ER Editor: Some good news from Australia. Note that the bill is called the Misinformation and Disinformation bill (MAD). Tweets —
Australia’s misinformation bill is buried. With every independent senator now coming out against it, the bill has no chance of passing in its current form.https://t.co/mNWkx4ZXBCpic.twitter.com/kjewdSWtHe
NEW. Misinformation Bill: Legal Expert from the Victorian Bar Association calls the misinformation bill and what’s contained in the explanation memorandum “an extraordinary document”:
“[The idea] that opinions, claims [and] commentary can constitute misinformation, is one of the… pic.twitter.com/T1FiCG5mtk
WATCH: Journalist Michael Shellenberger describes Labor’s Misinformation Bill as a “threat to democracy” and warns that it may be viewed as an “act of aggression” by the incoming Trump administration.
— Free Speech Union of Australia (@FSUofAustralia) November 18, 2024
One of the worst censorship efforts anywhere falls flat.
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BREAKING: Australian Government’s misinformation bill dead in the water
The government will need a miracle to turn this around
Rebekah Barnett
In what looks set to be a win for free speech Down Under, critical support from independent senators for the Australian Government’s controversial misinformation bill has collapsed completely.
The Labor Government needed votes from four out of seven independents to pass the bill, but as of today, every single one of the seven independent senators on the crossbench has declared their opposition to the bill.
Independent Senators David Pocock, Fatima Payman and Lidia Thorpe will vote against the misinformation bill. Image: AAP/Lukas Coch.
Formerly undecided Senator Lidia Thorpe today stated her intention to vote against it, due to concerns that “white-dominated institutions” would regulate what constitutes truth, which would would “further erase, suppress and misrepresent First Nations narratives and activism.”
Senator David Van appears to have been swayed by public and/or peer pressure, changing his stance from for to against the bill. In Parliament today, Senator Van said that “at first glance, the bill seemed to be a reasonable approach to tackle harmful content on platforms,” but that on further examination, “there are such significant defects in the bill that means it should not pass as drafted.”
It looks as though a meeting with American free speech activist Michael Shellenberger, who is in Australia at the moment, also had something to do with Senator Van’s change of heart.
The other five crossbenchers (Senators Pocock, Tyrrell, Payne, Lambie and Rennick) had already declared their opposition to the bill, effectively blocking it from passing provided they vote accordingly. Today’s additional declarations only widen the margin of loss for the government.
Katrina Lane, Chief Operations Officer of community action group the Aligned Council of Australia (ACA), said that the ACA is “absolutely delighted to see Democracy in action.”
“The people have spoken, and senators have listened. Australians say no to censorship.”
The government will now either need to significantly alter the misinformation bill in line with demands from the independent senators, or apply such pressure that the majority of them either change their minds or don’t show up for the vote. Short of a miracle, these scenarios are unlikely.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill next Monday, but it’s possible that the government will withdraw the bill to avoid the loss. It’s also possible that lobbyists are currently working very hard at turning this around.
It’s not over til it’s over, but the chance of this going the government’s way is very slim.
If you are the type to take out insurance, a last round of calls and emails to senators is advisable. It would still be good to get a guarantee from the Greens that they will oppose the bill. Even with the support of the Greens, the government can’t pass the bill without support from the crossbench, but opposition from the Greens would send a strong message of rejection.
Also, don’t forget to send messages of support to senators who have stated their opposition to the bill.
Someone in need of further convincing? Seven reasons to oppose the bill:
Network Affects
Australia’s misinformation bill is on the ropes
The Australian Labor Government says that the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation is an urgent problem and is seeking to pass new legislation to force social media platforms to clamp down on what it says are mistruths…
Featured image source: https://x.com/Mr_Fireside/status/1855373896532553796
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