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

I thank Senator Smith for his question and also for his strong interest in ensuring we have strong Australian media voices. Colleagues would be aware that the Ten network has announced that it will be entering into voluntary administration. This is a difficult day for the staff at Network Ten, but this announcement today should serve as a wake-up call for those opposite, who oppose comprehensive media reform. All of us in this place should be concerned that a major Australian media organisation is facing this sort of difficulty and this sort of challenge. The government has been warning for quite some time that Australian media organisations face challenges and face unprecedented competition, and need to be unshackled so they are in the best position to compete with new media entrants. The response of those opposite to the media reforms that have been in this parliament for the best part of 18 months has been to seek to delay and frustrate them.

As colleagues would be aware, in the budget the government announced a comprehensive and holistic media reform package, which will be introduced into the House of Representatives tomorrow. It is a package that is unabashedly pro Australian media. It is a package that seeks to provide a shot in the arm for Australian media and to give them a fighting chance. While we might not always agree with what those in the gallery write and print and blog and post and stream, what they do is important and it is one of the important underpinnings of Australian democracy.