The defeated Voice referendum has led to a lot of discussions about “misinformation,” and many are concerned that the government is considering legalizing censorship. The next controversy seems to be on the horizon, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, and Indigenous Australians Assistant Minister Malarndirri McCarthy all accused the No campaign of spreading “misinformation” during the Voice to Parliament referendum.
According to Yes23 Campaign Director Dean Parkin, the No campaign was “the single largest misinformation campaign that this country has ever seen,” while Reconciliation Australia insisted that Australians should “grapple with the disinformation that has been a feature of the referendum.”
Greens Leader Adam Bandt went as far as to call for a $250 million “truth and justice commission” to address the issue, and both ABC and The Guardian have presented accusations about the No campaign spreading deliberate “misinformation.”
The Australian Republic Movement’s Craig Foster expressed concern that the increase in misinformation could threaten democracy, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong claimed that there was no misinformation or disinformation on the government’s side during Question Time in the Senate.
The situation has led to the proposal of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023, which has raised concerns about authoritarian censorship. Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay pointed out that the bill could allow the government to suppress content critical of the government, while exempting the Commonwealth and university academics from these restrictions.
The defeated referendum, it seems, may have paved the way for the legislation of these censorship laws, as it is believed by some that the result was significantly impacted by false claims and deceit. However, the Voice to Parliament referendum demonstrated that the Australian people are not easily fooled, and they have made their stance clear.
In the meantime, all eyes are on Prime Minister Albanese, who must decide whether he believes that liberty is worth protecting. The best version of Australia does not involve partisan politics or restrictive laws that limit freedom of expression. It is now up to the prime minister to demonstrate his commitment to upholding the liberty of the Australian people.