House debates Adjournment
Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026
Sam Birrell Nicholls, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health
7:39 pm
Earlier today a bill, the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026, passed through this chamber, and it's a contested bill. It's a complex bill. The complexity is indicated by the fact that there were attempts to rush through last minute amendments. The bill addresses some very complex issues about freedom of speech and about what will work in relation to social media, and there are many competing views in the community on not only this bill but this issue.
Many people who represent electorates around Australia did not get the opportunity to debate this bill because the government gagged it. It's really disappointing when a government that has the numbers to get anything it wants through this House wants to stop transparency and stop debate about a contested issue. Effectively, what the government has done is say, in my case and I'm sure in the case of—I don't know whether the member for Parkes spoke on it.
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