Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I apologise. I do not think Wacka would have voted for this bill. When Wacka gets to Canberra, he will not be putting up with this kind of rubbish.

This bill is not going do anything but serve the interests of one or two major media companies. The risks to fairness, objectivity and impartiality in media reporting of Australia’s political and electoral processes if this bill is enacted are immense. What makes the National senators think that a government with the arrogance to put up legislation of this type could be trusted to construct and pass amendments that will have any effect on altering the intent of this bill? If the National senators had any real gumption, any principles at all, they would stand up immediately and demand that the government scrap this pathetic bill and make it clear to the government not to bother coming back to the Senate on this matter until it is able to guarantee that media diversity in this country—in both urban and country Australia—will not be diluted and that there will be no further concentration of media ownership.

I have no doubt this extreme bill is being pushed by an increasingly extreme government. The National Party senators, by their own words, know this to be true. But the time has come for something more than words. Let us find out whether the National senators from New South Wales and Queensland are the real thing. Are they having us on? Who are they—Fine Cotton or Bold Personality? None of us really know. I think they will turn out to be another Fine Cotton, whom they tried to dress up as a Bold Personality: all show and no substance. You can be sure the crowd will be shouting ‘Ring-in!’ when this bill goes to the vote. Bold Personality will be nowhere to be seen. All we will see is the gelding that is left standing at the post.