Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

I rise to register my deep concern about the exposure draft of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023 and I call upon all senators in this place to make themselves aware of the detailed provisions in this bill, which I consider to be a great threat to freedom of speech in this country.

From the trial of Socrates in 399 BC to the publication of John Stuart Mill's magisterial essay On Liberty in 1859, the importance of freedom of speech has been defended over the centuries. It has also been defended by previous generations of senators, who've sat in the chamber we now sit in. I therefore think it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to pay close attention to the provisions in this bill.

I will raise a number of concerns. First, I am deeply concerned about the power the bill gives to government officials to determine what is misinformation and what is false and misleading. I am deeply concerned about the power this bill would give the government to impose multimillion-dollar fines on digital platforms owners in relation to what they publish on their sites. I am deeply concerned about the powers it would give government officials to require Australian citizens to come before a government authority and provide information about what is on digital platforms. I call upon all senators in this place to read this bill very carefully. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four was a warning to future generations, not a roadmap for government policy.