Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I listened with interest to the member for Moncrieff on the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill 2006. He talked about new media; it is the old players that are controlling the media. The diversity is going to be controlled by a limited number of players, and it is a matter of great concern to the community—particularly country people—that this legislation is going to get through the parliament. In just the last two days we have seen the way in which the old players have reacted in the marketplace to this legislation. There is absolutely no doubt about who has been writing the script. Some of the diversions in which the National Party were involved in the Senate have been purely that—diversions from the main task.

I commend the member for Lowe for his work over many years on this particular subject and I also commend and recognise the member for Hinkler. I think he really did try and recognise many of the problems but, unfortunately, he has given up at the last hurdle. The member for Lowe made some comments about Senator Fielding. I think it is a great shame that the credibility that Senator Fielding had when he came into this place has been absolutely sold out on this issue. To represent gambling interests and to sell out to big money in the way he has in the Senate completely eradicates any credibility that he had in supposedly representing families.

I was one of many speakers unable to speak in the second reading debate because the government saw fit to truncate debate on a very important piece of legislation. We are going to see a reflection of that through the few people who will control our media and the diversity of the media that comes through to the people—regional people and city people—as well. There are many very good local television and radio stations that are trying to do their best to relay media to country people. I will put in a slight ad, if I could, for the ABC. This parliament needs to back the ABC more than it ever has to get opinions, views and local information out. We are in the middle of a drought at the moment and it is imperative that local people—through their local commercial and ABC media—are able to access that information.

This legislation is a sell-out to a few private interests for political or financial gain and I will be supporting the amendments moved by the member for Perth. I make the plea that, because of the limited number of voices that are out there in country Australia, in particular the ABC, all members of parliament support an extension of funding to the ABC so that views can be expressed at a local level and local information for local people is able to get out there. I think we are fortunate—particularly in my part of the world—to have commercial stations that are still working very hard on local interests. Some of this legislation will make that more difficult for them. I do not agree with the National Party where they have said that they have made some great achievements in the amendments to this legislation. I do not think that is correct at all. I think what they have done is lose sight of the major objective—diversity of view and diversity of media in regional areas—and settled for some minor leavings and some small trinkets regarding local content but sold out on the major content of the legislation.

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