Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his contribution to the debate on the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Industry Self-Classification and Other Measures) Bill 2023. The National Classification Scheme plays an important role in informing the media choices of all Australians about what they and those in their care watch, read and play, but successive reviews have highlighted that reforming the scheme is long overdue. It has not kept pace with the way Australians access media content, particularly the rapid growth in online content. The government is taking action to reform the scheme to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of Australians now and into the future.

The bill expands options for industry to self-classify content using classifiers that have been trained and accredited by government, with appropriate safeguards and oversight of these decisions by the Classification Board. It also extends exemptions from classification for low-risk cultural content and removes the requirement to reclassify material that has already been classified for broadcast television. These reforms will make it easier for industry to comply with classification and will improve the capacity of the scheme to classify growing volumes of online content. It also removes unnecessary duplication and introduces a classified-once principal for content that has already been classified for broadcast as a step towards harmonising media regulation for a converged media environment.

These amendments are important and necessary to modernise Australia's National Classification Scheme and ensure that it remains a trusted and reliable source of information to all Australians. Once again, I thank Senator Smith for his contribution and commend this bill to the Senate.