STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms AMBIHAIPAHAR (Barton) (13:52): We need to stand up against the big tech companies to protect our kids. The behaviour we tolerate online influences how we think about ourselves and others. Yet some in this parliament ignore that reality.

Instead they blame woke schools or excuse bigotry as freedom of speech. I receive plenty of online hate and abuse because of the colour of my skin. Accounts tell me to go home or declare, 'You're brown; you're automatically wrong.' Don't worry about me; I have thick skin.

But I do stress about the young people who follow me on socials, who see these comments and begin to believe that this is a normal way to treat each other, even when the abuse comes from bots. If this is happening in my own comments, imagine what is being said in the darker corners of social media. I want the online world to deliver diverse perspectives, creative journalism and great exposure for venues, musicians and small businesses and to connect us as it was always meant to, not become some training ground for hatred and racism.

I look forward to the digital duty of care and stronger powers for the eSafety Commissioner to help make this a reality.