Monash Expert: The need for Australia-wide truth in political advertising laws
Monash University Media Alert
The Federal Government has just introduced a new bill designed to combat disinformation and misinformation on the Internet, which is a positive step toward addressing content that can cause serious harm or lead to violence, such as messaging from conspiracy theorists and fringe groups.
However, in most Australian states false or misleading information in political advertising will still be permissible. False information can alter elections, affect voting participation, silence minorities, and polarise the electorate.
South Australia has had truth in political advertising laws for 39 years and the Australian Capital Territory recently introduced them.
Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng, Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation at Monash University has partnered with The Susan McKinnon Foundation to examine the effect, operation and administration of ‘truth in political advertising’ laws. The interim Truth in Political Advertising Laws: Operation and Effectiveness report (Interim Report) is based on 21 interviews with current and former premiers, ministers, MPs, electoral commissioners, political party directors/secretaries and civil society groups across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
Associate Professor Ng says:
“The OECD has noted the ‘rapid and global spread of mis- and disinformation’, which ‘presents a fundamental risk to the free and fact-based exchange of information underpinning democratic debate’.
“False information can alter elections, affect voting participation, silence minorities, and polarise the electorate.
“Truth in political advertising laws have successfully operated in South Australia for 39 years and have the support of the politicians, party officials and electoral commissioners. It is time to consider introducing these laws more broadly across the federation.”
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7 comments
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New England Cocky
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Peter Gumley
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Harry Lime
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paul walter
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Andrew Smith
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Baby Jewels
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Peter Gumley
Return to home pageOh dear ….. Rupert will NOT be pleased …… expecting the MSM to act as THE reputable publication of record ….. when the COALition is so hopeless ….. does NOT look good ….. but Australians thrive on rubbish …. THAT is why Australian politics is kept to the lowest common denominator,
The proposed legislation is meaningless considering politicians, government bureaucrats and the media are exempt of liability. These are the greatest source of potentially harmful untruths eg; during the Covid mandate era.
Lying is stock-in-trade for politicians…whatever would we do?..tell the truth?That would lead to anarchy….bring it on.
Once again a slippery term or two to avoid a closer definition- the words “false information/disinformation” . Albanese and co have used similarly vague language in censoring the internet and passing laws making it an offence to criticise Israel.
Who decides as to what comprises “false information”? Do they mean something upsetting Murdoch, asone contributor suggested. After all we have all seen dozens of Media Watch episodes that expose a monumental chasm between what the tabloids think as “false” and what often bright commentators say in huge disagreement.
Start with legacy media/press, THEN go after social media.
See Musk’s Orwellian X which recently banned Tampere University disinfo research unit, Vatnik Soup, links/posts on Russian disinfo, Kremlin messaging and western enablers, for spreading disinfo…..
Obviously, it’s a no-brainer. As long as the people are fed untruths, we don’t have a democracy. Simple as that. But no, it’s the people they want to censor and silence. How did we ever allow ourselves to get into this mess? We know what we have to do: we have but one tool. Our vote.
I agree but the problem is we have politicians fixed on a contest of personalities rather than policies. Add to that the major parties have no courage – nobody speaks out for fear of being wedged by the opposition – hence there is little to choose from when election time comes.