MARK DREYFUS MP

Labor welcomes today's announcement of additional funding for frontline legal services to support Australians impacted by COVID-19.

The Attorney-General needs to properly explain why he has invoked a national security gag order over the defamation case brought by former special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith VC.

The Morrison Government must end the uncaring and negligent way in which it has denied justice to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

Labor's concerns about the state of our media have been confirmed with Australia falling five places, from 21^st down to 26^th, in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres).

The Morrison Government must join with Labor and take a stand against the shocking rise in racism and hatred directed at Asian-Australians during the COVID-19 crisis.

Labor strongly welcomes the High Court's decision that the Australian Federal Police raid on the home of journalist Annika Smethurst was unlawful.

Peter Dutton must immediately explain what knowledge he had of Australian Federal Police officers using the Clearview AI facial recognition tool despite the absence of any legislative framework in relation to the use of identity-matching services.

The Morrison Government must join with Labor and take a stand against the appalling rise in racism and xenophobia directed at Asian-Australians in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

As COVID-19 restrictions tighten around Australia, it is incumbent upon Federal, State and Territory Ministers to ensure media and communications services continue to be recognised as an essential service.

The delay in acting over the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal raises serious questions over the Morrison Governments commitment to protecting the privacy of Australians.