Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to evidence provided by Kerry Stokes, chairman of Seven West Media, at yesterday's Senate select committee hearing that he first heard of the government's decision to remove the 75 per cent reach rule last Monday. Why hadn't the government consulted directly with the television broadcasters before proposing such a significant change to Australia's media regulation framework? Doesn't it just highlight that this government's approach to these reforms has been incompetent and bordering on negligent?