Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher, referencing freedom of information request No. 4293 from the Department of Health and Aged Care on the censoring of Craig Kelly's tweet, when he was a duly elected member of federal parliament, representing and serving the people of Hughes. This was a political tweet. It criticised the use of police in COVID measures. It criticised the constant fearmongering and, quite correctly, alerted the public to the adverse mental health outcomes from lockdowns. Minister, why and on what authority did the health department censor a sitting member of parliament?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for the question. From memory, we had quite a discussion at Senate estimates about this and about the process that the department of health went through, working, as I recall, with the Department of Home Affairs to raise concerns around misinformation that was being circulated during, essentially, a national state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic. So these are decisions that were taken in the former parliament when the COVID pandemic was at its peak. I think there was agreement that Health had a role in ensuring that information going out was as accurate as it could be but also that it didn't generate unnecessary concerns around the fact that the previous government had taken a decision around a national vaccination program.

I'm not specifically aware of the tweet to which you refer. But that is my understanding of the evidence that was given at estimates—that the department of health did not censor information. Where concerns were brought to their attention, they followed through and worked, from memory, with the Department of Home Affairs around how to manage some of that misinformation to ensure, as much as possible, that information out in the community was accurate about the response from the Australian government at the time.

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

Senator Roberts, first supplementary?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The censoring was recently disclosed publicly under your government. Mr Kelly was criticising public policy. How many more members of parliament have been censored across the COVID period from February 2020 to February 2023? And how many more social media posts from members of parliament have been censored across this COVID period? At what level was the decision taken to censor—departmental, ministerial or prime ministerial?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll have to go back to the transcript of evidence from estimates, but my recollection was that it was the platforms themselves that made decisions about what information they allow on their platforms. There was certainly a role for the department of health to ensure, as much as possible, that information circulating through whatever communication channel was, as much as it could be, accurate and reflect health information in the middle of a national emergency. As I recall, from the time, there was a lot of misinformation out and about. And from a public health point of view, it's not unusual for public health officials to raise concerns if misinformation is being circulated. But, from memory, that was referred to Home Affairs and then— (Time expired)

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

Senator Roberts, second supplementary?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now that this censorship has been disclosed publicly during your government's term, has the minister sought legal advice on the constitutional implications of interfering with a member of parliament in the performance of their duty?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for his supplementary. Again, I don't have the information that he refers to. But I would repeat my earlier answer that the department specifically did not censor any information in relation to any public official. As far as I can recall, the evidence at estimates—and I wasn't in government at the time that these matters were being handled—from the department was that they did not censor, but where information was raised and where that information was inaccurate, they did refer some matters on. Ultimately, it was the decision of the platform where that information was circulating about what they did with that information.