Key events
People getting voting info from AI an ‘emerging concern’, AEC says
Josh Taylor
The Australian Electoral Commissioner, Jeff Pope, has said people getting their information about voting in Australia from AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude is an “emerging concern”, and has forced the commission to overhaul its website to attract bots looking for the correct information.
Speaking at a hearing of the joint standing committee on artificial intelligence on Wednesday night, Pope said it was “dangerous” to rely on social media platforms or AI tools as “your only source of research when it comes to forming an opinion around voting” and was something the AEC was working to educate the public on.
He said it may require a legislative response from parliament in terms of what platforms and and cannot do in terms of the content on their platforms around elections.
Pope pointed to a study on the Scottish election reported by The Guardian in May found that AI services gave voters misinformation to ۳۴% of the questions it posed.
The AEC had started to prepare for this, he said.
We’re undertaking significant investment at the moment in modernising our web page so that AI tools actually pull factual information from our web page and reflect that back to the voter, rather than pulling … from a variety of other resources which may or may not be correct.
The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, has disputed the trade minister’s claims he walked out of a meeting on the European Union trade deal, suggesting Don Farrell might be “under a lot of pressure”.
Farrell told the ABC yesterday afternoon that Canavan and shadow foreign affairs minister, Ted O’Brien, had walked out on him while he was explaining the deal.
In response, Canavan said:
I can understand that Don is under a lot of pressure, because there are barely any friends of his dud European deal. I am happy to meet with Don anytime, but he ended our discussion, not me.
I have written to Don with practical suggestions about how the deal can be improved and I remain open to discuss my concerns at any time.
While the deal has been agreed to between Australian and EU representatives, it still requires support from parliament. The Coalition has already ruled out its support while the Greens are considering the details before revealing their final position.
Anika Wells to introduce digital duty of care bill today
Josh Butler
Anika Wells will introduce the government’s digital duty of care bill into the parliament today, with all eyes on what amendments Labor may have made to the initial draft bill.
The communications minister has confirmed the government will drop its earlier plans for her office to have broad rule-making powers to define what content is classed as “harmful”.
According to excerpts of her National Press Club speech, to be delivered at ۱۲.۳۰pm today, Wells will say:
In response to concerns we heard during the exposure draft consultation and to make this abundantly clear, we have removed the ministerial rule-making power to define new harms in the final bill.
Instead, new “harms” will be added by parliament through legislative amendment.
Wells will tell the NPC that the digital duty of care will “set basic safety standards for the online services we use every day, just like we have in every other industry”.
We must shift the burden from the shoulders of victims to the companies that are creating the environments where harms occur.
The Digital Duty of Care gives Australians choice… If someone wants their feed filled with friends and creators they follow, the social media platforms must give them that choice. And if you’re happy to stick with your algorithm – you can do so.
Wells will also confirm new carve-outs for journalists and news media in the Online Safety Act, to assist professional news organisations and public interest journalism.
We’ll bring you more from her speech later in the day.
Victorian Labor pledges to offer free abortion care
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian Labor government will today announce that – if re-elected in November – they will make Victoria the first state to offer free abortion care.
Under the $۳۰m election commitment, the government would pay private providers to deliver medical and surgical abortions up to ۱۶ weeks, removing out-of-pocket costs. This means women would no longer need to pay for GP or specialist consultations, imaging and tests or medications at participating providers.
Medical abortions can cost almost $۷۰۰ out of pocket for patients with a Medicare card, or more than $۱,۰۰۰ for those without one. Surgical abortions can cost $۸۹۵ with Medicare, rising to almost $۱,۵۰۰ for those without a card.
The government has also committed to extending the window for medical abortion from nine to ۱۰ weeks’ gestation. If elected, they would direct Safer Care Victoria to lead a clinical review into extending access to the medication up to ۱۲ weeks, which aligns with World Health Organisation guidelines. The review would also cover who should be able to deliver care and where.
Patients who need to travel to access abortion would also be eligible for a subsidy to help with their travel and accommodation costs, community health care providers trained to provide abortion care and ۱۸۰۰ My Options would receive extra funding under the plan.
The health minister, Ingrid Stitt, said this morning:
Abortion care is healthcare and Labor will make it free. Only Labor will protect a woman’s right to choose.
Albanese to attack Hanson over ‘monoculture’ remarks
Sarah Basford Canales
Anthony Albanese will criticise Pauline Hanson’s claim that Australia should be “monocultural”, suggesting that anyone who believes that “should get themselves down to the nearest Specsavers”.
In a speech , the prime minister will say each cultural and ethnic community added to Australia gives the country’s character more “breadth”, expands “palates” and unites people.
Australia’s migration story has been many generations in the making. Anyone who can look in the rear-vision mirror and see a monoculture should get themselves down to the nearest Specsavers.
The reality is that Australia’s heart is multicultural.
His speech at the conference for the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia will also encourage people of different cultures to celebrate with one another while embracing an Australian identity.
He will say:
I want every Australian to be able to add to our country, and to feel proud of what they bring. I want every Australian to leave behind the baseline of mere tolerance for something far greater: the joy of celebration … Celebrating the birthright of heritage and the comforts and strengths of faith. Celebrating the land of your roots while adding to the land that is your home, and your future.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
