Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today is Safer Internet Today. I just attended a function here in Parliament House which was addressed by the Prime Minister and by the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. Both spoke about the importance of the four R's of online safety: respect, resilience, responsibility and reasoning. It's important that we do have bipartisan support as we deal with issues around online bullying and inappropriate behaviour on the internet. As you are aware, bullying has been around forever. There's nothing new about that, but what is new is the bullies can now follow our kids home. Bullies can follow our kids into their lounge rooms and into their bedrooms as they use their devices online, and it's very hard for young people today to find a safe haven from a bully. As parents and grandparents, we need to support this digital generation of young people. We need to help them as they cultivate respectful relationships both online and offline. We need to make sure that the internet is a force for good in their lives.

Can I conclude my remarks by congratulating the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. We are world leaders in Australia in having such a commissioner in place, and she is doing a tremendous job as she works to give people the skills to communicate safely online. She needs our help, though, to get the message out. As members in this place, we have an important role to play by demonstrating respect for each other at all times, both in this place and online.

See this speech in context