IPA Submission To The Senate Finance And Public Administration References Committee Inquiry Into The Administration Of The Referendum Into An Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice

Dear Secretary

IPA Submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee inquiry into the Administration of the referendum into an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice

This submission has been prepared to share IPA research and analysis with the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee as it conducts its inquiry into the administration of the referendum into an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The submission is directed to the following terms of references: 

The administration of the referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, with particular reference to: 

The administration of the referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, with particular reference to: 

• Protections against the potential for foreign actors to seek to influence the outcome or public debate on the referendum question;
• The detection, mitigation, and obstruction of potential dissemination of misinformation and disinformation, including via social media or technology platforms;
  …
• Any other related matters.

IPA research and analysis has found that the federal government has systematically failed to honour the Australian tradition of providing a free and fair debate over proposed constitutional changes. Specifically:

• The federal government has failed to provide any protections against the potential for foreign actors, such as large digital and social media platforms, to influence the public debate on the referendum question.
• The federal government’s commitment to combat the vague and subjective notion of misinformation and disinformation threatens to enable the arbitrary censorship of public debate.
• The Australian Electoral Commission’s partnership with RMIT ABC Fact Check and AAP Fact Check to engage in so-called “fact checking” raises serious concerns about the agency’s commitment to a free and fair debate.