Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The first question I ask myself about the opposition and their issue in regard to the tender process being stopped while the Australian Federal Police look into the leaks is: why would those opposite want to continue when they know that the process has been compromised? I cannot find an answer to that within my own mind. We know the process has been compromised. Senator Conroy has been very up front about it and very clear about it. So the process has been stopped and the AFP has been called in to investigate.

To me that is pretty easy to understand. But in question time we heard the opposition saying, 'Why isn't it continuing?' One would think, bearing in mind that every question they asked today was about the Australia Network tender process, that they had some vested interest in making sure the ABC did not win the tender. We know that many on the other side—I do not know if I could honestly say everyone, but certainly many on the other side—absolutely loathe the ABC. They come in and speak for 10 or 15 minutes at a time in a complete diatribe about how bad the ABC is. So I think there is a bit more to what the opposition are up to than they are letting on.

We all know that there is an increasing need for an effective Australian presence, particularly in Asia and also in the Middle East and North Africa. We all know that the Australia Network is a core element of our overseas broadcasting network. The other thing we all know is that satellite television is now the way hundreds of millions of people get their viewing and it is in these areas that they access the television. It is commercially sensible for Australia to be in there.