Transcript - Sky News with Kieran Gilbert - 2 September 2025

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

2 September 2025

Interview

NewsDay on Sky News with Kieran Gilbert

Video: My interview today on Sky News with Kieran Gilbert

Topic: AI; deepfake apps; social media age minimum; National Flag Day; Australia flag marches.

E&EO …

Kieran Gilbert

 Welcome back to NewsDay. With me now, the Shadow Communications Minister, Melissa McIntosh. Let's start with the latest news from the, the Minister herself. She was on the program talking about their efforts to restrict notification technologies and undetectable stalking apps online, you'd welcome that.

Melissa McIntosh

It's unbelievable that we're even talking about undetectable stalking apps. I don't see how there is even a need for that. And of course, this is about protecting our children, and we know the harm that is being done by AI when it's. Being used for good AI can do extraordinary things, but there is also that risk and we're only just uncovering that now, the education question as well, it's absolutely there. There's no children should not be subject to that in any way, shape or form. And that will work with the government. We need to know a bit more about what they're looking at. It's news to us today. But you come to it in a, you know, with a public frame of mind to get it done.

Kieran Gilbert

Hope.

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, of course.

Kieran Gilbert

Protecting our kids is paramount. And what about on the age limit? The trials came back and the Minister, very positive about what they've said, that it can work and it can be practical and achievable.

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, we are sort of in a different place on this. Again, we want it to be about protecting our kids, but there's questions around how it's going to work. The report was released without any notice. Yesterday, even their own advisory committee didn't have notice. I noticed the Minister said that in no way, shape, or form, will people be required to show digital identification, yet the report itself says that digital ID may be required if other verification methods don't work, so the report is at odds with the Minister. So we'd like some clarification because I know many Australians wouldn't like to think that they would be having to use ID verification.

Kieran Gilbert

So that raises a privacy concern for you then?

Melissa McIntosh

Of course it does.

Kieran Gilbert

Although the Coalition was very strong in calling for this in opposition in the last term, are you still as on board when it comes to dealing with setting in an age limit?

Melissa McIntosh

There's no more important job of a government than to protect Australians and our smallest Australians, our children, we want it to work. But the question mark right now is, is this going to, is this going to work? And is it going to impinge on adults' privacy? We do not want that. And the final part of this, I'd like to say, that it is going to be up to the eSafety Commissioner. A non-elected official to make that final decision.

Kieran Gilbert

Okay. So, when you say that, do you, how do you want it to be judged? Do you want the Parliament to do it? And then tell the eSafety Commissioner where this should be said and what the legislation behind it. Because you're saying the eSafety Commissioner

Melissa McIntosh

Well, she has the ultimate power to say,

Kieran Gilbert

Says she's got too much power.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, she's got the ultimate power to say if people need to use digital identification, I want the government, the Minister, to be very clear with the Australian people because it's in the report. You can see it in writing that if other methods don't work, digital ID may be required. She needs to be upfront with the Australian people that this, you know, so you will not happen.

Kieran Gilbert

So what are you, you obviously are willing to be constructive over the government and work (discontinued).

Melissa McIntosh

Of course.

Kieran Gilbert

(Continued) through this one of, because obviously the benchmark issue, as you said, is to protect kids.

Melissa McIntosh

Yes. And it is a policy we took to the last election. The government wasn't even on board with it to start with. So we have to own it, but we have to ensure that children are protected. It doesn't impinge on the privacy of adults.

Kieran Gilbert

When your talking about Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, she is dealing with some of the biggest companies in the world in terms of her role. So, she should be empowered, shouldn't she?

Melissa McIntosh

She's, she has a lot of power, so she has the power right now to determine whether adults will need identification to even go onto the internet and search. I would just like us to look at the power that the safety Commissioner does have, perhaps through an inquiry at some point because she does have a lot of power and she's an unelected official and she's one individual.

Kieran Gilbert

Okay. On the - We'll, we can discuss that further at a, at a later point. Because cause as I say, she's up against some of the big tech titans on the protests at the weekend. There were, there were fringe elements there the Prime Minister reiterated to his caucus today, like you said on, on the TV yesterday, that there were good people that were at these events that were hijacked by greater publicity for the, those on the extremes. Do you welcome that message from the Prime Minister?

Melissa McIntosh

I think we have two separate issues here. We have the extremes, and then we do have every day forgotten Australians. And I know they're in my community and they love our country so passionately, and they probably are feeling a bit let down that they were lobbed in with an extremist group. Because what they care about is our values, our way of life, our Australian flag, and what that means. And you know, I support them in, in making a stance. And we do have a right to protest and in this country - and that's a part of our great democracy, peaceful protests, and many Australians who did that on the weekend.

Kieran Gilbert

Did you have many constituents go to the event?

Melissa McIntosh

I know I had a lot of constituents because there was many requests for flags to my office. And I know that these are very decent Australians wanting to do the right thing with the great love of our country.

Kieran Gilbert

Melissa McIntosh, thanks for your time. I appreciate it.