Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to add my voice to those of my National Party colleagues in relation to the issue of availability of television reception for people in regional and rural areas. Certainly the area that I represent is hardly remote—it has very large centres—but one of the concerns that many people around Coffs Harbour have is that, despite the size of the city, there are large areas where you cannot get high-quality television reception, and this legislation certainly does nothing to improve that situation.

It is incumbent on the government to provide access for all Australians to quality TV reception. It is a very important medium. People who are conducting commerce need TV reception to be adequate in their area. We certainly do not have that around Coffs Harbour at the moment or in a range of areas in the electorate of Cowper. This legislation, as it is currently drafted, has the potential to disadvantage many people around Australia. Its impact is certainly of grave concern to me and my National Party colleagues.

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