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

I cannot claim any expertise in these areas—nor, I think, can most senators. These areas dealing with radio and broadcasting are very complex areas. It is a subject which I would like to understand more, but I am afraid it is so complex I cannot really grasp all of the very important issues that are involved in this and other legislation dealing with broadcasting and communications. Senator McLucas, as northerners, you and I would share some of the concerns that we at times have that, in broadcasting, we in the rural areas of Australia do not quite get the same opportunities as those in the capital city areas. I have been concerned over a long period of time that sometimes decisions are made without considering the impact on regional Australia, and I want to take a couple of minutes to talk about that.

I had anticipated that, by the time I got to speak in this debate on the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2007 and the Radio Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2007, others would have gone through the main items of the legislation. Of course, we do have the second reading speech in front of us. I expected that, after Senator Conroy and someone else from the Labor Party who is also listed to speak had made their contributions, the parameters of the debate would have been quite clearly set. I want to confine my remarks to how this legislation might impact upon rural and regional Australia.

I mention in passing that we in the bush at times do not think we are properly considered. I recall a campaign I started when Labor was in government to try to get NewsRadio or the parliamentary news service up into North Queensland. I could never get the Labor ministers interested in it. Senator Coonan, the current Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, has taken an interest in this and there has been some action, and we are actually very close to getting a parliamentary news radio service in the north—but it has taken a long time and I do thank the minister for focusing on that. The minister’s staff have been very helpful, and so have the officials from the relevant organisations. There were complexities which I did not fully understand and which I think are being addressed. We are hopeful that we will have the service shortly.

I hasten to add that, in all the Labor years, I could not get any Labor minister to be interested in this. I have to say that, until Senator Coonan came along, I had not been able to get any ministers from our side too interested in it either. Whilst there are complexities, there are always ways of overcoming them, and I am very pleased to say that, following some visits and some interaction with the minister’s office and with the department, that part of the broadcasting area will now be addressed when North Queensland does get the parliamentary news radio. All of those people around Australia who are listening are, I am sure, grateful to be doing that, but the people up where I live and where Senator McLucas lives will not be able to hear us debating this unless they are watching it via their computers. People up our way, if they are trying to listen on radio, will not be able to do it, because we have, so far, never been able to get that service. That is being addressed, and all credit to the minister for that.

Senator Conroy has a very great interest in these matters. I understand that he is the opposition spokesman in this area; but, when the important debates are up, where is he? He has obviously got a party going on somewhere or is otherwise engaged. I am a bit disappointed—