Dear Darrell,Right now, we are standing on the edge of a major victory.The Albanese Labor Government’s attempt to pass the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill is failing.According to Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald:“… independent senators including David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie, Tammy Tyrrell, Fatima Payman and Gerard Rennick are holding out against the plan, putting it on course for defeat even if Labor gains support from the Greens.Senators said they were receiving hundreds of emails and calls from voters who opposed the draft law because they believed the Australian Communications and Media Authority should not have the power to check the controls on social media content.”This means that you and I are making a tremendous impact… and that we are closer than ever to defeating this dangerous legislation.You and I know what’s at stake. This bill hands sweeping powers to a federal agency, allowing them to control what we say online. It risks turning free speech into a government-controlled echo chamber. But here’s the good news: we now know that we can stop it. That we are stopping it!Independent senators like David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie, Tammy Tyrrell, and Fatima Payman are currently opposed to the bill. They’re hearing from people like you who refuse to give up on free speech. Your voice matters. And it is turning the tide.A month ago, did you think this bill could be on the brink of defeat? Together, we’ve already made the politicians pause. Now we have to push harder.Imagine knowing you helped defeat a law that threatened to censor dissent. We’re so close. All it takes is for you and me to make our voices even louder, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and show these Senators we will not be silenced.The Senate vote could be within weeks. Your action right now could be the difference between victory and defeat. This isn’t just about one bill—it’s about whether Australians remain free to speak their minds. If you haven’t signed the petition yet, now is the time—your voice could be the one that turns the tide and stops this bill. If you’ve already signed, share it far and wide—because if we stay silent, we risk losing our freedom to speak our minds. When you take this stand, you send a message: We will not let government control the truth. Together, we can win this fight for freedom.George Christensen and the team at CitizenGOHere’s the email we sent you earlier on this:  The Australian government is reviving a dangerous bill that would let them control what we can say and see online.Even after 22,000 Australians demanded “NO” to this censorship in a Senate submission, the government is pressing forward, disregarding the public’s voice.Tell key crossbench Senators to reject this attack on free speech and protect our rights. STAND UP FOR FREE SPEECH! Dear Darrell,Imagine a future where every word you say online, every article you read, and every post you share could be judged and censored by the government. This isn’t just a fear—it’s a reality the Australian government is trying to create through the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill. This bill, if passed, would give government bureaucrats the power to decide what’s “true” and force Big Tech to silence anyone who doesn’t fall in line.When this bill was first introduced last year, Australians across the country raised their voices in protest. The public’s response was so overwhelming that the government backed down and shelved it—at least, for a while. Now, they’re bringing it back, hoping to pass it quickly without the public noticing. But this time, they’ve added even more power to the bill, making it a greater threat to our freedom of speech.The government has the majority in the House of Representatives where it will easily pass this bad bill, so the Senate is our last line of defence. That’s because, in the Senate, no single party holds the majority. This means the government needs the support of crossbench Senators—independents and very minor party members who aren’t part of the major political blocs. If we can convince just five out of six key crossbench Senators to vote against this bill, it will be stopped. That’s why your voice is crucial. We must urge these Senators to protect free speech for all Australians. Will you join me and tell Senators Jacqui Lambie, Tammy Tyrrell, David Van, David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe, and Fatima Payman to vote NO on the Censorship Bill? This isn’t just another law. Here’s why it’s a direct attack on our freedoms:Who Decides What’s “True”? With this bill, the government would appoint itself as the final judge of reality. If history has taught us anything, it’s that what’s considered “misinformation” today often turns out to be true tomorrow. But with this bill, the government can silence anything that challenges its views or policies. Imagine a world where uncomfortable facts, controversial opinions, or alternative ideas can be erased with a single order. Are we really willing to hand them that kind of authority?A Path to State-Controlled Censorship: Make no mistake, this bill opens the door for Australia to become a place where only government-approved voices are allowed. Independent media and everyday Australians could be silenced for questioning or debating official narratives. If this bill passes, Canberra will have the power to create a state-controlled echo chamber, where the only voices allowed are the ones that comply with their approved “truth.”Giving Big Tech a Licence to Censor Australians: Big Tech is already policing online content more than ever, but this bill would push that control to unprecedented levels. Under government direction, tech giants will be forced to crack down even harder, controlling what Australians are allowed to see, say, and share. And it won’t stop there—if we allow them to take this power, what’s to stop them from watching our emails, our messages, even our private conversations? This is the beginning of a surveillance state.Australians have already made themselves clear—over 22,000 of us sent a resounding “NO” to this bill in a submission to the Senate inquiry. But the government is still pushing forward, ignoring the voices of everyday Australians. Now, we need these crossbench Senators to listen to the people. Voting for this bill would betray everyone who believes in free speech and democracy.Take a stand with me now—urge these key crossbench Senators to defend our right to free speech. If we lose this fight, free speech in Australia could be gone forever. A vote for this bill is a vote to erase dissenting voices and to silence anyone who questions the government. Once the government has this power, they’ll be able to label anything they don’t like as “misinformation” and block it. We’ll be left with a state-controlled media where the only views allowed are those that suit the government. This is how freedom dies—not with one sweeping change, but with laws that strip us of our rights one by one.But if we stand together then we can stop this bill! Then we protect our voices, our freedoms, and our democracy. We’ll show Canberra that Australians won’t be silenced. This is our chance to stand up, push back, and defend a future where freedom of speech isn’t just a memory. We need you to speak out now, before it’s too late. This is our last chance—urge Senator Jacqui Lambie, Senator Tammy Tyrrell, Senator David Van, Senator David Pocock, Senator Lidia Thorpe, and Senator Fatima Payman to protect free speech and vote against this bill! Thank you for standing up for freedom and for Australia.George Christensen and the team at CitizenGOP.S. If this bill passes, freedom of speech in Australia will become a memory, replaced by government-controlled silence. Stand with us now to protect your right to speak freely—sign the petition and share it with everyone who values freedom.More information:Labor’s misinformation bill hinges on five or six Senators, Sky News https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/rita-panahi/labors-misinformation-bill-hinges-on-five-or-six-senators/video/327d725cb752a53bc8e76ea4bbe67108Labor’s misinformation bill could be ‘dead in the water’, Sky News https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/labors-misinformation-bill-could-be-dead-in-the-water/video/19cb688575f1f9cbf08bb0ed2c6641d6Everything you need to know about Labor’s free speech crackdown, Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/everything-you-need-to-know-about-labor-s-free-speech-crackdown-20241002-p5kf5zBig Tech faces hefty fines for spreading misinformation, SBS https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/big-tech-faces-hefty-fines-for-spreading-misinformation/503ccmi1pAttack on free speech: Coalition to oppose Labor’s misinformation bill, Daily Telegraph https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/attack-on-free-speech-coalition-to-oppose-labors-misinformation-bill/news-story/b9dba292d681c77196b2d11469301230‘What a joke’: Jacqui Lambie calls out Labor’s misinformation laws, Sky News https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/what-a-joke-jacqui-lambie-calls-out-labors-misinformation-laws/video/2ac61be3d2aca4b15488406de8a272ffAustralia’s misinformation bill may be dead in the water, The Daily Sceptic https://dailysceptic.org/2024/10/04/australias-misinformation-bill-may-be-dead-in-the-water/

CitizenGO is a community of active citizens that works to ensure that human life, the family and our freedoms are respected worldwide. CitizenGO members live in every nation of the world. Our team is spread across 16 countries on 5 continents and operates in 12 languages. Learn about CitizenGO here or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

This message is addressed to darrell.hines@icloud.com.If you do not wish to receive emails from CitizenGO, click on this link. 

To ensure that CitizenGO messages reach your inbox, please add petitions-en@citizengo.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, contact us. To contact CitizenGO, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at citizengo.org/en/contact.

The dominant purpose of this email from CitizenGO is to educate, inform and encourage debate by citizens on public policy matters. As CitizenGO is an international non-profit that is supported by everyday people from all over the world who are passionate about defending and promoting life, family and liberty, we are obliged under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 to disclose that this communication by George Christensen is undertaken on behalf of CitizenGO.