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Australia’s top bureaucrats seek to restrict social media clips from Parliament to avoid ‘ridicule’

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Australia’s top departmental secretaries want the government to restrict edited clips from parliamentary hearings being shared on social media.
  • The Secretaries Board says footage can appear online without proper context and expose officials to ridicule and abuse.
  • The Greens oppose the proposal, saying public service chiefs should not control footage from open hearings and warning that restrictions could reduce transparency.

Australia’s top bureaucrats want the Albanese government to stop people from editing and sharing clips of parliamentary hearings on social media. Their stated concern is not only misuse of the footage, but the ridicule and abuse officials can face online.

The proposal came from the Secretaries Board, which brings together the heads of government departments. The board is chaired by Steven Kennedy, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The board says hearing material can be posted without the proper context. That concern has prompted an extraordinary push to control how footage from open parliamentary proceedings circulates online.

The Greens have rejected the idea. They argue that highly paid public service chiefs should not control footage from public hearings, and warn that the proposed restrictions could limit a key tool of government transparency.

About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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