Thursday, 17 August 2023

Freedom of speech

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (09:46): I rise to speak against federal Labor’s proposed misinformation bill. This bill gives the Australian Communications and Media Authority, or ACMA, unprecedented powers and would lead to digital companies self-censoring views that are held by Australians to avoid the risk of huge fines. Freedom of speech is something that has been developed over centuries that humanity has only learned through great suffering. When we take that freedom away, we risk returning to that suffering to relearn the same lessons. The origin of free speech is about the ability of everyday people to question ruling powers without fear of retribution. If this bill passes, any skerrick of free speech we have left in this country will be absolutely destroyed because people will live in fear of retribution. It is also a sign of insecure leadership that cannot be questioned or criticised –

Sorry, I just got distracted. Can I continue?

The PRESIDENT: You can start again if you like. We will reset the clock. That was my fault.

Renee HEATH: Thank you. That is all right. I rise to speak against federal Labor’s proposed misinformation bill. This bill gives the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, unprecedented powers. It would lead to digital companies self-censoring views that are held by everyday Australians. Freedom of speech is something that has been developed over centuries that humanity has only learned through great suffering. When we take that freedom away, we risk returning to that suffering to relearn those same lessons. The origin of free speech is about giving everyday people the ability to question ruling powers without fear of retribution. If this bill passes, any skerrick of free speech we have left in this country will be absolutely destroyed because people will live in fear of that retribution. It is a sign of insecure leadership that cannot be questioned or criticised and lightweight ideas that do not stand up to scrutiny. The government does not own the truth. It is not the arbiter or the steward of truth. Historically, no government that has ever censored people’s speech has been on the side of freedom and democracy. The Australian Human Rights Commission has warned against making any particular body the sole arbiter of truth, and this is exactly what this bill does.