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

The Greens support this amendment. However, we would prefer that there were no changes being made to the copyright elements in relation to these matters, particularly for documentaries. We are extremely concerned that, through this piece of legislation, the government is cutting documentary-making in this country off at the knees. It's going to make it very difficult for documentary-makers in Australia to get finance to be able to tell their stories, to be able to report. Such an essential part of public interest journalism in this country comes from documentaries. Such an important part of our record of history and our telling of history comes from documentaries. Documentary-making is so important in helping policymakers and those of us in public life to understand how the community is feeling, to ventilate difficult issues, to come to a consensus of community. I don't understand why the Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce government is so intent on tearing down the documentary sector in Australia. Is it because you don't like people reporting history, telling things as they are, calling out issues that previously have gone unreported? Australia has a proud history of making documentaries, and really good ones, and that is being put at risk by several elements of this piece of legislation. This amendment will limit some of that damage but not all of it. It's just mindless insanity that the government continues to whack and destroy Australia's documentary sector in this way.

Question agreed to.