Defence tried to block public sharing of Senate hearing footage
Defense department officials asked the Senate not to share hearing footage on social media. They cited online abuse and security risks.
In September, Celia Perkins spoke to a parliamentary committee. Perkins said defense witnesses do not agree to their evidence being reposted on social media.
Perkins raised concerns about online bullying and national security. Freedom of information documents show the request was supported by department secretary Meghan Quinn.
Officials also told senior ministers about it before the hearing. Emails show officials called bullying a good reason to stop video sharing.
They also mentioned hacking threats and risks from other countries' spy agencies. The Senate rejected the request on the clerk's advice.
This allowed the footage to stay public. The controversy sparked criticism from both political sides.
People disagreed with the government trying to control what was shown from parliament.
- Celia Perkins
- Official requesting ban
- September 4
- Request date
- Rejected request
- Senate clerk decision
Why it mattersThe attempt to limit public access to parliamentary evidence raises questions about government transparency. It challenges whether the government can control what citizens are allowed to see.
AustraliaDirectly affects Australians' right to watch their own government give evidence in Parliament and reshapes expectations around public accountability.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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