Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would firstly like to clarify that the Greens' amendments on sheet 8171 are being withdrawn. We have circulated amendments on sheets 8266 and 8265. I just wanted to make sure that people are aware of that.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Yes.

I would like to go to our first amendment, which is on sheet 8266. This amendment is about the most controversial aspect of this legislation—the two-out-of-three rule. We've heard much debate already today about this issue and whether it will indeed lead to a further concentration of media. On the other hand, there is the argument that this is perhaps needed in order to save those institutions that already exist from having to shed further staff and to give them more of an ability to underpin their business models.

I am particularly concerned about the scrapping of the two-out-of-three rule—and we know that, with the Nick Xenophon Team and One Nation, the government has support to remove this from the current statute books. The concern that I have is in relation to the newly acquired Channel 10. We know that there is currently a successful bid from CBS to buy Channel 10, but there is also a question mark over whether CBS will be allowed to follow through with that acquisition, because it is a foreign-owned company. We know from the tabling of documents in the New South Wales court over the last couple of days that this bid would do a lot more for securing jobs for journalists and local production staff at Channel 10 than the Murdoch-Gordon bid would ever have been able to achieve. I am concerned that, without some kind of commitment from the government that they will back the CBS acquisition, we are leaving Channel 10 staff in a state of limbo, unaware of what the future holds for them. I want to make sure that scrapping the two-out-of-three rule isn't going to be used as a fast-tracking for the government to override the purchase of Channel 10 by CBS through the Foreign Investment Review Board.

This Greens amendment would effectively say that the two-out-of-three rule cannot be scrapped until the government confirms that CBS can take over Channel 10, through the approval of the Treasurer and the Foreign Investment Review Board—that the removal of the two-out-of-three wouldn't be able to happen until confirmation of acquisition occurred. That is the effect of this amendment. However, I do have some questions for the minister on this. Minister, I'd like to know what the government's intention is in relation to CBS's acquisition of Channel 10. Will you confirm that you will allow it to go ahead?