Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I didn't think it was possible for me to be more fond of Senator Smith than I am, but it is indeed. Thank you, Senator Smith. I think all colleagues would agree that our highest obligation as a society is to protect our kids, and that's why online safety has been a major focus of this government.

In 2015, we established the world's first Children's eSafety Commissioner, which is a dedicated statutory position with a clear mandate to improve community awareness of online safety risks for kids and to be a cop on the beat when it comes to cyberbullying. In 2016, we expanded the remit of the commissioner to cover online safety of all Australians, and this shift recognised that online safety issues are really a whole-of-community matter. This has extended the commissioner's reach to targeted programs and activities for older Australians, women and vulnerable groups. In 2018, we announced in the budget additional funding of $14.2 million to the office over four years to include resources to strengthen the e-safety office's IT and safeguard sensitive material, including child exploitation and intimate images. In 2018, the government announced an additional $17 million for the Keeping our Children Safe Online package, which is comprised of four distinct measures: the Early Years Online Safety program, an Online Safety Research program, an Online Safety Charter and a national online safety awareness campaign.

In good news, in the 2019 budget, the government will have an additional $10 million in new online safety grants, which will be available for not-for-profit and community organisations that have good ideas about how to keep Australians and, in particular, children safe online.