Article #67584

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‘Eight weeks to shred documents’: Wells on social media law delay

The main reason for Anika Wells’ media appearances this morning is to kick the Coalition and the Greens for sending that social media bill – increasing fines for platforms and handing the eSafety commissioner more power – into an eight-week inquiry.

It’s not complex, and I think Angus Taylor should explain why he is honestly giving big tech eight more weeks to prepare their case, eight more weeks to get their ducks in a row, potentially eight weeks to shred documents now that they know these changes are coming.

I think this is genuinely urgent. I’m crestfallen. Angus Taylor has decided to walk away from bipartisanship and he should explain why he would make such a craven and expedient decision.

If you chose to watch – I don’t want to name any particular given that we’re on the ABC – but if you are watching the football World Cup on SBS, another public broadcaster, for example, you have the ability to opt out of seeing gambling advertising and from 1 January on streaming. And we know the trend for viewing in Australia is that more than half of the population now view these things online through streamers.