JOURNALIST: Minister, how are you feeling about the jersey?

MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS ANIKA WELLS: So good to be here in Port Moresby and learn about the grassroots programs and the academy programs that accompany the launch of the PNG Chiefs. It means that every boy and girl can dream of becoming a professional player right here in their own country. And we know at a time where social cohesion is really under pressure, this all makes you want to hug strangers. So giving the PNG Chiefs, giving the nation their own team, helps us with social cohesion, helps everybody get together behind one team, and I'm really proud to be a part of that today.

JOURNALIST: Minister, turning to the Helen Haines incident, what’s your response to [indistinct] conversations that have been going around about the impact of social media [indistinct]…

WELLS: Obviously, my thoughts are with Helen and Phil and the family as they continue to fight for recovery, and all of the constituents who must be horrified [indistinct]. I think as the Minister of Communications, I wouldn’t want to draw links at this stage while the police investigation is on foot [indistinct]... But I do think that Australians deserve an honest conversation about the broader online environment we are living in. Every politician from every party will tell you that the online abuse, the online threats, and the online harassment has become a lot more vicious. And I think the AFP Commissioner has spoken today about the volume of the threats that they have had to assess and that they now have to action.

It shouldn't be on any individual politician or community leader or journalist or advocate to individually take care of their activity online. It should be on the platforms to be proactive about the online threats, online abuse and online harassment that Australians are experiencing. Platforms have the responsibility to the communities that they profit from, and that should mean they act urgently to address online threats [indistinct]. It means that they should work cooperatively with our security agencies who are doing their best, and it means that they should hopefully reconsider how to design their platforms [indistinct].

JOURNALIST: How much is the online environment being assessed in relation to this incident?

WELLS: I think you'll have heard from national security agencies back in Australia this morning. The AFP Commissioner and I have spoken together and are working together to try and make our online platforms safer. You’ve heard the Commissioner talk about the radicalisation happening on those platforms. We talk about building a safer environment for Australian children in particular, and just making platforms who design these platforms take responsibility for the risks of these platforms and we will all keep working together.