Fatima Payman (WA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Imagine the face of a 10-year-old child you know—your son, your daughter, your grandchild, your niece or a family friend. Picture their wide-eyed innocence, their curiosity and their fragile sense of self just beginning to take shape. Now imagine that child alone with a device, stumbling upon images that are so graphic, so violent, and so beyond their understanding that their innocence is shattered in an instant. No child should bear the weight of such exposure, yet this is the brutal reality for too many young Australians out there.

We stand here with a duty to protect, lead and legislate for the common good, but what good are we truly serving if we restrict teenagers from social media while leaving young children, as young as eight, exposed to hardcore pornography. What message does that send? Is it that a Facebook post is more dangerous than violent sexual content? It's not just inconsistent; it's inconceivable. This is not about censorship or government overreach. This is about protecting children who cannot protect themselves.

One of the most insidious aspects of pornography is its effect on brain chemistry. The release of dopamine rewards the body for viewing sexually explicit material. Like an addiction, prolonged exposure can lead to a need for more extreme content to achieve the same effect. It is linked to sexual dysfunction, infidelity and relationship breakdowns. Beyond personal consequences, it also affect young people's attitudes, particularly towards women. Research from the French high council for equality found that 90 per cent of pornography depicts verbal, physical or sexual violence against women, reinforcing disrespect and objectification.

I challenge anyone in this chamber to say without hesitation that it is acceptable for a primary school aged child to be exposed to violent, degrading sexual material. If you cannot say that—and I suspect none of you can—then we must act; we have the obligation to act.

The rise of internet enabled technology has made explicit content easily accessible on devices children use daily, often unsupervised. Research shows some children encounter pornography as young as seven, either accidentally or intentionally. This is profoundly dangerous. It disrupts their development, distorts self-concept, damages body image and creates unrealistic expectations of relationships. A study by Our Watch reveals that 79 per cent of young people believe that pornography contributes to the dehumanisation of women. It's alarming that one-third of young people use pornography as sex education despite knowing it's a poor substitute.

If we fail to act we're not just allowing harm to continue; we're enabling a culture that normalises exploitation and violence. So where is our sense of urgency? If the government can act swiftly to restrict children under 16 from social media, why aren't we addressing this crisis with the same determination? If our allies, like New Zealand and the UK, can take decisive action, why can't we? The age assurance trial is a step forward, but it's moving too slowly. While we wait for results, children are exposed to harmful content every day. We cannot afford further delay.

The solution will not be simple, and I don't claim to have the answers. But I do know this: indifference is not an option; inaction is not an option. Party lines and ideological differences do not matter when it comes to protecting our children. What matters is our shared responsibility and collective will to act. We can rise above political noise, put aside blame games and overcome the bureaucratic inertia. This is not a Left or Right issue; this is not about winning votes or headlines. This is about doing what's right, and deep down we all know that.

I'm not here to point fingers. I'm here to extend a hand. Let's work together across party lines to create solutions that protect and heal. If we cannot come together for our children, what hope do we have for anything else? The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now. Our children are watching. Let's show them we were worthy of their trust.