Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The Senate Standing Committee on Economics, as has been noted, made a recommendation to widen the concession to cover shorter animation series. The government is giving serious consideration to this recommendation. The reason we cannot support the amendment moved so graciously by my opposite number is that the advice from Treasury and DCITA is that the ALP’s amendment would not achieve the right outcome. So we cannot support that. But my understanding is that the Minister for the Arts and Sport will be making an announcement shortly on this and, given the importance of the changes in this bill, the government will proceed with its passage without further amendments to the film incentives, and any changes to the film incentives can be legislated at a later date.

So that is the government’s position—one of providing support to the industry but also providing the necessary urgent passage of this bill. We will address those concerns and, as I say, the Minister for the Arts and Sport will be making an announcement which I think will give satisfaction to the industry. Again, this government continues to provide significant and ongoing support to what is a very worthy industry. The Minister for the Arts and Sport has been, and continues to be, a most capable person in that role, and I know that the industry very much appreciates his support. That has been evidenced by the comments that have been made in relation to the government’s announcements which are now being legislated.

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