Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator White for the question. Recently, when I was in Darwin, my staff and I were following a Land Cruiser along the Esplanade that had a Do it for Dolly sticker on the back. It reminded me of the harrowing experience of Dolly Everett, which no child should endure, and the work that has been done since then to improve online safety. I do give the former government credit, as does the Prime Minister, for the work they did in this space. Maintaining online safety is a core priority for the Albanese government.

That's why we are supporting the eSafety Commissioner, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, particularly as the eSafety Commissioner undertakes critically important work to raise the bar for online safety and hold platforms to account for their actions to keep Australians safe. Whether it is tackling online child sexual exploitation material, combating cyberbullying and harassment, or making dating apps safer, I think we can all agree that the work they do is critical for our society. However, I think senators would be astounded to know that, despite the eSafety Commissioner's important role, eSafety has been operating without funding certainty—thanks to decisions taken by those opposite.