Summary

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The majority voted in favour of a motion "that the bill, as amended, be agreed to." In other words, they voted to agree with the amended bill and will now decide on whether to pass it in the House of Representatives (also known as giving it a third reading).

What does this bill do?

According to the bills digest:

  • The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 aims to reduce the spread of seriously harmful misinformation and disinformation on digital communications platforms.
  • However, it is unclear if the Bill will operate in a manner compatible with Australia’s international human rights obligations related to freedom of expression. The definitions of misinformation and disinformation create some uncertainty as to the breadth of content captured.
  • The Bill introduces transparency requirements for certain digital communications platforms related to misinformation and disinformation. This includes obligations to publish information on risk management actions, media literacy plans, and complaints processes.
  • The Bill provides the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with new powers to create digital platform rules requiring digital communication platforms to report and keep records on certain matters related to misinformation and disinformation.
  • The Bill provides ACMA with a graduated set of powers in relation to the development and registration of industry misinformation codes and misinformation standards. Registered codes and standards are enforceable.
  • The Bill has been referred to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry, with a reporting date of 25 November 2024.
  • Both the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have raised concerns with the Bill.

Votes Passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (0% turnout) Absent
Adam Bandt Melbourne Absent
Stephen Bates Brisbane Absent
Max Chandler-Mather Griffith Absent
Elizabeth Watson-Brown Ryan Absent
Australian Labor Party (95% turnout) 73 Yes 0 No
Anthony Albanese Grayndler Yes
Anne Aly Cowan Yes
Michelle Ananda-Rajah Higgins Yes
Jodie Belyea Dunkley Yes
Chris Bowen McMahon Yes
Tony Burke Watson Yes
Matt Burnell Spence Yes
Linda Burney Barton Yes
Josh Burns Macnamara Yes
Mark Butler Hindmarsh Yes
Alison Byrnes Cunningham Yes
Jim Chalmers Rankin Yes
Andrew Charlton Parramatta Yes
Lisa Chesters Bendigo Yes
Jason Clare Blaxland Yes
Sharon Claydon Newcastle Yes
Libby Coker Corangamite Yes
Julie Collins Franklin Yes
Pat Conroy Shortland Yes
Mary Doyle Aston Yes
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs Yes
Justine Elliot Richmond Yes
Cassandra Fernando Holt Yes
Mike Freelander Macarthur Yes
Carina Garland Chisholm Yes
Steve Georganas Adelaide Yes
Andrew Giles Scullin Yes
Patrick Gorman Perth Yes
Luke Gosling Solomon Yes
Julian Hill Bruce Yes
Ed Husic Chifley Yes
Stephen Jones Whitlam Yes
Ged Kearney Cooper Yes
Matt Keogh Burt Yes
Catherine King Ballarat Yes
Madeleine King Brand Yes
Tania Lawrence Hasluck Yes
Jerome Laxale Bennelong Yes
Andrew Leigh Fenner Yes
Sam Lim Tangney Yes
Kristy McBain Eden-Monaro Yes
Emma McBride Dobell Yes
Louise Miller-Frost Boothby Yes
Brian Mitchell Lyons Yes
Rob Mitchell McEwen Yes
Daniel Mulino Fraser Yes
Shayne Neumann Blair Yes
Brendan O'Connor Gorton Yes
Clare O'Neil Hotham Yes
Alicia Payne Canberra Yes
Graham Perrett Moreton Yes
Fiona Phillips Gilmore Yes
Tanya Plibersek Sydney Yes
Sam Rae Hawke Yes
Gordon Reid Robertson Yes
Dan Repacholi Hunter Yes
Amanda Rishworth Kingston Yes
Tracey Roberts Pearce Yes
Michelle Rowland Greenway Yes
Joanne Ryan Lalor Yes
Marion Scrymgour Lingiari Yes
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong Yes
Sally Sitou Reid Yes
David Smith Bean Yes
Anne Stanley Werriwa Yes
Meryl Swanson Paterson Yes
Susan Templeman Macquarie Yes
Matt Thistlethwaite Kingsford Smith Yes
Maria Vamvakinou Calwell Yes
Tim Watts Gellibrand Yes
Anika Wells Lilley Yes
Josh Wilson Fremantle Yes
Tony Zappia Makin Yes
Peter Khalil Wills Absent
Richard Marles Corio Absent
Zaneta Mascarenhas Swan Absent
Kate Thwaites Jagajaga Absent
Rebekha Sharkie Mayo Centre Alliance No
Mark Coulton Parkes Deputy Speaker No
Kate Chaney Curtin Independent Yes
Zoe Daniel Goldstein Independent Yes
Monique Ryan Kooyong Independent Yes
Sophie Scamps Mackellar Independent Yes
Zali Steggall Warringah Independent Yes
Kylea Tink North Sydney Independent Yes
Russell Broadbent Monash Independent No
Andrew Gee Calare Independent No
Helen Haines Indi Independent No
Allegra Spender Wentworth Independent No
Andrew Wilkie Clark Independent No
Dai Le Fowler Independent Absent
Bob Katter Kennedy Katter's Australian Party No
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 9 No
Angie Bell Moncrieff No
Colin Boyce Flynn No
Cameron Caldwell Fadden No
Garth Hamilton Groom No
Henry Pike Bowman No
Phillip Thompson Herbert No
Andrew Wallace Fisher No
Andrew Willcox Dawson No
Terry Young Longman No
Liberal Party (85% turnout) 0 Yes 28 No
Karen Andrews McPherson No
Bridget Archer Bass No
Scott Buchholz Wright No
Warren Entsch Leichhardt No
Paul Fletcher Bradfield No
Ian Goodenough Moore No
Alex Hawke Mitchell No
Luke Howarth Petrie No
Simon Kennedy Cook No
Julian Leeser Berowra No
Sussan Ley Farrer No
Nola Marino Forrest No
Melissa McIntosh Lindsay No
Ted O'Brien Fairfax No
Tony Pasin Barker No
Gavin Pearce Braddon No
Melissa Price Durack No
Rowan Ramsey Grey No
James Stevens Sturt No
Michael Sukkar Deakin No
Angus Taylor Hume No
Dan Tehan Wannon No
Bert Van Manen Forde No
Ross Vasta Bonner No
Aaron Violi Casey No
Jenny Ware Hughes No
Rick Wilson O'Connor No
Keith Wolahan Menzies No
David Coleman Banks Absent
Peter Dutton Dickson Absent
Andrew Hastie Canning Absent
Zoe McKenzie Flinders Absent
Jason Wood La Trobe Absent
National Party (92% turnout) 0 Yes 11 No
Sam Birrell Nicholls No
Darren Chester Gippsland No
Pat Conaghan Cowper No
Kevin Hogan Page No
Barnaby Joyce New England No
Michelle Landry Capricornia No
David Littleproud Maranoa No
Michael McCormack Riverina No
Llew O'Brien Wide Bay No
Keith Pitt Hinkler No
Anne Webster Mallee No
David Gillespie Lyne Absent
Milton Dick Oxley Speaker Absent
Totals (89% turnout) 79 Yes – 56 No