David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell. Will the minister update the Senate on the status of TikTok bans announced or implemented by other Five Eyes nations?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Fawcett, for your question. I note that concerns regarding TikTok are not new and have been matters of public debate for some time. I think it's fair to say that in government you had plenty of time to take some action on this issue. I'm disappointed—

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: the minister is misleading the house. TikTok only launched in Australia in 2019.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a debating point.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point was that, if your government was so worried about TikTok and you claim that TikTok was introduced in 2019, by my calculations that gave you three years—

No, not that; this one here, three. That gave you three years to deal with it. I don't say you had nine years to deal with it, but I do say you had three years to deal with the issue. Talk about crocodile tears, crying about—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance: Senator Farrell has had a little bit of fun in responding to the earlier point of order, but I would ask you to bring him back to what was a quite precisely worded question and to be directly relevant to that, which was asking him to update the Senate on the status of TikTok bans announced or implemented by other Five Eyes nations. He has not gone close to the status of those international actions.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will direct the minister to the question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the rise of social media, those in the chamber the other night would recall me giving some advice to people about social media platforms. Australians are sharing more data and more details on platforms that are not necessarily protecting that information. Australians deserve to be protected by regulatory—

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance: the question was about the actions by other Five Eyes nations, not by Australia.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have directed the minister, and I will direct the minister again to your question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government is currently looking at— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, a first supplementary?

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 16 March the deputy leader of the UK Labour Party, Angela Rayner, said in relation to the recent UK government ban of TikTok on government devices:

… a Government behind the curve, with sticking-plaster solutions, forced to lurch into a U-turn at the last minute.

Does the minister agree with the UK Labour Party that a decision on TikTok is already well overdue?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fawcett for his question. I have to say, wonders never cease! I never, ever thought that I'd see the day when you were quoting statements from the UK Labour government in support of your arguments! This government takes the issue of TikTok seriously. We are in the process of—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can't see it.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, you had years and years to deal with this issue. You did nothing, like with so many other things. There were issues that you should have dealt with when you were in government, but of course you didn't. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, second supplementary?

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, given that Senator Paterson, on behalf of the coalition, first raised the dangers of TikTok on government devices in July last year, given that all of Australia's Five Eyes partners have now acted and given that even the UK Labour Party—which, by the way, is in opposition, not government—supports a ban, will the Albanese government now finally commit to banning TikTok on government devices?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're right, Senator. I was jumping ahead of myself. I'm anticipating a Labor victory in the New South Wales election of course and in the UK election in due course. We have taken this issue seriously, in a way you never did when you were in government. The minister is currently looking at—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All the other Five Eyes nations have acted, Don.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, why didn't you act when you had three years to do it?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell—

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like with so many things, you never acted when you could have.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Once again, senators, there was so much disorder in here that the minister wasn't able to hear me asking him to resume his seat so that we could regain order and hear his answer. Please continue, Minister.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Go, Don.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, when I've just called the chamber to order that is incredibly disorderly. Minister Farrell.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a day when we're trying to lift the standards here and show a bit of respect—

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor started off well.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. I can't even get an opportunity to answer the question.

An honourable senator: Just say, 'I don't know.'

No, that's not the answer. (Time expired)