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Key events

Asked about Greens’ concerns that the penalties for breaching the bill are $100 million for companies, which is not a lot for massive tech companies. Asked why the government won’t fine them a percentage of their global revenue like Europe does, she said:

I think the Greens and I agree on the fact that this is about changing the behaviour of big tech, and ultimately this is about the social licence, and no particular figure that we mandate in Australia is going to be enough for the world’s richest companies.

It’s got to be about what incentivises the change in behaviour and what gives them back the social licence that they are losing in Australia.”

Asked if the government will look at combating misinformation online beyond the next election, Wells said:

That’s a hypothetical, David, and I tell you what, I’m up to pussy’s bow delivering all the other parts of the portfolio.

We just passed news media incentive, the gambling reforms, eight bills last fortnight. This week, we’ve passed the social media minimum age laws, and we’ve introduced the exposure draft for the digital duty of care.”

Wells:

This is about giving you choice back over your feed. This is about trying to get rid of the illegal content that is being beamed into your eyeballs against your will. And this is about keeping children more safe online than they have been, as we get more and more evidence around the psychosocial harms that they are experiencing.

Like AI chatbots telling girls how to subsist on only 600 calories a day. Like grooming occurring on Roblox, a gaming platform that many, many Australian children use. This is about trying to give Australian parents confidence that we are doing everything we can to make it safer online for their children.”

Communications Minister Anika Wells has been on Insiders, where she has been asked about the government’s digital duty of care bill, which could let Australians opt in or out of algorithmically recommended social media content.

The Coalition has called it censorship. In response, she said:

We think this is a sensible measure to try and deal with these emerging harms that are coming online every single day.

And when it happens to your child and you’re the parent, you want the Government to act as swiftly as possible. Now, if the Coalition has a different way of meeting that intent of dealing with urgency to address new serious harms, I’d love to hear it.

But I haven’t had so much as a phone call from the Shadow Communications Minister on the exposure draft.”

Two men restrained after altercation on international flight from Melbourne

Two men have been restrained on a flight from Melbourne to Doha after being involved in a physical altercation, AAP has reported.

Qatar Airways, which operated the flight, confirmed the men were handed over to local authorities on arrival.

“We can confirm that two male passengers were involved in a physical altercation on board flight VA7 from Melbourne to Doha on Friday,” the airline said in a statement.

“Both passengers were restrained and, upon arrival in Doha, were handed over to local authorities.”

Media reports said the men made violent threats towards passengers and crew, including claiming they had a gun.

A passenger on the plane told Nine newspapers the men were repeatedly getting in and out of their seats and later began arguing and fighting.

WA police hunting for two men after shooting in Perth’s south-western suburbs

Western Australian police have said a man had been shot at a residence on Owen Place in Hamilton Hill, around 4.35am this morning.

In a statement, police and St John WA responded and provided emergency first aid to the victim.

The man has been conveyed by St John WA to hospital with serious injuries. Police believe two males, dressed in all black clothing, were involved in the shooting.

Significant police resources have been deployed and are conducting a thorough search of the area.

Members of the public are asked to stay away from the area. Those in the area are advised to lock their doors and windows and remain inside.

Police said anyone who sights the two men or sees any suspicious behaviour is urged not to approach the men, but to call police via Triple Zero immediately.

We will update when we have more information.

Bowen: Conflict in Middle East will impact fuel prices in Australia

We’ll be hearing from federal politicians later this morning but before we do, a quick update on one of the big challenges to the global economy: fuel security.

Conflict in the Middle East is again placing pressure on the supply of crucial oil exports. On Friday, Saudi authorities said drones launched from Iraq led to a temporary closure of a crucial oil export route used to bypass the lockdown of the strait of Hormuz.

Nearly 50,000 people have also fled a sudden advance by Houthi forces in western Yemen, with entire villages emptied and families trapped near frontline fighting with depleting food supplies, according to aid workers.

On Saturday, the energy minister, Chris Bowen, sought to reassure Australians about the nation’s supply reserves. He said Australia had 41 days worth of petrol in strategic reserve and 42 days worth of diesel:

The situation is getting worse in the Middle East. The dispute involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis and the ongoing war in Iran is doing nothing to improve the fuel supply around the world and is pushing up prices of oil.

We’re seeing that in the markets even overnight, and that will inevitably also flow through to Australia. However, the Australian government will remain firmly focused on ensuring our fuel security, just as we have for the last more than six months since this crisis began.