Good news! Good news! The Albo government is dropping like a stinking hot potato its Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, after it found it simply did not have the numbers in the Senate to roll it in. Rather than face a humiliating defeat by putting it to the vote, Labor retreats. They move forward in their never-ending war against free speech with a proposed social media ban upon under 16 year olds, which is just a backdoor way of forcing a digital internet ID upon us all, as Elon Musk said.

Contact your Senators once more to defeat his one. Public consultation was at a record short time, of days. Just for being this nasty and sneaky, the Bill should be rejected alone, and the Labor Party with it at the 2025 election, a party now even more evil than the Gillard government.

https://nationfirst.substack.com/p/victory-for-free-speech

"The Albanese government has officially abandoned its anti-free speech Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill after facing overwhelming opposition from the Senate and the public.

  • The Albanese government has abandoned its Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill after overwhelming opposition.
  • The bill was anti-free speech and dangerous.
  • The government is reportedly planning new laws, so vigilance is needed.

This dangerous legislation, which sought to give the government unprecedented powers to regulate online content, was rightly labelled "extreme," and "state-sanctioned censorship" by critics.

The bill's vague definitions and sweeping penalties drew criticism from across the political spectrum, including the Liberal National Coalition, One Nation, UAP, Senator Gerard Rennick, and even the Greens, and crossbench Senators like David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie.

During Senate hearings, expert after expert—from the Human Rights Commission to the Catholic Bishops Conference—warned that the bill posed a serious threat to free expression.

One of the best interventions was from CitizenGO when their campaigner Brian Marlow pointed out that the government was one of the biggest purveyors of misinformation and likened the bill's effect to putting an arsonist in charge of dealing with bushfires.

Ultimately, the government admitted defeat, acknowledging there was "no pathway" for the bill to pass. This is a major victory for free speech and a reminder that Australians will not tolerate government overreach into our fundamental rights.

But the fight isn't over. The government has already signalled plans for alternative laws targeting online content. This means we must remain vigilant to protect free speech in the face of new threats.

For now, let's celebrate this win—one that belongs to all who stood up and said, "Enough is enough."