Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to begin by congratulating the Minister for Communications and the Arts on his outstanding success to date. This includes the record rollout of mobile base stations across Australia, record delivery of the NBN, better broadband access for Australians and, of course, two tranches—not one but two tranches—of media reform. But my question goes to it a different matter. Can the minister update the Senate on what the Liberal-National government is doing to keep Australians safe online and how these efforts are helping to ensure a safer Australia for everyone?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to 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.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A supplementary question: what can parents across Australia do to prepare their children for safe online participation?

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

The e-safety office has material to support parents helping keep kids safe online. The website, esafety.gov.au, includes advice for parents and ideas for approaching difficult conversations about sensitive matters. The government will also conduct an independent review of programs designed to develop and assess children's online safety skills, which I announced at the weekend, including digital licences in primary school. The idea of the digital licence for primary school kids is a bit like the old pen licence; it's something that parents and kids can prepare for at home and then present to their class. Students wouldn't have access to connected devices in class until they had completed that particular piece of work. It's something that parents universally have warmly welcomed.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a final supplementary question.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain to the Senate what the benefits are of funding non-government organisations to help improve the safety of Australians online?

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

Non-government organisations have a lot of very good ideas about how to better protect kids online, which is why we will have in this budget $10 million in a new online safety grants program available to not-for-profit, NGO and community organisations. This will include support for educators, parents, community and front-line support groups. Projects could include the development of educational resources, the translation of existing materials and the development of a new app. There is no one single solution or protection when it comes to supporting kids online and their safety. It's a whole-of-government and a whole-of-community effort, and this will provide new avenues for us to better protect our kids.