Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Well, of course, he's allowed to do that. But if you join a few dots here, Senator Scarr, a very clear picture emerges of another media outlet in this country that was claiming until recently that it was directly associated with ADVANCE and, therefore, the Liberal Party.

In addition to purchasing 93 free-to-air stations owned by Southern Cross Austereo, ADH TV has launched the Australian arm of American right-wing media company Newsmax. Newsmax Australia's YouTube channel currently hosts programs with former Australian Christian Lobby head Lyle Shelton, former federal Liberal candidate and anti-trans rights advocate Katherine Deves, David Flint and Chris Smith, and has older videos from the Jones program. Where is the money to pay for this coming from? We're not sure who the other backers are—apart from the fact James Packer has invested some money in ADH TV.

As for ADVANCE: according to AEC disclosures, ADVANCE amassed over $5.2 million in donations in 2023 alone. It's hardly a grassroots movement and we know it's bankrolled by a number of very wealthy billionaires, some of them with direct connections to fossil fuel industries. It's no secret—it's on the public record—that backers include Sam Kennard, vitamin mogul and Australian rich-lister Marcus Blackmore, coal barons like Trevor St Baker and multimillionaire investment bank managers like Simon Fenwick. They're not trying to hide that; that's all on the public record.

Who were the other partners of Australian Digital Holdings on the website that they secretly took down and then denied ever existed? They mentioned the Centre for Independent Studies, the Institute of Public Affairs, CPAC, Samuel Griffith, all Atlas organisations and all our favourite Australian subsidiaries of Atlas organisations. However, they also included One Nation and Family First; both have also been funded by the Cormack Foundation, as has ADVANCE.

Here we have a shady, dodgy network of right-wing think tanks, all associated with an international umbrella group of think tanks, the Atlas Network, all associated with the Liberal Party—and now they're buying our media assets. As I mentioned earlier, there has never been a more important time than now to invest in public interest journalism and have a media that is free of commercial and political interests.

Senate adjourned at 21:43