Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Sustainable Development and Cities) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate your wise counsel there, Mr Speaker. We are talking about the amendments that are not being insisted upon and why, which brings me to the one that the government is accepting—the one relating to the black spots. I made it clear in this place last night that—with 1,100 transmission and retransmission devices providing analog services right across the continent and given that television black spots were an enormous problem inherited by the Howard government in 1996 and a comprehensive program to address them saw television coverage delivered to communities that never imagined it being there—all of that work on the basis of analog television now needs to be backed up by the same commitment and conviction for digital. Thankfully, the government has realised that this is a compelling issue that needs attention, and that is why we are delighted that the government has at least embraced that amendment of the opposition, which was insisted upon by the Senate. It just shows you that a bit of consultation can make a difference.

We will be supporting this amended bill, with those enormous caveats—recognising that, having left the black spot transmission amendments in the bill, all Australians, and certainly the opposition, will now be looking for the resources that are required to back up that provision. We need to see in the next federal budget funding to support communities to make their conversions from analog to digital and to make sure all the gains made in television coverage during the coalition government are not lost overnight. That is why we are very pleased to support that amendment staying in this bill. But we put the government on notice: we are very much looking for the resources needed to give effect to the machinery that has been left in the bill.

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