Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens will be supporting this bill. In doing so, we'd like to make clear that we are strongly supportive of both creative and innovative industries in Australia. We recognise that these fields are increasingly overlapping as digital distribution becomes more and more prevalent, and this has created both opportunities and risks for creators and service providers alike. We will continue to work to ensure that the interests of both innovative and creative industries are protected. We do not believe that these things are mutually exclusive. These two industries are fundamental to our future as a country, and, the more we work to support and create protections, the more we are investing in jobs, particularly for young Australians into the future.

We suggest, in support of this bill, as we have contended in the past, that site blocking is not the most effective way of stopping piracy. Rather, copyright is most effectively addressed by making content available conveniently, affordably, and in a timely way. We have seen this happen with great effect with the popularity of Netflix in Australia and its subsequent downward influence on piracy rates. We acknowledge that, whilst the bill is intended to address doubts within the current scheme, unintended consequences of extending website blocking practices are a concern. And we will work to ensure that free speech and public discourse are not unduly affected.