Civil Penalties for Misleading Visual Depictions of Candidates in Electoral and Referendum Matter
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2025
Independent BillHouse of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Topics
election integrity electoral communications misinformation political advertising referendum voter information
Introduced by: Zali Steggall OAM, MP (IND)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
People and entities cannot authorise misleading electoral matter that uses fake factual images of candidates.
People and entities cannot disseminate misleading referendum matter during a referendum period.
The Chair of the Electoral Communications Panel can demand information and documents from people.
The Federal Court can grant injunctions to stop people from sharing misleading matter.
A Decision Panel must investigate referrals of misleading matter; it must make a decision on whether a law was broken.
The Decision Panel must publish reasons if it fails to make a decision within the required timeframe.
An entity is treated as having authorised a communication if its agent or officer authorised it.