MARK DREYFUS MP

Labor's concerns about the state of our media have been confirmed with Australia falling five places, from 21^st down to 26^th, in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres).

The Morrison Government must join with Labor and take a stand against the shocking rise in racism and hatred directed at Asian-Australians during the COVID-19 crisis.

Labor strongly welcomes the High Court's decision that the Australian Federal Police raid on the home of journalist Annika Smethurst was unlawful.

Peter Dutton must immediately explain what knowledge he had of Australian Federal Police officers using the Clearview AI facial recognition tool despite the absence of any legislative framework in relation to the use of identity-matching services.

The Morrison Government must join with Labor and take a stand against the appalling rise in racism and xenophobia directed at Asian-Australians in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

As COVID-19 restrictions tighten around Australia, it is incumbent upon Federal, State and Territory Ministers to ensure media and communications services continue to be recognised as an essential service.

The delay in acting over the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal raises serious questions over the Morrison Governments commitment to protecting the privacy of Australians.

The Australian Human Rights Commissions (AHRC) report is a deeply disturbing insight into the level of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces.

Attorney-General Christian Porter has today admitted his proposed Integrity Commission is so feeble, it would not even be able to investigate the Morrison Governments sports rorts scandal.

The latest submission on press freedom by the Morrison Government to the Intelligence and Security Committee changes nothing even if adopted, it would still leave journalists facing the threat of prosecution and jail just for doing their job.