Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to support the member for Wakefield's motion and particularly acknowledge the importance of rural and regional newspapers in providing a vital service to the towns and regional communities they cover. They maintain a viable regional and rural press in the interests of regional communities. I will take this opportunity to acknowledge that many small publications, as the member for Ballarat also highlighted, are not the carrier of daily national news but are important to local communities that depend on them to function.

I also acknowledge Matt Deighton, the editor of The Mercury, which is a very important daily publication in Hobart and in southern Tasmania. Also on the north-west coast we have the Fairfax publication, The Advocate, edited by Julian O'Brien. I particularly acknowledge the regional lift outs that go into, in my case, the municipality of Latrobe and the municipality of Kentish. Indeed, they are very important services.

I will touch on The Examiner, one of the nation's oldest newspapers, in a moment. I also acknowledge other publications in my electorate that include The Bagdad Newsthanks to Vicky Pearson—The Brighton Community News, The Central Coast Courier, The Coastal Columnand the wonderful job that Heidi Howe particular does in collating that at St Helens.

I must make special mention of The Country Courier. My thoughts are with Chris Keating, the former editor. I know he is unwell at the moment. I also congratulate a former staffer of mine, Alison Andrews, who has just unfortunately resigned to take up a role as the owner—a 'media magnet' as we like to call her—of The Country Courier, which goes throughout the northern midlands and it is a very important publication in that part of Tasmania. The Derwent Valley Gazette is owned by The Mercury and I thank them for the coverage of the Prime Minister's visit there a couple of weeks ago. Other publications include: The Great Oyster Bay Community News edited by Bill Fry and his team; The Highland Digestgreat work done by editor Libby Schubridge and those at the online access centre; The Kentish Voice; TheMeeandah Valley Gazette; The Midlands Herald; The Southern Midlands News, The Surreal Times; Tasman Gazette, ably run by Gaye Wright; and The Valley and East Coast Voice run by Wendy Dawson, who took over from the formidable Judith Spilsbury who ran it for many years.

The Examiner in Northern Tasmania is Australia's third-oldest surviving daily newspaper after the Sydney Morning Herald 1831 and the Geelong Advertiser in 1840. As the Launceston Examiner Commercial and Agricultural Advertising, it was the first published on Saturday afternoon 12March 1842 on a hand press smuggled into Van Diemen's Land disguised as a brewery machine.

The Launceston Examiner was originally located in Brisbane Street Launceston and had a staff of 12 led by its founder and first editor, James Aikenhead. The first three editions were free and were then sold for sixpence to become a biweekly in 1842 and by 1853 it was being published three times a week. James Aikenhead was a local businessman who was eventually joined by Johnathon Stammers Waddell. But it was Congregational minister John West who is still remembered as The Examiner's first campaigning editorial writer. From his office he drove the anti-transportation fight to stop the transportation of convicts from England to the new Australian colonies.

The Reverend West wrote the leading article in the first edition of The Examiner attacking convict transportation and its detrimental effect on building a respectable, sound and prosperous society. This launched the newspaper's leading role in the antitransportation campaign which helped unite the Australian colonies and sow the seeds of the Federation of Australian states in 1901. The Reverend West went onto become editor of The Sydney Morning Herald in 1854. The Examiner moved to a purpose-built premises in Paterson Street, Launceston, in 1857, from where it continued to operate until a few months ago.

During its long and distinguished history, The Examiner has always remembered the legacy of reformist lead writer, the Reverend West. It has grown to become one of the city's biggest businesses, employing nearly 350 staff at its peak. It became an integral part of its community dominating news media across the state as a fiercely independent publication always ready to campaign for its community.

I am telling the story not only because it holds an interesting place but because I want to all urge all to advocate to protect these businesses. They are an important part of healthy rural and regional communities. In contrast to other media, newspaper audiences have never been bigger, whether it be online or in print editions.

Debate adjourned.

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