Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to say that I support these amendments. I can assure you that, without these amendments for local content, the bill would not have got this far. I want to put that clearly on the record. These amendments protect local content for regional areas. The National Party is emphatic about that. There are obviously other senators who have the same concerns, and we are glad that they do. It is the right of senators to be part of the process. Obviously, when you have few numbers, you have to be in many places at once, but you endeavour as best you can to do your job.

These amendments protect local journalism in country areas. If you do not have a local journalist, you are hardly going to have local content. The amendments are a vital part of this package. I believe strongly that there are other issues that need to be added to this package. I still have serious concerns about sections of this legislation, which will be expressed in the way I vote. Without the local content measures, certainly there would be no support for this bill from the National Party. Therefore, we are strongly in support of this bill.