Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his strong and ongoing interest in the viability of Australia's media industry. It is indeed good that there is legislation before the parliament that seeks to reform the media laws. This would be the most significant media reform in a generation. The aim, quite simply, is to abolish redundant regulations and to unshackle Australia's media industry so that it can better compete with global players.

I am very pleased to say that there is strong support for this change. Greg Hywood, CEO of Fairfax Media, told the recent Senate inquiry that current media laws are:

… a disincentive to investment in the Australian media and a severe brake on our ability to compete against global competition.

Paul Anderson, the chief executive of Network Ten, said:

… it is blindingly obvious that these pre-internet era laws are now achieving the opposite of what they were intended to do. They are now working against a strong, viable and diverse media sector, and they must go.

The chief executives of Prime Media, WIN Television and Southern Cross Austereo recently wrote in an opinion piece:

Surely, the evidence is clear. The case has been made. We doubt there is a politician in Canberra who wants to say they presided over an outdated regulatory regime that held back regional media.

In fact, nearly every witness that appeared before the recent Senate inquiry, including two out of the three academics called by the Labor Party to give evidence, supported the government's legislation. These reforms are necessary. We want to secure a strong, vibrant, diverse Australian media. I am pleased that there is such strong support for change.