MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle—Deputy Speaker) (15:35): Speaker, it will be of no surprise to you why I would regard this as a matter of public importance and great urgency to be brought before the House today. Indeed, the work that you pursue internationally and that this parliament has led around the world—we now see 20 countries following the efforts of the Australian government to ensure the safety of children everywhere—is something to be commended and something the Australian parliament should be incredibly proud of.

It's not just that 20 countries are looking at us in order to implement similar laws. It's that the Australian parliament—at least until yesterday, and I'll come to that—had the courage to stand as a collective, in a multipartisan way, to ensure that we stood up to the one challenge that was asked of us by more than 120,000 families across Australia who pleaded with the parliament to show leadership, put our differences aside and put children first.

That was a simple ask of this parliament. It should not be beyond us to put children first. This parliament had, until yesterday, done the right thing, and that's why I stand with such utter dismay at the results of yesterday.

The coalition decided to, in the other place, block and delay urgent legislation that, only hours before, they had supported and passed through this House. That's the very legislation that we need to hold big tech to account—to make sure that kids are not left fending for themselves against these giants that have never, ever displayed an intention to change their business model and to do the right thing, which has constantly been asked of them.

I don't think the Prime Minister or our minister could have made the serious nature of this any clearer. Since day one, the message to the big tech guys has been very clear: if you want to conduct business in Australia, if you want to have a social platform in Australia, it comes with social responsibility. They have shown every resistance every step of the way, and that does not surprise anyone on this side of the House.

I don't think it surprises anyone in this parliament. We knew the fight we were up against. There was never going to be an easy pathway, but we're not here to make easy decisions.

We're not here to do the simple work. I chaired a committee two years ago in this place, the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society. It was when this parliament first started taking a serious look at the impacts that social media was having on our communities.

We took a lot of time to undertake the inquiry. We had people from across all parties, from across both houses, who heard the stories from parents about what they felt were unrelenting attacks on their children. These kids were way too young to be making calls about what was appropriate material online.

These families begged us to ensure that we put our differences aside, as I said upfront. They knew that this was going to be a challenging moment for the Australian parliament. They knew it full well.

They knew the arguments they were having every day at their kitchen tables and in their lounge rooms about kids spending so much time doomscrolling. But they also knew it wasn't the fault of their kids. They knew straight up that there were algorithms designed to do harm, that there was a business model that in fact ensured the continuity of harmful practices online.

I'm not going to go into all that detail, but those submissions were made. Parliamentarians heard the evidence loud and clear, and we were begged to act. And this parliament rose to that occasion.

The ban on under-16s having social media accounts was world leading—just in the same way that the Australian parliament led the world on the banning tobacco advertising. That was not an easy decision back then. We know what happened.

We know the litigious nature of big tobacco and big tech, and that's why this is so damn critical right now. That is why every parent in Australia is asking: 'How can this be happening? How is it that the coalition stood here in the morning and backed this in, knowing full well we needed to give the eSafety Commissioner additional powers so she could enforce the will of the Australian parliament and the will of the Australian people, before backflipping in the Senate?' She needed that, and she is on record saying exactly why that was required.

So it's no surprise to anybody in this parliament. The parents need us to stand up. They haven't gone away.

The pain and trauma that we asked people to go through again when they gave evidence to our committees—we asked them to open up. These are parents that lost their kids. These were kids who were victims of addictive design features in social media that led to self-harm, extreme levels of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body image harm, cyberbullying, misogyny, radicalisation and mis- and disinformation.

None of these are things that you want your children ever to have to live with. We heard from those families. I see the member for Fisher sitting in the room.

He's the only member of the coalition—sorry, I am to be corrected there. But I am pleased to see his presence in this chamber because he sat on that committee. He heard that evidence firsthand, and I can only imagine what he feels right now, because we know how important it was.

Member for Flinders, also, you know what's at stake. There was a decision to support those extended powers that the eSafety Commissioner asked us for. She has made very, very clear she needs this to ensure that enforcement actions are taken, including the doubling of those fines.

These companies do not want to see these laws enacted. We have to be up for this fight, colleagues. We have to be up for this.

Australian kids are relying on us to deliver this. Australian families are relying on us to deliver this. We have a request to strengthen the enforcement framework that underpins that social media minimum age ban, and we cannot deny it.

Yet that is exactly what happened in the other place just hours later. What the hell happened there? That's what parents are asking today.

What the hell happened there? I'm going to quote the eSafety Commissioner herself, because this office was stood up by the former coalition government. We backed you every step of the way.

She says, 'Any delay in proposed enhancements to eSafety’s powers will also delay enforcement of the social media minimum age, and the improved safety protections for Australian children it is designed to provide.' That is what the delay is putting at risk. I honestly cannot believe that you did this backflip in a matter of hours, between this place and that place.

I don't know what on earth happened in that time, but you've got to change your mind. You have to come back and offer that bipartisan support to put children first again. (Time expired)