Story perspectives

Richmond café says One Nation patrons’ money donated

By Drooid · Oct 11, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lee Hanson Hurt

Lee Hanson said she was hurt by Richmond Reading Room’s social media post.
The café’s post called the One Nation AI ad “disgusting” and labeled supporters “orange ute” drivers.
Café owner Dana Stevens said any One Nation patron’s money will be donated to the Tasmanian Greens.
Lee Hanson said she will keep supporting local Tasmanian businesses but will avoid the Richmond cafe.

Summary

Pocock Pushes Ban

Senator David Pocock led a campaign that gathered 35,000 signatures to ban deepfakes before the election.
The parliamentary committee on AI heard witnesses this week.
The Australian Electoral Commission warned AI could compromise election integrity.
The federal Labor government has ignored calls to ban AI-generated election content despite a 2024 parliamentary report.
Professor Terry Flew of the Centre for AI Trust and Governance urged legislation to prohibit deepfakes during elections.

History

Historical Context

During the 2016 U.S. presidential race the Russian-run Internet Research Agency operated 81 Facebook pages that drew roughly 2.6 million followers and spent about $100,000 on targeted ads, prompting the U.S. State Department to create the Global Engagement Center that year. That legacy of synthetic-media manipulation now informs Australian Senator David Pocock’s 35,000-signature petition to ban deepfakes ahead of the 2024 election.

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Lee Hanson Hurt

Lee Hanson said she was hurt by Richmond Reading Room’s social media post.
The café’s post called the One Nation AI ad “disgusting” and labeled supporters “orange ute” drivers.
Café owner Dana Stevens said any One Nation patron’s money will be donated to the Tasmanian Greens.
Lee Hanson said she will keep supporting local Tasmanian businesses but will avoid the Richmond cafe.

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