STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia—Manager of Australian Greens Business in the Senate) (13:34): Australians right across the country are horrified at the suggestion that an execution by firing squad would be live streamed across the world. The US administration are suggesting that they may indeed do this. This is absolutely barbaric.

This is disgusting from a country that we are meant to share values with. It beggars belief that, in 2026, a nation that calls itself a democracy, that is meant to value the rule of law and that is meant to care about peace in our time would be prepared to broadcast live, as almost a government PR media moment, the execution of one of its citizens. Australians have every right to be disgusted, and they want the Albanese government to say something about it.

We've heard the eSafety Commissioner say that the laws as they currently stand could not pre-emptively stop Australians having this barbaric act streamed onto their phones and onto their smart devices. Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone to the big tech companies who want to stream this content and say no.

I urge the Prime Minister to pick up the phone and call the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and tell him no.