Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Safeguarding the opportunity to watch sport will strengthen these outcomes. Big sporting moments create more people signing up for community sport. More people involved in sport makes us a healthier and stronger nation.

The reforms will prevent media content service providers from acquiring the right to broadcast an event on the list until a free-to-air broadcaster has acquired the right to televise the event. This extends the scope of the scheme, which currently only restricts subscription television broadcasting licences. The revised scheme would also extend the automatic delisting period from six months to 12 months.

Another aspect of the reform is to extend the list to reflect changing community expectations. Historically the list was focused on men's sporting events—pre the Diamonds and the Matildas, to name a few. Involvement in women's sport at the community level is growing rapidly around Australia. My cricket clubs, rugby clubs and even football clubs, traditionally male domains, tell me how wonderful it is to have more female players and how the clubs become stronger, better for the family and better for the community. No doubt these trends have been bolstered by the success of the Australian women's cricket team and intense interest in sports such as the Super Netball, Women's Big Bash League, the AFL Women's League and the National Rugby League Women's Premiership. The revised list will include events such as the final series of the AFLW, the NRLW and the women's Ashes.

The other focus will be on sports that involve athletes with a disability. As a member of the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, I'm particularly glad to see that the Summer Paralympic Games are included on the enhanced list. This important evolution reflects community interests and expectations. It also bolsters the nearly half-a-million-dollar Labor government initiative to identify talented Australian Paralympic athletes in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. We're all familiar with the phrase 'you can't be what you can't see', and this inclusion will ensure that budding Paralympians are able to cheer their athlete heroes on free of charge. So these important amendments contribute to a strong and sustainable media sector. The antisiphoning scheme and listed amendments will ensure the continued opportunity to watch, free of charge, the iconic events that reflect our national identity and our national diversity.

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