4th Apr 2019, 11:12 AM – Representatives Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material) Bill 2019 - Second Reading - Refer to Committee

The majority voted against a motion that would have amended the usual second reading motion: That the majority agree with the bill's main idea. Or, in parliamentary jargon, "That this bill be now read a second time."

Motion text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House refers the bill to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security for inquiry and report no later than 1 August 2019".

What does the bill do?

The explanatory memorandum explained that:

The Christchurch terrorist attack on 15 March 2019 demonstrated the potential for live streaming and other video sharing platforms to be abused by extremist perpetrators to amplify their messages in the immediate aftermath of these incidents. In that case, the perpetrator streamed the attack in real-time. The video was then widely re-shared across a number of social media platforms.

The Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material) Bill 2019 (Bill) will address significant gaps in Australia’s current criminal laws by ensuring that persons who are internet service providers, or who provide content or hosting services, take timely action in relation to abhorrent violent material that can be accessed using their services. This will ensure that online platforms cannot be exploited and weaponised by perpetrators of violence.