JAYNIE SEAL, HOST: And returning to one of our top stories, the Prime Minister leads bipartisan criticism of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson after her comments made on his late mother. Well, for more, joining us live is Assistant Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Minister Emma McBride. Minister, thank you very much for joining us. Great to see you. So whether it's a mother or any family members, are they off limits here in politics?
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Oh, Jaynie, they are and they must be. This is really appalling comments from Pauline Hanson towards the Prime Minister's late mother. My own nana lived in public housing for much of her life. It provided protection for her and other women from family and domestic violence and stability for their children. Everyone should be able to have safety, particularly at home, and these comments should be retracted.
SEAL: All right. And would you argue, though, it's not just Pauline Hanson, it's all sides of politics that have criticised people, whether it be family members?
MCBRIDE: Jaynie, it shouldn't happen. And we want people to put their hand up to be in politics. We want people to represent their communities. I don't want anybody to feel that they couldn't do it because their partner or their family or someone that they know might be, you know, pulled into this kind of politicking. So, yes, call it out. And with my responsibilities in mental health and suicide prevention, it just shouldn't happen.
SEAL: And what are your thoughts on Andrew Hastie's not backing down on his criticism of Pauline Hanson over her party's traitor cartoon, labelling her a lying coward?
MCBRIDE: Andrew Hastie has represented our country. He's someone who's been in the SAS. Andrew Hastie deserves recognition for his military service, not condemnation from the One Nation leader. I think those comments are despicable. And in this, Andrew Hastie has my full support.
SEAL: And Minister, what would you say about many people across Australia who want to get rid of Labor? That's a very strong message that many people are saying. Of course, you've got people on your side, but for people that are really getting quite angry about the Labor government, what could you say to that?
MCBRIDE: Jaynie, our priority is listening to the community, deeply understanding their needs, understanding the pressures, including cost of living and making sure that we're delivering for them. I was at netball grand final day yesterday in my community to make sure that local families feel supported. We've reduced the cost of PBS medicines. We're boosting access to bulk billing. We're making sure that Australian families are supported. Of course, there is much more to do, and that's what we are intending to do, Jaynie.
SEAL: All right. I wanted to just bring your attention – Shadow Special Envoy for Men and Boys and member of Wide Bay, Llew O'Brien, he spoke in Parliament last week, and that's regarding professional indemnity insurance for midwives attending home births. Here's a bit of what he had to say.
[Excerpt]
LLEW O’BRIEN, SHADOW SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MEN AND BOYS: I rise today to speak about petition EN 10266, launched by Alecia Staines and the Maternity Consumer Network. concerning professional indemnity insurance for midwives attending home births. This issue will be felt most acutely in rural and regional Australia, where maternity choices are already limited. The home birth insurance product created through the insurer is not fit for purpose. It does not provide a workable insurance pathway for the many experienced registered midwives who currently act as second attendants at private home births.
[End of excerpt]
SEAL: And we did have Alecia on from the Maternity Network a short time ago today. I asked her if she had heard from the Labor government. She said no, and here's a bit of her response.
[Excerpt]
ALECIA STAINES, MATERNITY CONSUMER NETWORK: Listen, all they have to do is offer an insurance product to second attendees. They’re already providing a really safe service to support our private endorsed midwives. And all we want to happen is for that to be able to continue come 2027. It's almost a slap in the face and the government’s saying, well, we're happy for you to birth in the dirt on the side of the road, because that is the reality when there is this continued strip of maternity options for women.
[End of excerpt]
SEAL: So Minister, is there anything the government can do responding to that?
MCBRIDE: Jaynie, I know women who have chosen to have home births themselves. I know midwives who have attended those home births. I think it's really about making sure that both women have choice and that practitioners and patients are protected. And I think it's striking a balance and making sure that all of those are considered. As a health practitioner myself, I'm required to have professional indemnity insurance. In a hospital, that's often provided by your employer. In the community, it’s often something that you have to hold independently. But I know the Minister and our government will always act in the best interests of women and practitioners.
SEAL: All right. And before we go, obviously the Digital Duty of Care has been big in the news. and we are seeing all sorts of movements with AI. We've seen the Anthropic researcher resign because he thinks that there's a chance that AI could kill us all in 10 years. Now, that sounds quite confronting and potentially dramatic to some people, but we've got... these big experts, don't we, across the world, who are in charge of a lot of big tech. And, of course, governments are looking to put in those laws, trying to find the right balance, whether there is a right balance or not. But what can be done, and what are you going to be looking at over the next handful of weeks in terms of your government and more laws?
MCBRIDE: I think this Digital Duty of Care, Jaynie, is really important and building on our world-leading social media age restrictions to make sure that AI is not slowing down and to make sure that we've got the right safeguards in place. This is a whole-of-government approach as well, the Digital Duty of Care being handled by the Communications Minister, privacy safeguards by the Attorney-General. I met myself with the new AI Safety Institute Commissioner to make sure that across the whole of government that we've got the right safeguards in place, and particularly with my responsibility to make sure young people and the most vulnerable online are safer.
SEAL: AI companions are increasing. And, I mean, I personally spoke to a gentleman last year in an Uber, and he was saying that his friend, she was in her early 40s and she had a bad relationship from what this Uber driver was saying, and basically went to AI and got counselling through this AI bot, and then eventually had isolated her human friends. And, I mean, it's not just kids, is it? We're seeing numbers increasing so much where people are really turning to AI as opposed to humans. With your portfolio, what can be done here, and what message would you say to people? Obviously, there's some good use with AI, but do you think these sorts of things are concerning?
MCBRIDE: I do, Jaynie, and this Digital Duty of Care will cover chatbots, it'll cover apps, it'll cover online games, so a much more broader duty of care to protect Australians online. It'll also make sure that social media companies have to produce products that are safer by design. So really important work to be done. The legislation's exposure draft is out now, and I'd encourage people across the community to engage in this because we're hoping to have this through by the end of the year as a next step in our protections for Australians online.
SEAL: Assistant Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Minister Emma McBride, thank you so much for joining us.
MCBRIDE: Good to be with you.