Age assurance trial to include social media restrictions
Josh Taylor
The federal government’s $6.5m age assurance trial will include social media restrictions after all, it has been revealed.
The original plan for the trial, announced in May’s budget, was to restrict access to adult sites to over 18s and determine what technology and method would work best. But after recent campaigns to restrict access to social media to people aged 16 and over, the communications department has said it will also examine social media restrictions as part of this trial.
Speaking at a hearing of the joint select committee on social media and Australian society, the department’s acting first assistant secretary for online safety, Bridget Gannon, said:
We want to understand how different technologies work at those younger ages for that social media work. We’ll also be consulting with experts, with children, with parents, to understand their concerns and their interests on this issue, and really pulling it together with some policy advice to the government on possible ways forward.
Gannon said the department had already been speaking to Meta and the other social media platforms about participating, but noted there was no obligation for them to participate in the trial under law. She said, however, it was in their interest as the outcome of the trial would inform how new codes announced on Tuesday would be enforced under the Online Safety Act.
You can read our report on those new codes below.
Key events
Butler says Labor has made stronger position on Palestine than any government previously
Fatima Payman has said she has crossed the floor and spoken up on Palestine, going further than the Labor party position, because Palestinians “don’t have time”.
That is a reference to some of the criticism Payman has received from retired Labor members who said they stuck to the party line on marriage equality (Labor was against marriage equality for close to a decade, before it was passed under the Turnbull Coalition government. Labor MPs, including those in same-sex relationships – Penny Wong, for instance – stuck to the party line.) Butler:
I make the comment that under this government there has been a very strong position in relation to Palestinian recognition or the recognition of a Palestinian state. A stronger position under this prime minister and this foreign minister, Penny Wong, than any Australian government has had before, including any Labor government.
We’ve made very clear our position that we would support the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a peace process leading to a two-state solution, rather than at the end of that peace process.
That is a very significant shift in the position of any Australian government. We’ve also been very loud in our support and call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. So I don’t accept the characterisation that this has not been a government that has been very active on the world stage and here in the Australian community, seeking to do what it can to bring the awful conflict in Israel and Palestine to an end.
Butler says he has seen no evidence of Labor colleagues ‘intimidating’ Payman
Mark Butler, who sits in the house, says he has not seen any evidence of colleagues intimidating Fatima Payman into leaving the senate.
Payman has said she feels colleagues are trying to intimidate her into leaving the senate and is taking time to consider her future.
Butler:
I’ve seen no evidence of that. Indeed there’s very clear evidence of colleagues reaching out to Senator Payman over the last several days. There’s a photo on the front page of one of the papers this morning with one of the ministers giving a hug on the Senate floor yesterday when we were swearing in a new governor general.
So I don’t accept that characterisation. We’d like to see Senator Payman return to the Labor fold, but in order to do so she’s got to respect other members of the team and commit to accepting collective decisions of that team.
Marles confirms attendence at Nato summit
Richard Marles’ office has confirmed – he will be off to Washington for the Nato summit from 9-11 July.
As a non-Nato member, Australia shares a commitment to peace and security with Nato partners, including support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion.
The deputy prime minister’s attendance at the 75th Nato Summit underscores Australia’s commitment to advocate for our region’s strategic priorities and the upholding of the global rules-based order, while advancing Australia’s security, economic and trade agenda.
Tasmanian ALP branch passes resolution on Palestinian recognition
Former NSW Labor senator Doug Cameron retired to Tasmania, but remains a member of the Labor party and involved in branch activities.
This is a resolution on Palestine unanimously adopted by my ALP branch tonight.
Rank and file members disgusted by the death and destruction in Gaza and believe the govt should implement Nat Conference policy and join the majority of nations in recognising the state of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/lzZtXMlWlO— Doug Cameron (@DougCameron51) July 1, 2024
Tamsin Rose
Hospital security staff to wear body cameras in NSW
New South Wales hospital security staff will use body-worn cameras as part of a 12-month trial to improve safety for staff and patients across the state.
The trial was announced on Tuesday following an increase in aggressive assaults, according to the state health minister, Ryan Park.
Up to 300 cameras will be used in the trial across nine hospitals, including Westmead hospital and the Royal North Shore hospital.
Park said:
The safety of our healthcare staff and patients is a priority and the NSW government has a zero-tolerance approach to violence and aggression in our public hospitals.
The body-worn camera trial is one of several actions NSW Health has taken to address the recommendations of the [Anderson review of hospital security] and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to continuing to improve security practices to keep staff and patients safe.
The trend in assaults in our hospitals is unacceptable and we are taking action.
Simon Birmingham continued:
Ultimately, we have a Prime Minister, and we should expect the Prime Minister to do the job as the nation’s leader. Now, if Anthony Albanese has an absolutely compelling reason, let him state it as to why he cannot go. But if this is just because he’d rather be at home campaigning or dealing and responding to the internal chaos in the Labor Party, well, that is not a good enough reason. And the Prime Minister should be undertaking the leadership roles and responsibilities of the nation.
As a reminder, here is what Peter Dutton asked the prime minister on 26 June:
The Prime Minister spent the first 18 months distracted by touring the world and spending $450 million on the divisive Voice referendum instead of focusing on making economic decisions and putting budgets together to help Australian families—not hurt them. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for the cost-of-living pain that Australian families are feeling today?
Marles to head to Nato commemorations in Washington instead of PM
It is Nato’s (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) 75th anniversary and as part of the commemorations, Anthony Albanese had been set to attend an event in Washington later this month. Australia is not a member of Nato, but has worked in tandem with Nato members as an ‘enhanced opportunity partner’. Japan, South Korea and New Zealand were also invited as part of the Indo-Pacific representation.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, will attend instead of Albanese. This is not unusual, even for a leaders’ summit.
There is no official reason given as yet, but Albanese has faced a consistent attack from the Coalition that he has spent too much time “jetting around the world” as “Airbus Albo” and not enough time confronting domestic issues.
Just last week, Peter Dutton criticised the prime minister for the time he has spent abroad during a cost of living crisis, only moments after joining with the PM in talking about the importance of fostering relationships with Australia’s Pacific neighbours.
Now, Simon Birmingham is criticising Albanese for NOT going to Washington this month, accusing him of a “dereliction of duty”.
National security is the top responsibility of the government, and the idea that Anthony Albanese would rather be campaigning to shore up Labor marginal seats than sitting down with the Nato leaders to ensure global security and our national security interests are heard, is an appalling representation of his priorities.
He should be reconsidering this position and making sure that he is there, seizing the opportunity to be part of those Nato meetings, historic ones at a big anniversary for Nato, as well as the opportunity to have all of the bilateral discussions that are so very, very critical, particularly with, for example, newly elected leaders that may be there should Keir Starmer and the Labour party win the UK election this week.
Trade unions call for Greens and crossbenchers to pass net zero bill
The ACTU’s president, Michele O’Neil, and workers from coal and gas communities will be in the parliament today “to call for the Greens and crossbench Senators to support the urgent passing by the Senate of the net zero economy authority bill”.
The Greens and crossbench have concerns the bill doesn’t go far enough in mapping out a pathway to achieving net zero, engage with communities, or contain assurances the minister won’t be able to over ride the spirit of the bill.
The ACTU want the crossbench to pass the bill in the senate so new industries can get underway.
Age assurance trial to include social media restrictions
Josh Taylor
The federal government’s $6.5m age assurance trial will include social media restrictions after all, it has been revealed.
The original plan for the trial, announced in May’s budget, was to restrict access to adult sites to over 18s and determine what technology and method would work best. But after recent campaigns to restrict access to social media to people aged 16 and over, the communications department has said it will also examine social media restrictions as part of this trial.
Speaking at a hearing of the joint select committee on social media and Australian society, the department’s acting first assistant secretary for online safety, Bridget Gannon, said:
We want to understand how different technologies work at those younger ages for that social media work. We’ll also be consulting with experts, with children, with parents, to understand their concerns and their interests on this issue, and really pulling it together with some policy advice to the government on possible ways forward.
Gannon said the department had already been speaking to Meta and the other social media platforms about participating, but noted there was no obligation for them to participate in the trial under law. She said, however, it was in their interest as the outcome of the trial would inform how new codes announced on Tuesday would be enforced under the Online Safety Act.
You can read our report on those new codes below.
Butler reiterates collective decision-making of Labor caucus
Would Mark Butler be upset if Fatima Payman left Labor? Butler:
Of course we would. You know, we’d like Senator Payman to rejoin the Labor team. But obviously to do that, she’s got to respect other members of the team and agree to abide by the decisions we make collectively – particularly when those decisions, in this case, are a decision about the recognition of Palestine that reflects the Labor party platform that was debated openly in the caucus and adopted without dissent, and reflects really a strengthened position around Palestine under this prime minister and under Foreign Minister Wong.
Butler backs PM on Payman suspension from caucus
We have heard from Bill Shorten from the Labor right faction, about Labor caucus rules, now a senior left faction member has the same message.
Asked about Fatima Payman, Mark Butler told the Nine network:
The prime minister made a very clear, measured and, I think, proportionate response to Senator Payman’s interview on Sunday. And it just reinforces the long-standing principle in Labor that no individual is bigger than the team.
That’s been our guiding principle for more than 100 years. And I think it’s something that people who vote for a Labor party Senate candidate expect at this place.
So it is all about the rules.
Albanese launches Australian paralympic team
The Australian paralympic team is being launched at an event at Parliament House this morning. Anthony Albanese has welcomed the athletes:
It is an honour to join with all Australians in wishing all of you and every member of our Paralympic team every success in Paris.
Every one of you representing our country at the Paralympics also represent years of dedication and determination. The extraordinary commitment required to reach the absolute pinnacle of your sport and to compete against the best in the world.
So much of that hard work is done on cold mornings like this, days when I’m sure the warmth of the French summer or the glow of the international spotlight seems a world away.
And that’s where the sacrifice and support of your families, your coaches, your training partners and teammates is so important – and why they will feel such deep pride in seeing you on the world stage.
Shorten says Payman is not seeking to divide party but unity important to the party
Bill Shorten says he is not criticising Fatima Payman and he doesn’t think she is seeking to divide people.
I’m not criticising her view – she’s entitled to it.
The only reason why Labor has been electorally successful is because we’ve learned to stick together through thick and thin. People think everything’s just in history and nothing’s new. But sometimes history has a way of repeating.
The party split over conscription, it split the 1930s, it split in the 1950s and we are not at that zone but the reason why we are not is because we have rules about unity.
Now, Fatima Payman can make a very good contribution to Labor in the future. She’s smart, she’s strong. No one’s gonna push her around. She’s proven she’s tough.
But at the end of the day, she’s not happy with the rules that we have, I think probably the prime minister and Senator Wong had come up with a pretty, you know, least-worse solution where hey, if you’re not happy at the moment, just bench yourself and when you’re ready, come back on.
Shorten on Middle East: ‘I’m a realist’
Bill Shorten:
I’m a realist. You know, there’s some issues and the Middle East is probably one of them, where people just sometimes can’t get into the middle ground.
We support a two-state solution, but I think it behoves Australians to make sure that arguments overseas don’t become fault lines in this country.
… They have for some people, but can I tell you most people probably think like me, most people think it’s dreadful. Most people would like to see Israeli tanks [out of Gaza], most people would like to see the hostages returned. Most people would like to see them getting on but I tell you what, nearly every Australian does not want a replication of arguments overseas, repeated here.
Shorten says may be case to look at Labor caucus rules ‘down the track’
Bill Shorten says that there may be a case to revisit the Labor rules ‘down the track’ but now is not the time.
On the prospect of the Muslim and Arab communities banding together to run campaigns against Labor MPs over their response to Gaza, Shorten says
Well, people have said that [and] run against the Labor party in the past. You’d rather you’d rather people vote for you. And I think there’s plenty of issues for Australians and Muslim heritage which don’t go to the conflict. And Palestine, where Labor’s doing great things.
I do have a view, based on 17 years and having been leader of the Labor Party, as a student of the history of this country: a religious-based [party], I think, is not a great idea.
(There is no suggestion it would be a religious-based party.)