Qld cyberbully task force announced

Journalist Madonna King will lead a 14-member task force to tackle cyberbullying in Queensland, and they have six months to report back with recommendations.

Northern Territory teenager Dolly Everett.

Queensland has set up an anti cyber bullying task force following the death of teen Dolly Everett. (AAP)

Queensland's newly established anti cyber-bullying task force has six months to report back with recommendations to tackle the issue, highlighted last month by the death of teenager Dolly Everett.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pushed to address the issue after the 14-year-old, who had been the face of an ad campaign for Akubra hats, took her own life after being bullied online.

The 14-member task force, announced on Monday, includes child psychologists, educators and academics, to be headed by journalist and author Madonna King.

Ms King said the task force would conduct community consultations before making its recommendations by the end of August.

"We're hoping that the solution will come from the community, the parents we talk to, the kids we talk to, the community organisations, sporting organisations," she told reporters.

Following the death of Dolly, a Northern Territory teen who was attending a Queensland boarding school, Ms Palaszczuk promised her government would work to put the search for answers on the national agenda.

State cabinet also met with the federal e-safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant on Monday, pledging to work with her office on the issue.

Ms Palaszczuk said it had been a productive meeting and they were urging the national e-commissioner to establish a "presence" in Queensland.

"What the national e-commissioner can do is actually impose fines of up to $18,000 a day on those social media areas such as Twitter or Facebook," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.

Labor government MP and former high school principal Corrine McMillan will sit on the taskforce and a spot has been left open for an opposition MP.

The premier insists the body should be bipartisan and LNP spokeswoman Ros Bates reiterated the opposition's commitment to supporting the process.

"As a mother of three children who all experienced bullying at some stage in their teenage years I am wholeheartedly in support, as are the LNP," Ms Bates told reporters.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.


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Source: AAP


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Qld cyberbully task force announced | SBS News