Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Cybercrime is no longer distant or abstract. It's happening in Australia to Australians every single day. It affects families, older Australians, small and large businesses and our children. It's becoming more organised, more targeted and crueller. Cybercrime often starts quietly, with a message that feels personal, with a call that sounds legitimate or with a promise of help, reassurance or connection. Romance scams devastate lives as well as finances.

Bank scams exploit fear and urgency, and their strategies are orchestrated to make people panic. But we know that, when those calls come from legitimate banks and they say, 'Don't transfer the money; it's very suspicious,' you need to heed that warning. If it is legitimate, people will wait and will understand.

Sexual exploitation weaponises shame. These crimes are designed to isolate people and rush people, to make them do impulsive things online and when they're speaking to people on the phone. They're designed to silence people. Too many victims stay quiet, not because they're careless but because they feel embarrassed, ashamed or afraid that they won't be believed. That silence protects criminals.

These are simple steps that really do matter: slow down when something feels too urgent or is unknown to you; go to direct, trusted sources like your banks; and report early because, if you report early, you've got a chance of getting your money back. Those three steps matter because scammers rely on panic. They rely on isolation, and they rely on silence. This cannot be a burden placed on individuals alone. We cannot expect people to outsmart criminal networks by themselves, and we cannot solve this by blaming victims. Labor believes in collective protection, in governments stepping in where people cannot and in building systems that support Australians before harm escalates. That's why Labor has been leading the way globally when it comes to protecting our kids.

Our social media ban to protect our kids is leading the world. We have countries following suit now because they know the damage that social media is doing and what damage can be done to our children by cybercrime and organised crime. Everyone deserves to have a fair go, and we really need to protect our children. I want to give a shout-out to the Australian Federal Police and the JPC3 for their coordinated efforts to disrupt cybercrime across Australia as well as globally. Cybercrime does not happen in isolation. Criminals share their tools. They share information. They target together. The AFP brings agencies and industries together to combat organised crime. They identify patterns, and the whole point of it is to disrupt early. That's why you really need to report.

We know some great work that's being done through JPC3 and the AFP, and that is focusing on young people. Young people are being extorted and exploited sexually. When they are groomed on many of these online platforms, they are too ashamed to tell their parents, teachers or anyone in authority, because of the shame and guilt that they feel. We need to ensure that the message gets out to these young people that they can talk to people about this, they will be heard, they will be supported and everything will be done to support them. The unfortunate thing is that there are too many young men, as well as young girls, that are being exploited through chats and through online gaming.

We all need to take responsibility for this. It's not just the AFP; it's not just police. It's a community issue. It's a parenting issue. It shouldn't be left just to schools. We need to get the message out that, if you are compromised or you feel like there's something not right in the chat rooms when you're online playing a game, you have to say no and stay within a proper format.