Over 14,000 Groom residents have joined their Member of Parliament Garth Hamilton in voicing their opposition to Federal Labor’s proposed misinformation laws.
When the Government released its first Misinformation Bill last year, more than 20,000 people put in submissions and comments opposing it and it was subsequently withdrawn.
Mr Hamilton said that with this latest attempt, Labor has once again shown a lack of respect for Australians’ fundamental right to free speech.
“Late last year, the Albanese Government was forced to withdraw its first Misinformation Bill following widespread condemnation. Despite this, Labor will soon be entering round two,” Mr Hamilton said.
“This is a Bill which has no place in Australia. Labor has again demonstrated a failure to respect the fundamental right of Australians to free speech.”
Since its introduction, over 14,000 Groom residents have signed Mr Hamilton’s petition calling for Labor to bin the bill.
“Our community simply does not trust Mr Albanese or his Government to be transparent when it comes to censorship laws,” he said.
“We saw the same tactics during the Voice debate, where Labor labelled any view it didn’t like or agree with as ‘misinformation’.”
Mr Hamilton said the Bill gives digital platforms an enormous financial incentive to censor statements made by everyday Australians.
“If the Government decides that they have not censored enough ‘misinformation’, they can face large fines,” he said.
“Digital platforms don’t care about the free speech of Australians – but they do care about their profits.
“So they will censor large amounts of material to avoid the risk of fines.
“The provisions of the Bill are extremely broad and would capture many things said by Australians every day.
“Labor’s planned laws would also give the Communications Minister the powers to personally order Misinformation Investigations and Misinformation Hearings.
“This is wide open to abuse and an extraordinary power for a Minister to hold in a democracy.”
To sign the petition, visit garthhamilton.com.au/freespeech.
This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 10 October 2024.
