Name: Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (part 1 of 2)
Uploaded: 2026-08-13T22:35:00+00:00
Duration: 21600 s

19:00 - 21:08

Speaker 4

This hearing of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee's inquiry into the Online Safety (Strengthening Enforcement for Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026. I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today. These are proceedings being streamed live via the Parliament's website and a Hansard transcript is being made.

If there are no objections, the committee authorizes media recording and photography of the committee's proceedings in accordance with Senate Resolution 3. I remind the media that this permission can be revoked at any time and the media must follow the direction of secretariat staff. I remind all witnesses that in giving evidence to the committee they are protected by parliamentary privilege. It is unlawful for anyone to threaten or disadvantage a witness on account of evidence given to a committee and such action may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. It is also a contempt to give false or misleading evidence.

The committee generally prefers evidence to be given in public but under the Senate's resolutions, witnesses have the right to request to be heard in private session. The Senate has resolved that an officer of a department of the Commonwealth or of a state should not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and should be given a reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked to the officer to superior officers or to a minister. This resolution does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted. If a witness objects to answering a question they should state the ground upon which the objection is made and the committee will determine whether it will insist on an answer having regard to the ground which is claimed. If the committee determines to insist on an answer a witness may request the answer be given in camera.

Commonwealth officers appearing today are also reminded of the Senate order specifying the process by which a claim of public interest immunity may be made. A copy of the order is available from the secretariat. I remind senators of their obligations under the behavior code for Australian parliamentarians to treat witnesses with dignity, courtesy, respect and fairness. Answers to questions on notice should be returned by Wednesday 19 August 2026. I now welcome Ms Mia Bannister, Ms Emma Mason via video conference and Mr Wayne Holdsworth via video conference and I think there are a couple of others or maybe one other on on video conference as well.

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