2026-07-17
Greens respond to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s AI speech.
Quotes attributable to Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for communications, arts and environment and chair of the inquiry into AI data centres:
"AI is the new extractive industry, if we don’t have the right rules in place big tech companies will take our resources and leave Australians with little to show for it.
“We need a moratorium on the building of data centres until there are laws in place to properly regulate their impact in Australia including energy, water use, environment and communities.
“It is essential that we get the rules right. To do that we need a pause on the approval and construction of new hyperscale data centres while we do this important policy work.
“Just because big tech companies want to move at hyperspeed, doesn’t mean that we need to fast track and roll out the red carpet for them. We need to take the time to get this right, if we don’t there will be serious consequences for our energy grid, water, environment and climate.
“The Albanese Government needs to show the Australian people that they are more than just talk when it comes to putting the interests of Australians ahead of the interests of big AI companies.
"Today’s announcement that there will be rules for the building of data centres is welcome, but with more than 90 data centres already in the pipeline we cannot allow a free for all in the meantime.
“A key part of getting the rules right is protecting Australian artists, creators, journalists and copyright holders who all need their work protected from the extractive AI industry.
“AI companies want to build data mining factories that strip mine our knowledge, culture and intellectual property. This is theft. We do not allow other industries to pick and choose what laws apply to them, big tech should be no exception to this.
“The test for the Albanese Government will be how strongly they protect Australia’s knowledge, culture and environment.
Quotes attributable to Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for digital rights:
“If this government was serious about accountability it would be building an independent regulator and giving it strong statutory powers, not just building another door inside the PMs office for tech lobbyists to knock on.
“This is another power grab from one of the most centralising PM on record, keen to ensure he doesn’t face another rogue Minister with a vision for serious regulation of this technology.
“Providing government data for US AI companies raises real questions about consent, privacy and surveillance risk for all Australians and it’s hard to see how it's in the public interest.
"A coordination office in Canberra doesn't stop a single kid getting harmed tonight, and no amount of branding changes the fact that this government still hasn't legislated a single enforceable protection.
“Not only does this announcement not provide any meaningful steps for building sovereign capability, the PM is also leaving Palantir embedded in the agencies holding Australians' most sensitive information including Defence.
“The Prime Minister points to Five Eyes as if that settles the sovereignty question, but our closest security partner is also home to the AI companies that are the biggest security risks across the public and private sectors.
"He’s calling this an AI for Australia plan but the future he mapped out is controlled by American billionaires, not Australian communities.
“Australians need an independent AI regulator with real powers, mandatory guardrails, and legislated protections for kids, workers and creators.
“What we got today was a red carpet for Meta, Palantir and Amazon that leads straight to the PM’s office."