Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026

Senator GREEN (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Tourism, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Assistant Minister for Northern Australia) (18:57): I'm conscious that I am being asked about a piece of legislation that has not even been introduced into the parliament, and it is very difficult for me to answer questions on it. We will be in the hands of the Senate in terms of scrutiny.

The government won't have any issues with a bill being scrutinised properly by the Senate. I just want to put on the record that the assertions that Senator Henderson is making about the legislation relate to an exposure draft. We've released an exposure draft.

We welcome the feedback and the consultation that will occur, and then we will seek to introduce a bill into the parliament and then we will have an opportunity for that bill to be debated. The question Senator Henderson is putting to me is about a bill that doesn't exist at the moment, although it is in exposure draft form. I have been advised that that is the process the government will take.

On that process, it would be a good thing for the coalition in particular to have an opportunity to receive feedback from parents, families and young people during that process about how important this digital duty of care is and how important it will be not just for young people and children but for all Australians. The excuses are stacking up already as to why the coalition doesn't want to support a digital duty of care—before the bill has even been introduced into the parliament.

We know why that is happening. We know why they are trying to stack up excuse after excuse after excuse. Now they are talking about the fact that giving people a choice is somehow limiting free speech.

That is not true. Giving people a choice is about giving them the freedom to choose the feed that they see. It is incredibly important, when the coalition talk about this, that we on this side hold them to account for those comments because the language and the talking points that they are using are coming directly from One Nation.

I said this today and I'm saying it again because, every time the coalition seek to do that, we will call them out. I have heard you personally, Senator Henderson, talk about how important it is for the government and for tech companies to take action and to make sure that these algorithms are dealt with and that the way that we access online platforms is safe is done in a way that doesn't impact on people and doesn't have those harmful mental health impacts on people.

Yet, less than 24 hours after the legislation has been introduced, all of a sudden, it's all about free speech. It's nonsense. It's absolute nonsense.

I understand scrutinising legislation. I understand being concerned about the content or wanting to scrutinise it. I understand reserving a position before amendments are considered.

I've seen all of that in this place. But the full-blown war that's being waged against a piece of legislation that is still in exposure draft from those opposite is a disgrace, and I will call that out. The government will not apologise for standing with parents to pass this piece of legislation that is before us or standing with parents yesterday to support the digital duty of care.

We will continue to do that. The piece of legislation before us does that by ensuring that we can have better powers to enforce a piece of legislation passed by this parliament and supported by those opposite. I don't know what has changed since the social media minimum age bill was passed.

I know a lot of things have changed. The leader of the Liberal Party has changed, the polls have changed, and One Nation has— Senator Hanson-Young interjecting— Senator GREEN: A lot has changed since then on that side of the chamber, but the government is resolute and has not changed its position, and we will continue to support parents against platforms.