Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will just clarify something on that particular exchange. Senator Coonan, as I understand it, when we talk about a minimum of four voices in a country area and a minimum of five voices in a city area, we are really saying that that is four voices plus community radio. In most country parts of Australia there is a community radio station, so it is really at least five voices in the country.

I just want to make sure that it is understood that there are four voices, plus community radio, plus the ABC and perhaps plus SBS. I am just trying to get confirmation. There is a lot of variety particularly in the areas that I represent but also in cities where, as I understand it—as I drive into cities occasionally—there are about three or four different community radio stations. So you actually have five voices, plus the three or four community radio stations, plus five ABC stations, plus SBS. So there is a diversity of opinion and views. I just want to confirm that that is the case, because it is a very important point that we need to consider when we are talking about diversity of opinion in Australia.