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

I think it's important to recognise colleagues in this place. Even where you may not have reached agreement with them, they nevertheless have been prepared to engage openly and positively. That really leaves the Australian Labor Party as outliers in this place who haven't been prepared to do that. The Australian Labor Party still believe in media bogey-men, and I suppose they believe in media bogey-women as well. They still have their particular predilection when it comes to proprietors. On this side of the chamber, we are proprietor-agnostic.

Our package is comprehensive. It's for the entire media industry. I have observed before, and let me do it again, that one of the most peculiar observations was that of the shadow minister for communications, Ms Roland, who said that the only reason that the Australian media industry is supporting this package is that there's something in it for all of them. Indeed, there is. That's the purpose and that's the point. We want to see good, strong, viable Australian media organisations and good, strong Australian media voices who can hold all of us to account and can do the important work that they do. It is important that we deal with this business. Senator Brandis is seeking to suspend standing orders to enable a motion to be moved to enable us to do just that.