Australia’s top bureaucrats want to block sharing of clips from parliament on social media to save them from ‘ridicule’

Secretaries board concerned material posted without proper context as Greens warn ban could result in lack of transparency

The nation’s top bureaucrats want the Albanese government to ban video footage from parliamentary hearings being edited and shared on social media, in an extraordinary attempt to stop online ridicule and abuse.

But the Greens say highly paid public service chiefs shouldn’t be allowed to control footage from open parliamentary hearings, warning the proposed controls would limit a key tool of government transparency.

The secretaries board – made up of the heads of government departments and chaired by the Prime Minister and Cabinet boss Steven Kennedy – said they were concerned about material from hearings being presented online without proper context.