Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] To the Prime Minister: over the weekend, we saw thousands of text messages and emails sent to constituents of many electorates by the United Australia Party, spreading misinformation about vaccines and lockdowns. The past two federal elections have been influenced by misinformation and deceptive political advertising from each of the major parties. Do you support politicians and third parties having the ability to lie in political advertising? And, if you don't, will you do something about it?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are very serious about combating misinformation. There is a COVID-19 misinformation portal, called 'COVID-19 Mythbusting', which I refer to the member, on the australia.gov.au website that corrects myths and misinformation about COVID-19. The Department of Home Affairs reviews and refers online misinformation about COVID-19 to social media platforms to request that it is taken down. The Department of Health have a feature on their website called 'Is it true?' to help answer questions people may have about COVID-19 vaccines and respond to vaccine misinformation they may have heard. This is important information for people in our community today to ensure that they can be protected from the threat of misinformation.

The Department of Home Affairs works closely, in particular, with the Department of Health to provide multicultural communities with accurate information on COVID-19. Home Affairs counters the threat of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation by ensuring accurate and authoritative information is accessible and in language. Home Affairs' community liaison officer network supports CALD communities by relaying community concerns to government and disseminating that information. Settlement service providers also assist in conveying in-language messaging to humanitarian entrants and their communities. The COVID-19 in-language website provides accurate, official government information translated into 63 languages, including fact sheets on COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation and on the vaccine rollout. Indeed, I've participated in quite a number of those Zoom forums with multicultural leaders, across New South Wales in particular, to deal with those very issues. So I would refer the member to those very important resources and encourage her to share those resources with members of her community.