A majority of Australians support truth in political advertising laws, according to a poll released ahead of independent MP Zali Stegall introducing a bill to parliament.
Australia Institute research claims Australians across the political spectrum support the bill, with 87% of Coalition, 88% of Labor, 82% of Greens and 87% of One Nation voters surveyed indicating their support.
The ACT passed truth-in-political-advertising laws in 2020, and laws have existed in South Australia since the 1980s.
A letter coordinated by the institute has nearly 40 prominent signatories calling for nationally consistent truth-telling laws in political ads.
Those supporting the push include Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty, former WA Labor premier Carmen Lawrence and former Liberal opposition leader John Hewson.
“Any genuine attempt to clean up our politics must begin with a commitment to truth-telling. Truth in campaign ads is an important beginning,” Hewson, now a fellow at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, said.
In South Australia, the laws carry a maximum financial penalty of $5000 for individuals or $25,000 for body corporates, and breaches can also lead to the Court of Disputed Returns invalidating election results.
In the ACT, fines of up to $8000 for individuals and $40,500 for corporations exist, and the electoral commissioner can request an ad not be disseminated or be retracted.
“Australians should be entitled to expect the same standard of honesty in politics as they receive in trade and commerce – if not a higher standard,” the Australia Institute report says.
“But across most of Australia, it is perfectly legal to lie in a political ad.”
Stegall’s ‘Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Stop the Lies) Bill’ is modelled on the South Australian and ACT legislation.
“In acknowledgement of the emerging threat posed by technological advances, the amendments also address the issue of deep fakes through the banning of impersonation or passing off a misrepresentation of a candidate,” Stegall said in a statement.
“There have been examples of technology such as deep fakes being weaponised to distort the political process.
“We need to get ahead of this technology and make it clear that it is not permitted in Australian election campaigns.”
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