“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,” wrote George Orwell in the dystopian classic 1984. We, on the other hand, had a temperate day in November, and the masses appeared more worried about the outcome of the US election than an authoritarian coup by the Albanese Government. I did have to chuckle; how bad could a policy be when even the Greens abstain from supporting the bill?

The Albanese Government, backed by the Teals, secured safe passage of Australia’s first Dis and Mis Information Bill. While the bill still must pass the Senate, the remarkable grab of power by Albanese to be the sole arbiter of truth would make even Orwell’s character Winston feel at home in modern Australia.

It was one thing to see state governments turn neighbour against neighbour in the fear-induced panic of their Covid response; while politicians remained exempt from mandates and lockdowns, now they are on the cusp of controlling the narrative.

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” It was the mantra of Orwell’s ruling regime, Big Brother. Would you consider it wise to enshrine a profession famous for lying as the sole arbiter of truth?

I put the feelers out. Do you trust politicians? Do they lie? Are they accountable for their actions? 100 per cent of respondents unequivocally stated “NO.”

Have not some of our greatest scientific breakthroughs come from dissenting voices or challenges to group think?

To be classified as mis or dis information according to the bill, the content must contain information that is reasonably verifiable as false, misleading or deceptive.

Is that like when a premier or health minister and even the President of the USA (Joe Biden) stood up and said you couldn’t catch or transmit Covid if you were vaccinated? Remember comrades, “safe and effective,” ignore the 137,000 single medication reported adverse events, or the fact that you still caught and transmitted Covid. Anything mentioned to the contrary will have you removed from Facebook and Twitter and maybe even carted off by the thought police.

Are you having a thought crime right now? Maybe Daniel Andrews’ authorised officers should barge in, threaten and intimidate your staff as they did ours during COVID-19?

What are the serious harms Albo wants to protect you from? The legislation lists them:

• Harm to the operation or integrity of a Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government electoral or referendum process;

Does that mean questioning “the voice,” a political promise or a republic debate, and you will be facing the long arm of ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority).

• Harm to public health in Australia, including to the efficacy of preventative health measures in Australia;

Is that questioning a gene therapy using novel technology mandated to the masses while still in phase three trial, or maybe fluoride in the water supply, or maybe questioning the food pyramid?

• Vilification of a group in Australian society distinguished by race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, disability, nationality or national or ethnic origin, or vilification of an individual because of a belief that the individual is a member of such a group.

Well, that’s easy enough to understand; only discrimination by the government is allowed. Exclude the unvaccinated from the economy, council buildings or the library, even if they weren’t infected or had what’s that thing we developed for thousands of years… natural immunity.

This one’s a doozy,

• Imminent harm to the Australian economy, including harm to public confidence in the banking system or financial markets.

Billions of dollars in bank profit annually, taxpayer-funded bailouts during the GFC and now protection against memes!

Climate change, renewables, the voice, Covid, gender fluidity, and rainbow flags are only the current topics on which politicians could define the truth.

The light transmutes the darkness. We need a greater ability to have respectful discussions, not Big Brother deciding the ‘facts’.

A final question: have you heard more of the US election or this problematic bill?

This article appeared in  The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 14 November 2024.
See: Misinformation Bill