WHAT WAS CLAIMED
News organisations are reporting on Australian politics on Facebook.
OUR VERDICT
False. The content is inaccurate and AI-generated.
AAP FACTCHECK - Several Facebook pages are mimicking Australian news publications to deceive readers while spreading political disinformation.
Pages called The Australian, Australia Times and The Australian Bulletin are pumping out falsehoods about political figures and directing readers from Facebook to click on links to external websites.
Much of the content mixes real photographs and actual current affairs with hyperbolic, false information. Other content is completely fabricated.
The Australian Bulletin Facebook page has posted hundreds of times in the last few weeks.
One post reports Senator Pauline Hanson claimed that fellow senator Fatima Payman conducted insider trading and "corrupt family investments".
"SHE MUST REPAY EVERY CENT OF THAT $75 MILLION!" Senator Hanson is quoted as saying.
"Thank you Pauline for exposing her," one of the more than 600 comments reads.
Another post claims One Nation's Barnaby Joyce tabled a bill in parliament to restrict overseas-born Australians and dual-citizenship holders from positions in parliament.
It takes aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong, a Malaysian-born Australian.
Both claims are false. There is no record of either claim in parliament transcripts, nor any reporting from reputable news outlets.
Mr Joyce was himself forced to renounce his New Zealand citizenship in 2017 after the high court declared he had been ineligible to serve in parliament.
Another post (above) claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese broke down in tears as the public demanded he resign over the housing crisis.
However, the photo supporting this claim is AI-generated; the Australian flags are inconsistent and have incorrect star placements, while depictions of Mr Albanese do not match his actual appearance.
There are no reputable news reports of Mr Albanese breaking down in tears over calls to resign.
The Australia Times page has shared almost identical content.
Another post (above) claims Opposition Leader Angus Taylor spoke in parliament, accusing the Labor Party of spending up to $150 million to buy votes in the recent South Australian state election.
There is no record of this speech and no reputable reporting matching the claim.
A third page, The Australian, claims that Pauline Hanson unexpectedly collapsed in parliament.
The claim is accompanied by an AI-generated image.
There is no truth to the claim and it prompted Senator Hanson to issue a statement after being contacted by concerned members of the public.
All three Facebook pages direct users to the same external website via the comments section.
The external page is strewn with adverts and features further false claims and AI images.
Experts told AAP FactCheck that the pages appear to be part of a coordinated operation pushing large volumes of AI-generated political disinformation in an effort to drive engagement and monetise web traffic.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
