Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan and Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry will oppose Labor’s exposure draft of the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 in its current form.
Senator Canavan said families in Capricornia want their children protected online and the world’s biggest technology companies held to account. However, protecting children cannot become an excuse to hand politicians sweeping powers over lawful speech, news, political debate and what Australians are allowed to see online.
“Labor has failed to cut taxes like they promised. Labor has failed to halve migration like the Prime Minister promised. Labor even failed to implement an under-16 social media ban. And now having lost the debate, having presided over those failures, the government wants to stop people from complaining about them,” Senator Canavan said.
“We know that’s the case because this Bill has given the Minister extraordinary powers to decide what is harmful, and that same Minister has said that what is harmful is people no longer trusting her, based on what they see on social media.
“As it’s written, this Bill is not to protect the people of Australia. It is a Bill to protect politicians.”
Ms Landry said Labor’s exposure draft goes too far, contains inadequate safeguards for free speech and journalism, and leaves too much power in the hands of the Communications Minister.
“We want kids in Capricornia protected online and we want Big Tech held to account. But you don’t protect Australians by handing a politician the power to decide what lawful material is harmful and should be suppressed,” Ms Landry said.
“At a time when families in Central Queensland are struggling with an out-of-control cost of living, Labor’s answer is more power for themselves.
“That’s why I am focused on the issues Labor has created offline, with our plan for lower taxes, cheaper power, less migration and more homes, and to put Australians first.
“No politician should get to decide for themselves what lawful speech is harmful and then pressure platforms to make it disappear. “Labor has given up trying to lower prices, cut taxes and bring migration under control. Now they want extraordinary powers over the internet where Australians go to complain about how badly they’re being governed. That should worry everyone.”
Senator Canavan and Ms Landry’s concerns include:
• The algorithm promise is not actually guaranteed. Labor says Australians will be able to turn off personalised recommendations for their social media feeds. But the exposure draft instead gives the Minister power to specify ‘user empowerment tools’ through future legislative instruments.
• Ministerial power to define new harms. Minister Anika Wells can make new categories of ‘seriously harmful’ material by legislative instrument, including material that may be completely lawful, representing a significant threat to free speech.
• The risk to free speech and journalism. The duty is not confined to social media. It applies across a wide range of online services, potentially including websites carrying news, commentary and political debate.
• Vague and subjective tests. The draft includes concepts such as material that ‘encourages or promotes hostile attitudes towards women or gender equality’ and ‘harmful practices’.
• A powerful incentive to censor first and ask questions later.
• The impact on small businesses has not been considered.
• Labor’s record should give Australians little confidence. Its under-16 social media ban has fallen well short of the government’s rhetoric, with eSafety finding the proportion of under-16s still using social media had fallen by just 4.4 percentage points three months after commencement.
-Ends-
Media Contacts:
Senator Canavan: Kerrod Gream | 0411 260 463
Michelle Landry: Gordon Watson | 0418 908 159
