Russell Broadbent here, your federal Member for Monash.
I have been long advocating for our human rights – especially our right to free speech.
The government’s Misinformation and Disinformation Bill is, in my opinion, an insult to Australians – not only is it dangerous and far reaching, but it implies that Australians can’t think for themselves.
As I said in the parliament last year – there have been countless cases throughout history where what was originally classed as misinformation was later proven to be true.
Take the Covid pandemic, for example.
In early 2022, the Rural Doctors Association attacked me for rejecting the mandating of Covid vaccines – a stance which was simply based on the principles of informed consent, bodily autonomy, and the right of Australians to make their own decisions about their health.
My position was labelled as ‘misinformation’, and my ethics were directly questioned by the RDA, media, and my colleagues.
Many people I know were censored for their stance on covid vaccination or for simply questioning the government’s narrative.
But with the sheer number of excess deaths and vaccination injuries being reported now, it seems that the so-called ‘safe and effective’ catch cry was neither.
So, why isn’t this classified as misinformation?
If the vaccine worked so well, why do we have hundreds of thousands – possibly up to 2 million – Australians suffering with long covid?
It just doesn’t add up.
When the government is the sole arbiter of truth – and along with professional news outlets and educational institutions, excluded from the Bill’s scrutiny - the risk of misinformation and disinformation is that much greater.
Because, at the end of the day, no one is holding them to account.
But I am. And you should too.
That’s justice as I see it.
