Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Wentworth MP Allegra Spender (Independent), which means they failed and won't be included in the bill.

What do the amendments do?

Ms Spender explained that the amendments would:

[require] the government to formally respond to any recommendations made by the independent review within six months of receiving it. It is a modest and commonsense amendment that reflects similar requirements in places like New South Wales, where the government of the day is required to provide a formal response to certain inquiries within six months. I understand that the government does not intend to support any amendments in the House, but I would request that the minister commits today to provide a formal response to the independent review as and when it is presented in a few years time.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, item 16, page 11 (after line 21), at the end of section 239B, add:

(4) If the report of the review sets out one or more recommendations to the Commonwealth Government, the Minister must, within 6 months after receiving the report:

(a) cause to be prepared a statement setting out:

(i) the Commonwealth Government's response to each of the recommendations; and

(ii) if the Commonwealth Government has not accepted a recommendation—the reasons for not accepting the recommendation; and

(b) cause copies of the statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament.