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

Thank you, Senator Smith. On Saturday I was very pleased to announce the Turnbull government's comprehensive and holistic media reform package. It aims very deliberately to support the viability and the longevity of Australian media. I am sure I speak on behalf of every colleague in this place when I say that we might not always like what those in the media might write, print, broadcast, stream or post about any of us here, but we all recognise the important role that the Australian media plays in underpinning our democracy.

This is a package which is unabashedly pro Australian media. It is pro journalism, it is for Australian stories and it is for Australian voices. Notably, the package has the unanimous support of the Australian media industry—we are talking channels Nine, Seven, Ten, WIN, Prime, Southern Cross Austereo, Fairfax, News Limited, Foxtel, Commercial Radio Australia, Free TV Australia and ASTRA. I think those who have worked in this area know that getting that degree of unanimity is something that is very rare indeed in this industry, and I commend those in the sector who have looked beyond their own legitimate organisational interests to the broader interests of the media sector.

As colleagues would be aware, we are going to abolish broadcast licence fees, which are from a bygone era, and put in their place a more modest spectrum charge. The good news is that this provides the opportunity for a community dividend in the form of further restrictions on gambling advertising across all platforms, which we will be aiming to have in place by March next year.