Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

After hearing all the concern in the chamber today about the algal bloom, I thought I'd give an event occurring this Thursday in room 1R1 at 12.15 a plug. For those senators who won't be attending the Senate inquiry in South Australia, this is the Parliamentary Friends of the Great Southern Reef. We're holding a briefing with four of the scientists who are on the frontline of this algal bloom. They'll also be joined at this meeting by a delegation of mayors from South Australia, the chamber of commerce, the fishing industry and a number of other stakeholders. Please come along at 12.15 to room 1R1 this Thursday if you'd like to learn more about the algal bloom.

Information is power. It's an old saying, and that truth has never been more important than right now. Those with agendas who can influence or control the dissemination of information can control public debates and policy in parliaments, and they can even control and influence the outcomes of elections. There's never been a more important time than now to look at disinformation. Disinformation is the deliberate peddling of lies and deceptions by those who have agendas: financial agendas, corporate agendas, political agendas and malicious agendas.

The World Economic Forum's global risk reports, for two years in a row, in 2024 and 2025, have identified misinformation and disinformation as being the biggest threat to human society. The United Nations has identified this information as being the biggest blocker to global climate action. That's why I am proud that the Greens have set up a select committee to look at this issue in this parliament in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for it.