Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

In rising to address the Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill 2007 I wish to thank those speakers on both sides of the House who have lent their broad support to the contents, provisions and intent of this bill. This bill very simply is about protecting children and the most vulnerable in our society.

I wish to look firstly at the question of risk and secondly at the question of action which flows from wonderful opportunities in relation to the newest means of electronic broadcast and communication. The opportunities are absolutely clear: we have a revolution in telecommunications. What that means is that individuals for the first time in history have a capacity to access and to be engaged in the process of telecommunications from their own homes in a way which is broadcast and not just passed to another individual. That brings with it extraordinary opportunity, but it also brings with it a risk. The risk is very simple. It is the risk of abuse of the content. That means in practice that it could be a narrowcasting to particularly vulnerable groups in our society. It could be the broadcasting of material whether it is in relation to pornography, child offences or other such items, which are unacceptable.

Our response to that risk in relation to the use of the internet, the use of broad-scale telecommunications and the use of 3G mobile communications for improper purposes is very simple. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill sets up a regime which achieves one simple action. It puts together a common approach to standards for broadcast, internet, film and literature, and 3G telecommunications. In so doing it sets out a framework which, hopefully, will protect our children and the most vulnerable in our society and lead to a regime which is safe and desirable.

The bill sets down a series of actions to achieve these outcomes. It strengthens the regulation of stored content delivered over new devices; and it places greater obligations on the content service providers to make sure, in particular, that they protect and recognise young children who might otherwise have access to material which is dangerous, improper or in some way might compromise them. So it provides an extra protection for parents. Ultimately, it is the result of consultation with industry, and the industry has been extremely supportive. In addition to that, it backs up our content regulatory scheme—the Mobile Premium Services Industry Scheme. It has the support of members on both sides of the House and the support of the industry. I am delighted to commend the Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill 2007 to the House.

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