Australians Need to Speak Up Now Lest They be Silenced Permanently: Call for Submissions on ACMA Mis and Dis-Information Legislation.
Last date for submission is 20 August 2023! Australians, 2 days left to comment! If we want to live in a democracy, we must behave as if we live in a democracy and demand that our voices are heard!
Inspired by Meryl, who posted today including sharing statements from concerned Australians, I am also sharing my comment on the ACMA Misinformation-Disinformation legislation.
The ACMA is calling on citizens to give their input at this link, which also provides outline and copy of the proposed legislation. I cannot guarantee inputs will be heeded, however, being silent is not a good option! Democracy can only survive if people use their voice and demand to be heard and heeded!
Have Your Say, click on the link and fill in the information and click send. Your deadline is 20th August 2023. Australian readers, please take a few minutes and make your comment. The form provide option for a short comment, so you could give input within just a few minutes, if you don’t have time or inclination to make a longer (attachment) submission. At easiest, simply state whether you agree or disagree with the legislation. If you disagree, ask the Government to withdraw it.
I submitted my personal comment and am sharing it below: -
NEW ACMA powers to combat misinformation and disinformation: Comment AGAINST the proposed extended powers!
Misinformation - disinformation are code words for legal blocking and preventing all criticism and free thought. For stifling innovation. For preventing the vigorous discourse that is absolutely essential for a vital, thriving, innovative and advancing society in which all members of society thrive and reach their full potential!
I am very concerned that the Government is planning to introduce legislation that will control what is and is not allowed to be discussed in public places. Ultimately this will also overreach into private spaces; we must not believe that such power, if granted, will ever be reverted or removed.
Who determines what is true and what is false? Are only "government endorsed" narratives permitted without question? Will these narratives change with each change in political party, or when a deep-pocketed influencer pays for the narrative to be changed? Who in Government will determine the narratives? Will these be internal and appropriate to Australia, or will they come externally as part of globalization from the WEF, the WHO, the UN. If these narratives are imposed from external parties, as I am very sure they will be given the current globalist push towards One World Government, isn’t this the ultimate violation of Australia’s national security, and sovereignty? It is absolutely no accident that similar legislation is being proposed or has already been introduced in many nations! The lockstep suffocation of democracy!
Does this mean that no new ideas will be permitted, no questioning of narratives will be permitted, no hearing of two or more sides of any issues will be permitted ever again?
Are we entering the new dystopian era apparently predicted in the fiction book "1984", where the government has a "Ministry of Truth"? And only that "truth" and no other will be permitted?
Today's society has only become so advanced and vibrant because all ideas have been allowed. Vigorous debate and discourse and exploring of ideas; brainstorming allowing individuals, groups of individuals, communities, and ultimately society to come up with new ideas, new solutions, and different approaches to everything!
Such draconian measures being proposed are not needed to "keep people safe", there are plenty of less inhibitive ways to do that (and criminals can still be caught and hate crimes punished under existing legislation). Besides which, society has become "too safe", and at a great cost of innovation, thought, and creativity. We have gotten so concerned with “safety” that we have forgotten that life does come with mostly minor risks, and that staying safe is also personal responsibility, which the government does not need to take over. Such draconian measures will be used to crush society.
Who will dare to think or say anything outside the box, let alone experiment and explore implementation of such ideas, when they know they can fined into oblivion? Which internet provider, or social media company will even stay in Australia with such draconian, inhibitive, rules in place. No independent media of any type will be possible. No more independent journalism! Big brother is watching!
Will every single media outlet say exactly the same thing every day, reading from exactly the same script?
Oh, they are already doing that! They have been doing that across the world, in every nation, every day, on all mainstream media outlets throughout the pandemic years! For example: All MSM are now following exactly the same international narratives over “global burning!”. A little academic research will show that human driven global warming is but one “school of thought”, and that there is evidence that supports an opposing narrative where even the presence of global warming is questioned, carbon levels are not detrimental to the earth, are part of natural cycles, and are temperature and not human-driven; and pollution is an issue, but not global warming. Such questions and opposing views will be not be countenanced!
Truly, laws such as are being proposed are a move back into dark days of ignorance and silence. The end of Australia as a free, innovative, creative, vibrant society! Shame on the Australian Government! This is not the Australia I thought it was nor the Australia I want for my children and grandchildren.
The last 3 years of pandemic have shown the incredible danger of silencing counter narratives, of refusing to hear any alternative voices raising concerns with efficacy and even more importantly safety of the Covid-19 Vaccines! Those same voices were asking for cost-benefit analyses for all of the pandemic measures from day 1 and were denied. Well now those voices have been found to have had valid points. How much better things could have turned out had their voices also been heard early, instead of so late? Even now their voices are largely being stifled with mostly non-mainstream media coverage getting out!
With the WHO Pandemic treaty and now the Global Warming narratives, we can be sure that this legislation will be used to silence any concerns or criticism, and the people speaking.
I absolutely do not support this expansion of AMCA powers and the proposed new legislation. It needs to be thrown out!
I believe that the Government needs to divert its actions back to governing and dealing with international and local matters that need proper large scale co-ordination. Things like managing international affairs in the interests of Australia, building and maintaining infrastructure, ensure a world-class education system that grows innovative thinkers, with protection of the people and the land from large scale corporations whose greed needs to be kept in check!
The government needs to step back and give space for society and people to thrive without micromanagement of all aspects of their lives as is now being proposed. No to increased controls!!
Thank you!
It was actually the Australian TGA and the politicians that spread dis, mis-information. Joseph Goebells would have been proud of them.
Thank-you Sally. I've just made my submission.