Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Higgins knows, as I do, being a member of the class of 2010, how the member for Forrest has engaged with us as members of that year group—as well as with those here before we came into parliament and those I am sure in the class of 2013—on the importance of those online safety forums for kids. She has brought experts in from the police, from social services and from all areas of government and the community to talk with members of parliament—not just on the coalition side but members opposite, too, because she cares about this issue. We all do, but she has made it one of her real key issues. I am sure when Nola Marino retires from parliament, and for many years hence, people will look back and say, 'That was the fearless lady who made such an issue of online bullying measures.' Let me tell you, her name is writ large in this legislation—as it should be. She has delivered numerous cyber safety presentations to children, teachers, parents and families and the broader community with the support of the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police. This truly is remarkable work from the member for Forrest.    This year she is working with young children from preschool through to year 12 to do what she can to ensure our young people, many of whom are vulnerable, are able to better protect themselves and build their resilience.

I know I am going on a bit about the member for Forrest, but she has been such a great advocate on this that I need to. People out there listening to this broadcast will hopefully go onto her website and see the great work that she has done—and perhaps also pick up a few tips. She has been a fierce advocate of improving online safety knowledge and skills, and she encouraged her local communities to engage with and respond to the discussion paper process which led to the development of the measures in this bill. As I say, her name is writ large right throughout this bill and her advocacy will not cease following its passage. I commend her efforts and know she will continue to make a strong case for ensuring young Australians are best placed to protect themselves online. I must say my predecessor Kay Hull—the member for Calare will agree with me—was also very noisy on this issue. I know that she put out some good publications in the Riverina electorate when she was the member from 1998 through to 2010 about this very issue. I am sure she will be pleased to see the passage of this legislation as well.

Education is a major part of the answer to the problem of ensuring young Australians have the skills and ability to manage online risks when faced with them. I would like to acknowledge the vital role headspace plays in assisting young people encountering mental health problems and helping thousands of young Australians to get their lives back on track. I was delighted last year, in early October, to announce that Griffith, in western Riverina, would benefit from one of several new headspace facilities announced as part of last year's budget. When health minister Peter Dutton told me that that was going to happen, I was delighted because I knew what a difference that would make to the western Riverina—not just the western Riverina but parts of the Farrer electorate and indeed parts of Mark Coulton's electorate, Lake Cargelligo in particular, who draw upon Griffith as a central hub for all sorts of things—health and social services and particularly, now, mental health services. Better mental health services are vital for regional communities, particularly for young people as predominantly large users of the internet and who engage frequently on social media networks. Mental illness amongst those aged 25 and under make up three-quarters of cases treated in Australia—75 per cent. And with the rise of the digital world, online communications and social networks this figure will increase if we sit idle and are not proactive in our response—and that is what we are doing today.

I have fought hard for improved mental health services in regional areas and a headspace for Griffith over a number of years now, speaking numerous times in this place about the need for better mental health services in regional areas in the Riverina. To that end, I commend the committee chair of the Griffith headspace, Peta Dummett, for the work she has done in getting people enthused about this project and continuing to lobby to get the headspace and, since it has been announced, to continue to lobby to make sure that when it does become a reality that it is everything that we need it to be for the western Riverina.

The community, local councils and thousands of people contacted me, indicating their support for a headspace facility in Griffith and I am pleased to have been able to deliver this important facility for that city and for the wider western Riverina region. This is a great outcome for the community to assist in supporting and building resilience—that word again—in young people when it comes to dealing with mental health.

Government alone will not be able to combat cyberbullying—we all know that. But a coordinated approach from government, with education programs in schools and the role parents play, are critical, crucial elements in assisting children to develop skills to respond to bullying behaviour while helping them build resilience and broader social skills online and when using social media platforms.

I have to say that coalition governments have led the way in assisting young Australians with mental health issues. I will put a shout out to Labor; I know that Labor is committed to these sorts of programs too. It is a whole-of-government and a whole-of-parliament approach.

Headspace, established in 2006, is a world-first initiative which fills a gap in the system by treating young people who have mental health issues. To date, headspace has helped tens of thousands of young people through numerous headspace facilities dotted right across this wide, brown land and through their online support service, eheadspace.

This bill provides another active step by this coalition government to ensure that Australian children—our most precious resource; let's never forget that, that kids are our most precious resource—are better protected against cyberbullying and that they will be safer when they engage in the online world.

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the work of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications in bringing this important policy commitment forward since the last election, to better enable and protect our most vulnerable users of the internet. When I talk about that parliamentary secretary in particular, I know the great efforts that he has gone to also—as has the member for Forrest—to ensure that this legislation goes through; to ensure that every little aspect of this legislation will ensure that kids get a safer internet and that kids are protected from those pariahs—those dreadful people—who use the internet for means with other than good intentions, and also for those who, unintentionally perhaps, bully others.

This legislation is particularly good legislation. I commend it for its intent and I know that it will make a real difference to the young people of Australia, who are our leaders of tomorrow, who are our future and who deserve every protection that they can receive.

See this speech in context