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

I move:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society, be established to inquire into and report on the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society, with particular reference to:

(a) the decision of Meta to abandon deals under the News Media Bargaining Code;

(b) the important role of Australian journalism, news and public interest media in countering mis and disinformation on digital platforms;

(c) the algorithms, recommender systems and corporate decision making of digital platforms in influencing what Australians see, and the impacts of this on mental health;

(d) other issues in relation to harmful or illegal content disseminated over social media, including scams, age-restricted content, child sexual abuse and violent extremist material; and

(e) any related matters.

(2) That the committee present an interim report on or before 15 August 2024, and its final report on or before 18 November 2024.

(3) That the committee consist of a total number of 12 members, as follows:

(a) four nominated by the Government Whip or Whips in the House of Representatives;

(b) two nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips in the House of Representatives;

(c) one nominated by minor party and independent members of the House of Representatives;

(d) two nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

(e) two nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate; and

(f) one nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate.

(4) That every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(5) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that not all members have been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(6) That the members of the committee hold office as a joint select committee

until presentation of the committee's report.

(7) That 5 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in any meeting of the committee, one member nominated by the Government and one member nominated by the Opposition shall be present.

(8) That the committee elect as chair a member nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, and as deputy chair, a member nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate.

(9) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(10) That, in the event of an equality of voting, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(11) That the committee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceeding at any place it sees fits;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate or the House of Representatives.

(12) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President and the Speaker.

(13) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.

(14) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move an amendment to the motion as circulated in the chamber.

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

Could you maybe outline the key points of the amendment?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The amendment has been circulated. It's an amendment to paragraph 1 of the motion, to include after:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society, be established to inquire into and report on the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society, with particular reference to:

an additional line as 1(a):

1(a) the use of age verification to protect Australian children from social media

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

Thank you for that explanation.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Is leave granted? Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The government will support the amendment. We think it's covered in other parts of the terms of reference, particularly under (e) and (f), but I think it's certainly something we would have expected to be covered in the terms of reference.

Question agreed to.

Original question, as amended, agreed to.