Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Given the increasing number of people—especially young people—who are interacting online as part of their normal daily routine, can the minister indicate what implications this has for government and policy development in terms of ensuring that people can do this safely and with confidence? In particular, could the minister outline what the government is doing as part of its $125.8 million cyber safety plan to address the prevalent issue of cyber bullying in schools for young Australians who interact online?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Farrell for his question. Senators will be aware that cyber bullying is a serious issue facing young Australians. Although young people are among the quickest adopters of new technology, it is apparent that cyber bullying can make the online space an unpleasant and potentially dangerous place. Young people are at the leading edge of online experience, and the Rudd government believes they can provide valuable advice on the emerging problem of cyber bullying and provide strategies on how to stay safe online.

Last month I launched the youth advisory group on cyber safety in Victoria. The YAG is a group of secondary school students aged from 11 to 17 who are providing advice to the government on cyber safety issues from a young person’s perspective. These young people have been tasked to help communicate to government what they see as the nature of cyber safety risks and how young people can manage them, and how cyber safety messages can best be communicated to other young Australians. Three hundred and five YAG members are contributing their online experiences to help inform government policy. In just the first week, 2,100 new cyber safety posts were generated on 75 individual topics. The quality of the contributions is impressive, and there is a rich source of information evolving in the online forum. This month, face-to-face meetings with trained moderators are being held at participating schools. On behalf of the government and the Senate, I extend my thanks to the YAG members for their participation in this project.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. With the establishment of the youth advisory group as an innovative way for the government to engage and seek feedback from young people, is the minister able to update the Senate on the feedback so far? In particular, can the minister inform the Senate of the specific sorts of advice the youth advisory group is providing and what the government intends to do with this advice?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the quality of the contributions is impressive and there is this rich source of information evolving on the online forum. The youth advisory group has advised the Australian government that we should have an easily accessible government liaison officer from whom young people can seek advice in a secure environment. I was especially interested in some of the topics raised, including identifying the positive role media outlets could play through addressing these types of issues in the plots of shows like Home and Away and Neighbours. The YAG has advised of the need for an Australian government website that deals with cyber safety issues and specifics on how it should look and work. It has stressed the need for education of parents and children about both the good and the bad on the internet. (Time expired)

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question for the minister. While the establishment of the youth advisory group is fulfilling an important function, is it not the case that there are potentially a range of other measures that can be put in place to ensure that young Australians are able to interact safely and confidently online? Can the minister outline other steps that the government is taking to ensure the safety of our children online?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In addition to the measures I have just outlined, the government is also undertaking a review of existing Australian and international cyber safety research. The outcomes of this should be available shortly, and they will also help inform government policy. Consistent with the government’s election commitments, we have also delivered on developing other cyber safety initiatives, including professional development for teachers and curriculum resources provided by ACMA as well as presentations for parents, teachers and students. ACMA has delivered a professional development program to over 1,200 teachers since November 2007. It has delivered internet safety presentations to over 350 schools and approximately 40,000 participants. One hundred thousand new resource kits have been distributed to libraries and families since July 2008. The cyber smart detectives activity has also been played by many students. (Time expired)