Apparently, the once beacons of true democracy around the world these days just can’t get a break trying to stuff some authoritarian narrative into their supposedly “liberal narratives.”
So, in trying to guess who one of these may be – too easy. Here’s Australia.
The now long-standing – and the world-witnessing Australia’s federal, and some of its state governments, letting their “authoritarian flower” blossom during the Covid pandemic – is not the whole story.
Of course not the whole country, at every level, has gone off the (political and ideological) deep end.
But those who try to fight back face an uphill battle ahead, for sure.
First – and for the rest of the world to know – what Australia’s current federal government is doing is imposing a media law that seems to only target “misinformation” on social media.
And now, seeing how traditional media might still continue with their information – there are those in Australia’s governmental structures who would like to have these rules expanded.
After all – say Greens, independent MPs Zali Steggall, Zoe Daniel and the media law academic Michael Douglas – what’s it all good for, if outfits like New Corp can still go on reporting what they see fit?
You would have never guessed it, but a free press presenting different opinions is now considered a “growing threat to our democracy” by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young – and it’s no different if this “threat of different opinion/information” is on social, or traditional media.
All this is currently happening in the Albanese government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party.
Everybody out there with no clear purpose is looking for one – so why would Australia’s Albanese government be any different?
Here’s some officials like Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s spokesperson giving it their best, as per news reports: Rowland questioned whether the media bill was properly balanced between “protecting Australians from serious harms online and protecting freedom of expression that is fundamental to democracy.”
“The government… is giving careful consideration to feedback received before the bill is finalized and introduced to parliament later this year.”
All this seems like a part of a mandated public debate before the government eventually makes the bill into law later in 2023.
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