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Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has questioned whether the government's proposed 2.5 percent levy on digital advertising revenue will be enough to compensate Australian journalists, and said AI companies that reuse news content should face the same scrutiny as social media platforms.

Speaking on ABC Insiders on Sunday, Hanson-Young said she had not yet seen the government's legislation but wanted to "kick the tires" on the news media bargaining code to ensure the changes get the mix right.

"I also think the bigger question in all of this is how do we ensure that AI is tackled too," she said. "Because we're talking about the social media companies taking content but what about all the AI companies that are hoovering up journalists' work in a time when mis- and disinformation is rife?"

Data centres and the "ironclad guarantee"

Hanson-Young, who has previously called for a moratorium on new data centres until frameworks are in place, said legislation should require data centres to pay for and provide their own renewable energy and water.

"AI and data centres are the new extractive industry and we made this mistake already," she said. "We let the gas companies off the hook and now hear them crying blue murder when you talk about taxing their gas exports. Let's not make the same mistake."

She said Australians needed an "ironclad guarantee" that electricity bills won't rise, water will be protected, jobs will be protected, and communities will see a benefit. "Because without those things there is going to be no social licence and it's evaporating quickly. People are sus of these big tech bros and they have every right to be."

Gambling reforms fall short

Hanson-Young also criticised the government's gambling changes, saying the proposals fall short of what was recommended by late Labor MP Peta Murphy.

"If the government's now willing to move on some things, well good but the devil's going to be in the detail," she said.

She said partial bans "do not work" and called for proper bans on online advertising. She said she was "prepared to entertain" an opt-in model rather than opt-out, and that all inducements "should be gone" - special deals, extra credits, and favours to events. She also called for a national regulator.

"The government said they weren't prepared to move at all and now we hear they are. So, I mean, they're playing games here. They put up a piece of legislation that their own members, their own backbenchers, know is not strong enough."

Why this matters for government professionals

For public servants working on media policy, technology regulation, or gambling reform, Hanson-Young's position matters because the Greens hold the balance of power in the Senate. The government cannot pass its legislation without crossbench support, and Hanson-Young has made clear the current proposals are not enough.

Her demands on AI companies, data centre obligations, and gambling advertising will shape what the government must concede to get its bills through. Officials should expect further amendments and a longer negotiation process as the government responds to Greens pressure.