Anthony Albanese makes big call on ‘violent’ social media acts in new podcast interview

Anthony Albanese has questioned whether the isolation of Covid-19 exacerbated issues around social media and social cohesion, in a wide-ranging new podcast episode.

Appearing on the Australian National University’s Democracy Sausage podcast with Mark Kenny to reflect on his first two years as Prime Minister, Mr Albanese spoke extensively about his concerns about social media and the work Labor is doing to tackle the rise of online harms.

He said social media had allowed people to say the most “reprehensible, violent, threatening” things, including to himself, that they would never say to someone’s face, with little to no consequence.

“That is of real concern, and I think that it requires a real debate opening up,” he said.

“I think the debate about our youngest Australians and access to social media will broaden very quickly into a debate about social media in general, what the impact of the internet is, and to a debate about our society.

“One of the things I’ve been wondering about is whether people’s isolation during COVID, where we lost the capacity, for health reasons, to have that social interaction, whether that exacerbated some of those issues that can occur with isolation.”

He said he believed humans need social interaction, and “some of that is lost”, which could push people “towards more extreme positions”.

Mr Albanese lamented how social media had contributed to a “worrying state” of political discourse and polarisation, like what had been experienced during the Voice to Parliament referendum debate.

“The absurdity of a debate over how long the Uluru Statement from the Heart which arose, was just not factual. But people were prepared to write it, because they thought that advanced their cause,” he said.

“And that is disappointing, because it disrupts the capacity to have reasoned debate.”

Speaking of his “vision” of the future, Mr Albanese said he wanted Australia “to be optimistic” and have a “healthy society”.

“It needs to be (one) that we build together, and one that is more cooperative. One that is, something I said on election night was that kindness is a strength, not a weakness, and one where we recognise that as well,” he said.

On Peter Dutton, Mr Albanese said the Opposition Leader would be “defined by what he’s against”, pointing to a “relentless negativity”.

“I think it’s unfortunate that more and more, I think Peter Dutton has tried to be a leader, who himself has conceded his priority has been keeping his party room together, a room that has shifted further and further to the right and become more and more conservative,” he said.

“He is a bit like a Tony Abbott tribute band with his team. I think he leads a really ordinary team.”

Asked about his own team, Mr Albanese spruiked the fact there had been no changes to his cabinet since his government was sworn in – despite mounting calls for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil to be shuffled out of their portfolios after a number of high-profile bungles.

“I think the stability of the team has been a real strength, and I can’t recall any new government having the same ministry in place two years after they were appointed,” he said.