Canberra [Australia], November 25: Labour has been challenged to rule out a "dangerous" bid to crack down on misinformation and disinformation on tech platforms, after being forced to dump legislation on the issue.
In the final week of parliamentary sittings for this year, the Albanese government was unable to secure the support needed to pass the legislation, with the coalition, Greens and crossbench in the upper house all opposing the move.
Labour is under pressure to push forward its legislative agenda through the Senate before Parliament returns in February.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seized on the backdown, which he said was a win for free speech democracy while labelling the bill "dangerous".
"But this backflip doesn't go far enough," he wrote on X.
"The prime minister must rule out bringing this legislation back, now or after the next election."
Representing the communications minister in the upper house on Monday, Labor senator Jenny McAllister urged parliamentarians to work with the government on other ways to strengthen democratic institutions.
"It is incumbent on democracies to grapple with these challenges in a way that puts the interests of citizens first and protects our society against those that would use our openness against us," she said.
Under the proposal, the Australian Communications and Media Authority would have been given power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
