Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today on the outrageous proposals by the One Nation party to trade off the independence of the ABC and SBS for agreeing to pass the government's new media laws. One Nation has already shown itself to be antiscience and now it's shown itself to be anti-free speech quite clearly. The Turnbull government has connived with Ms Hanson and her One Nation party to compromise the integrity of the ABC and the SBS into becoming the tool of political parties and give unprecedented power to a few privileged media companies. This is disgraceful. This deal puts the Turnbull government in the same basket as the One Nation party—heavily compromised; without integrity; for sale to the highest bidder.

The Turnbull reactionary government has stopped short-wave transmissions to some of our most remote areas, traded off media independence to a few large companies and shown utter contempt for our public broadcasters. This is a disaster for free speech, and it continues the gradual decimation of the ABC. This is shameful. The move to force the ABC into becoming answerable at every level to political parties will compromise its ability to report accurately. The fact that One Nation, and Ms Hanson in particular, have received some criticism from the ABC and the fact it now appears that she has been able to exert control over the ABC is very, very worrying and should strike fear into all those who believe in free speech and freedom of eyes.

I personally believe this to be a time when all those from across all political parties should rally together in the name of free speech and try and prevent this happening. This terrible prospect should not come to pass. I call on all my colleagues of all political persuasions to rally against this reactionary move. Clearly, the media barons have worked on the Turnbull government, because they realise that the public broadcasters are trusted, are the best providers of knowledge and are impartial in the general community, and they're now keen to damage them. Please do not let this happen. I call on all my political colleagues, including those in the Liberal Party, not to let this happen. The Turnbull-Hanson government has formed a coalition. The government has formed a coalition with One Nation. Can they go any lower? Please do not allow this to happen.