A Dark Day for Free Speech in Australia, By Paul Walker

The introduction of the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, has been described by Chris Baxter, a Sydney-based attorney, as "the darkest day for freedom of speech in Australian history." According to Mr Baxter, "This legislation creates a two-tier rule book for what Australians can say, depending on who they are." While the government is given a free ride, ordinary people will feel the heat of censorship of anything the government regards as misinformation or disinformation. There is a very low threshold here, as seen with the Covid plandemic, the lab leak hypothesis, which is now the leading account was back in 2020 regarded as a "racist" conspiracy. It would have ben censored if this law was operational then.

But it will not just be controversial areas like Covid and immigration that the government will censor; private chat groups will be monitored, and a register of misinformation will be kept by the new thought police, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Individuals are not safe, and those found to be spreading misinformation may be fined. What counts as misinformation will be decided by the present Labor Party regime. And posts are likely to get government labels as appeared with Covid, and this will apply to everything, from the gender agenda to the issue of a cashless society and banking issues.

"Australians have just been surrounded," Baxter has said. The Bill must be defeated, or the ideal of free speech is gone from Australia. In the future we need to think about an amendment to the constitution to add the right to free speech, even stronger than America's. I wish.

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"An Australian attorney has called the introduction of new misinformation laws by the Labor Party "the darkest day for freedom of speech in Australian history."

After reviewing the bill, Chris Baxter, the Sydney-based attorney, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his concerns, warning the new legislation poses a serious threat to free speech and allows the government to control what people can say online.

"This legislation creates a two-tier rule book for what Australians can say, depending on who they are," Baxter said.

Government-approved media can publish freely, while citizen journalists and independent voices are at risk. Though penalties don't directly target individuals, digital platforms will feel pressured to silence or "shadow ban" people who post content the government deems as misinformation or disinformation.

The new legislation also gives the government power to monitor private chat groups if they reach a certain size, and will create a public register of "misinformation," maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Baxter fears this register will be used to promote the government's narrative in the media and schools.

Even more concerning, individuals accused of spreading misinformation could be forced to appear before ACMA and face fines if they refuse to cooperate. Baxter warns this echoes tactics used by authoritarian regimes.

The bill also introduces "media literacy plans," which Baxter believes will force digital platforms to add government-approved labels and explanations to people's posts. The law will apply to almost all online content, including search engines and AI, limiting a wide range of voices, from those questioning gender ideology to critics of the banking system and health policies

Despite claiming to protect democracy, the bill prioritizes preventing "serious harm" over protecting free political speech. According to Baxter, this is a major step towards silencing everyday Australians.

"Australians have just been surrounded," he said."