Transcript - Sky News NewsDay - 23 October 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

23 October 2025

Transcript

Sky News NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert

Topics: eSafety Commissioner; social media age minimum; internet search engine code.

E&OE …

Kieran Gilbert

Welcome back to the program. Let's bring in the Shadow Communications Minister, Melissa McIntosh, who joins us live.

The eSafety Commissioner has written to you offering to give you and your office a briefing on the reforms that she is undertaking. Have you taken her up on that offer?

Melissa McIntosh

Thanks, Kieran.

Yes, I have met with the eSafety Commissioner a couple of weeks ago. I'd been asking for that meeting and I think the pressure that I've been putting on resulted both in that meeting and the five-page letter I received. But I still stand my ground on this, calling for an investigation into the powers that the eSafety Commissioner has.

She said in her letter to me and reminded me that the Coalition established the eSafety Commissioner. But that was 10 years ago. Times have changed. I think it is very reasonable to be looking at those powers and what she can be doing as an unelected official. That's all I'm asking. She has the powers to compel people to use digital ID, which I know so many Australians hate the idea of that, particularly when it comes to verification of age as we approach this December 10 deadline.

Gilbert

She said to you that in that letter as well, which I've read this morning - she's written to you saying, I've tried to answer all of your concerns. The eSafety Commissioner, basically overseeing the government's implementation of reforms like the social media ban and other internet controls, but she says her decisions are reviewable. In her letter to you, she says they're reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia and the Commonwealth Ombudsman. Why is that not sufficient?

McIntosh

Well, these are other government bureaucracies, so I am pushing hard on this because I think an independent review is always the best way to go, or at least a Senate inquiry where questions can be asked.

We want to ensure that any restrictions placed on Australians are in the best interest of children - children only. When people, adults, are compelled to use digital ID to verify their age, that's where people start having a problem. And right now, the eSafety Commissioner has extraordinary powers should she want to execute those. So, I think it's fair enough for - and you know, I get contacted Kieran, you know, many, many times a day with people having real concerns about the powers that she does have.

Gilbert

Okay. Do you accept, though, that there'd be many, many families and parents who want you on board with the reforms on the social media ban and not to give a sense that you may be backing away from that?

McIntosh

It's my job as an Opposition to hold the government to account and we want children to be safe online. I have had concerns for some time now and I've said it over and over again that this ban is even going to work. We are a couple of weeks out from December 10 when kids can no longer go online, and we still don't know which platforms are in or out. And we're waiting for the eSafety Commissioner to tell Australians.

We have an ad campaign that has been launched by the government that is really, in my mind, really weak and doesn't do much. It's just a glossy advertising campaign and I know through speaking to parents; I do share their concerns. I've spoken to parents who have lost their children to social media harm, and they said they didn't have confidence in the government, that they were letting Australian children, families and schools know that this was coming. It has to be about the interests of children and keeping them safe.

Gilbert

Do you still support the ban?

McIntosh

And the government's been doing a lot of swanning around. I want the children of Australia to be safe. It was our policy going into the election. I can't all of a sudden say we just don't want that to happen. Now, that would be an odd position to have. But I do have questions around whether it is going to work when there's still so many questions to be answered. And, you know, we still don't know whether platforms are in or out.

Gilbert

With your questioning of the eSafety Commissioner, you keep saying that she's unelected, but a statutory body like that, they are independent of government, they're meant to be unelected. Do you accept that?

McIntosh

But she has an extraordinary amount of power for an unelected official. The Australian public didn't vote for her powers for what she can and can't control over their lives. And I know that many adult Australians have concerns about the use of those powers and control over what they can and can't do. When it comes to things like having to show digital ID, whether the eSafety Commissioner decides to use that power or not - well, she has that power and she can use it. So, these are all reasonable questions to ask. I'm not saying can the eSafety Commissioner - I'm saying let's have a look at whether her powers in today's world, it was established, it's not personal against her, this position was established 10 years ago, is still fit for purpose and doing the right thing by Australians.

Gilbert

Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh. Great to chat as always. Thank you. Appreciate that.