, and her son, Eugene, and their families, including Dean, Felix and Tess. Judi was a very special lady. She did a lot for women like me. I remember that she believed in my ability to stand here in this place before I ever did. She had the kinds of powers that always left you standing straighter and believing more in yourself because she praised your innate essence to high heaven, and she went on her way. We've suffered a great loss across the weekend. Vale, Judi O'Dea. House adjourned at 17:00”
“I've written to state and territory ministers and to peak bodies to help promote this vital service to frontline workers, who are often the first point of contact for people experiencing gambling harm. I will continue to work with harm reduction advocates—”
“Thank you for the question. The Albanese government has delivered the most significant online-wagering harm reduction initiatives of the past decade, including launching BetStop and banning the use of credit cards for online wagering. BetStop is the most significant gambling reform of the past decade. It was this government that delivered those reforms, and we're really proud of the positive impact that it's having. Just last week we released the review of BetStop, which found that BetStop is a successful policy and is delivering on its objectives. That review, which we released for media and for the public last week, suggested several changes to maximise BetStop's reach and impact in addressing gambling harms, including improving community awareness through increased marketing and promotion.”
“One of the reasons the Albanese government is committed to implementing a digital duty of care, which we intend to do through the parliament this year, is to address online harms that are affecting Australians. That includes preventing nudify apps and deepfakes generated by AI and also hate online. We just closed the consultation process for that at the end of last year. We are now working through the consultation responses. We intend to work collaboratively with our parliamentarians to try and get this through the parliament by the end of the year to ensure that the digital duty of care—”
“These are harms that, for the last decade, we have just accepted as an unavoidable dark side of the internet—that is, until Australians united and sent a clear, unprecedented message to big tech by legislating a minimum age for social media. The Albanese government is on the side of parents, not of platforms, and the safety of young Australians online will always come first.”
“The eSafety Commissioner will continue to hold Roblox accountable; I know they are looking into them right now. Going forward, the Albanese government is committed to legislating a digital duty of care. A digital duty of care will take some of the burden off Australians and put the responsibility on platforms like Roblox to have systems in place to prevent harms from happening in the first place—harms that too many young Australians are familiar with, like predatory behaviour on Roblox; like nonconsensual nudified images being created on Grok; and like algorithms that lead people down rabbit holes and feed them harmful content.”
“Australian children should be able to enjoy an online game without fear of being exploited, manipulated and abused, and Australian parents should be able to let their children play games online without fear that they will be exploited, manipulated or abused. What we are seeing right now is simply not good enough. Secondly, I have written to the eSafety Commissioner seeking urgent advice about what action can be taken to prevent harm to young people on this gaming platform both in the short and the long term. Thirdly, I have requested the classification board to review its rating of Roblox at 'PG'. This was last done in 2018; obviously, things have changed a lot online in the last eight years. Roblox must do better, and we must expect them to do better.”
“I thank the member for Gellibrand for his question and for all the thought and work that he gives to this really important area of public policy in this place. The Albanese government proved through its world-leading social media law that it will not stand idly by when it comes to protecting children online, and that is why I have put Roblox on notice. I am disgusted, and we should all be disgusted, by the reports that there are predators using Roblox to target and groom children—with reports that children as young as four are being exposed to graphic and gratuitous content on this platform. That is unacceptable, and I will be using every lever at my disposal to fix this. Firstly, I have written to Roblox and have demanded an urgent meeting because I want to hear directly from them about what they are doing to protect our children online.”
“As American social psychologist Professor Jonathan Haidt said Australia's law 'is by far the most important single piece of legislation ever enacted on planet Earth to protect children in the internet age'. We stared down everybody who said it couldn't be done—some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters—and now Australian parents can be confident their kids can have their childhood back. The world is looking to Australia and the action that we are taking. We will not back down from this fight. We are proud to be leading the world in making the digital world safer for our kids.”
“Our friend across the ditch, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, is deeply supportive of delaying access to social media until the age of 16, and they are preparing to introduce their own laws. Denmark is standing up to the social media giants with its own minimum age laws, saying: The cell phone and social media are robbing our children of their childhood. Norway is putting a stop to tech companies that are 'pitted against small children's brains', enforcing a minimum age of 15. The list continues with Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Egypt, and I expect other countries will now follow as Australia's waves ripple across the globe.”
“In recent days, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has committed to protecting Spanish children from the 'digital Wild West' by delaying access to social media until the age of 16 years old. Joining Australia in our mission, he recognised that children are being 'exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone'. He said: We will no longer accept that. We will protect them … President Emmanuel Macron said consensus was being shaped on the need to protect future generations, with French lawmakers passing a bill delaying access to social media until the age of 15. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is looking closely at Australia's social media law, and I look forward to meeting with the British secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Liz Kendall, to share our experiences and our success.”
“I thank the member for Whitlam for her question. The Albanese government is proudly leading the world in our mission to protect our kids from the persuasive and pervasive pull of social media. In the wake of 4.7 million accounts being deactivated, removed or restricted in the first week of our social media laws, leaders from across the globe are now following in Australia's footsteps—because the battle to protect young people online transcends the boundaries of any country or continent. In the lead-up to and after 10 December, I met with leaders from across the globe and the political spectrum who are inspired and encouraged by Australia's courage and conviction to take on big tech.”
“I thank the member for Petrie for her question and for introducing me to the students at the glorious Humpybong State School on 9 December last year, just 24 hours before the ban hit, to talk about what their life was going to look like in just 24 hours. On 10 December, Australia's online culture changed for the better. On 10 December, parents, teachers, carers, kids and government stood shoulder to shoulder against the social media giants. On 10 December, we sent a clear message to big tech to let Australian kids be kids, and, in the first week of Australia's world-leading social media law, 4.7 million accounts were deactivated, removed or restricted. That is a result to celebrate.”
“It's no longer enough for social media giants and tech companies to treat online hate with a Whac-A-Mole mentality when it appears on their platforms. We know they have the capability to act, to detect and to prevent online hate, and we will make it their legal responsibility to do just that. Jewish Australians have the right to feel safe, respected and valued, and to know their contribution to our nation is protected and recognised. Today we honour the lives defined by kindness, courage and humanity. May their memories be a blessing.”
“As the Minister for Sport, I want to acknowledge in particular our surf lifesavers, who do an incredible job every day, and 14 December was no different. They stepped in to help like they always do for anyone in this country. They were people the who were at the heart of this incredible response to this terror attack, and they are the people who will now come together. This is a time for unity because there is no place for antisemitism in Australia. Hatred and extremism must be confronted wherever they appear. As the Minister for Communications, I am committed to working with industry, with the eSafety Commissioner and with the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism to prevent the spread of online hate by legislating a digital duty of care.”
“This act of violence carried out against Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, a time meant for light, faith and celebration, was an attack not only on individuals but on the values that underpin our nation. It was an assault on the idea that people should be able to live openly, safely and proudly in their own identity. We cannot, and we will not, let any of these values be undermined by this despicable act. Australians came together in the wake of this horrific attack to mourn, to grieve and also to thank the first responders who put their own lives on the line to help. There were so many heroes at Bondi during the deadly terrorist attack. This includes our surf lifesavers who ran towards danger to look after their fellow Australians, our emergency service workers and regular people who chose to put themselves in harm's way.”
“On Sunday 14 December, Sofia and Boris had every opportunity to step away and place themselves out of harm's reach. Instead, confronted with the danger, they chose to act. They moved towards the threat. They tried to protect the people around them, many of whom they didn't know. Those who knew Sofia and Boris best have said their response reflected the way that they lived, as people who instinctively helped, who took responsibility for their community and who placed the safety of others first. Sofia and Boris were laid to rest together, as they had lived, side by side. Their passing has left a profound absence not only for their family but for the community they served so faithfully.”
“Sofia was a much loved and highly respected member of the Australia Post team. For nine years, she served her community with professionalism, with kindness and with care. Sofia, her colleagues say, was someone who lifted those around her, who made her workplace a better place simply by being in it and who treated every single customer who came to her counter with kindness and with patience. To the customers of the Bondi Junction post office, Sofia was far more than a familiar face; she was someone who made everyday interactions feel human. People remember her gentle humour, her patience and the way that she took time to connect. That deep sense of responsibility to others did not end when Sofia left work each day. It was the defining feature of her and her husband's lives and, tragically, ultimately, in their final moments.”
“(): I speak today to honour to lives of the 15 people who were, tragically, killed during the terror attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025. What happened at Bondi Beach was an act of evil. It was an attack against Jewish Australians, and it was an attack against Australian society. There is no place for this hate, this violence or this terrorism in our country. We will not stand for it, and we will do what is needed to protect Jewish Australians and in fact all Australians. As the Minister for Communications—responsible for Australia Post—it is with a heavy heart that I also speak in particular honour of Sofia, who was an Australia Post team member at the Bondi Junction post office, and her husband, Boris. Sofia and Boris were married for 34 years. They were honest, hardworking and selfless people.”
“If the current Leader of the Opposition supports protecting children from the harms of social media, then she should stand up and join the government in backing Australian parents and making sure this law is a success. Anything short of that is a complete capitulation to big tech and to even bigger political threats.”
“Yesterday, coalition senators were doing the dirty work of the social media platforms, co-signing a bill to repeal the bill and throw Australian kids to the sharks. They are dog-whistling about needing a digital ID to access social media, despite the fact the Senate passed a coalition amendment which prohibits platforms from requiring ID and any company caught forcing users to hand over their ID faces fines of up to $10 million. In a comic sign of events to come, yesterday the shadow minister for communications threw her previous coalition leader under the bus, saying that, in hindsight, she probably would not have supported the law. There's a predictive text feel to their chaos, but we will not accept that chaos misleads young Australians.”