22nd Jun 2021, 9:36 PM – Senate Online Safety Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Member for Bowman

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by the Australian Labor Party, which means it failed. The amendment would have added the text below to the usual second reading motion "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add: ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) this Government cites the introduction of the Online Safety Bill 2021 as evidence of its commitment to women's safety,

(ii) the Member for Bowman, Mr Andrew Laming MP, is accused of trolling his own constituents online, and stated on 27 March 2021 that he would step down from all parliamentary roles, effective immediately, and

(iii) when asked whether the type of material the Member for Bowman posted is what the adult cyber abuse scheme is designed to cover, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications officials stated at Senate Estimates on 26 May 2021 that "absolutely the intention behind this new bill, when it's passed, is to provide an avenue for people experiencing that kind of activity—to have a pathway to make complaints and have someone able to take some action"; and

(b) calls on the Prime Minister to lead by example when it comes to keeping women safe online and ensure that the Member for Bowman is discharged from the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training immediately".