Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Lambie.

An opposition senator interjecting—

You're obsessed with deals—get a grip. As I said, this is an issue that Minister Rowland is taking very seriously. I share—and I know Minister Rowland shares and the government as a whole shares—your concern that Australians should have free access to major sporting events that are of national significance. You're right, Senator Lambie: they are things that bring us together as families and as communities. We do want to make sure that you don't have to pay to see every event of that kind.

That's why the bill that's before the parliament is an improvement to the system. It's about stopping some of the online broadcasters from acquiring exclusive rights to events without a free-to-air broadcaster having any rights. That will enhance the ability of free-to-air television broadcasters to acquire rights to iconic events.