Key facts
- Australia's top bureaucrats want to ban the editing and sharing of parliamentary hearing footage on social media.
- The secretaries board, comprising heads of government departments, believes this practice exposes officials to ridicule and abuse.
- They argue that officials do not consent to their images or evidence being used for political purposes.
- The proposal suggests making full hearing videos and transcripts available, with comments disabled.
- Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May criticized the move, stating it would limit transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.
Australia's top public servants are seeking to prohibit the editing and dissemination of parliamentary hearing footage on social media, a move they argue is necessary to protect officials from online ridicule and abuse. The secretaries board, led by Prime Minister and Cabinet boss Steven Kennedy, submitted a proposal suggesting that while evidence is on the public record, officials have not consented to their likenesses or testimony being used by politicians and parties for political gain.
The board expressed concern that the use of officials' images and evidence in this manner could be detrimental to both individuals and the public sector. As an alternative to clips, they proposed making full hearing recordings and transcripts available, with disabled comments, to ensure scrutiny remains focused on evidence and accountability rather than personal attacks.