Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications and the Minister representing the Minister for Sport, Senator Fifield. Over the weekend, Australia took on England in a historic day-night women's Ashes test match. Does the minister agree that the event was of a kind the televising of which should be available free to the general public? If not, why not?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think all colleagues welcome great Australian sporting teams and great Australian sporting triumphs. As colleagues—who I know are very keen followers of Australian media law—are aware, it is ultimately a matter for Australian media organisations as to the broadcast rights that they purchase. Obviously, that is qualified to the extent that we have what's known as the anti-siphoning list. The anti-siphoning list is not there to guarantee that certain events will be free to air; it is there to give free-to-air broadcasters—commercial broadcasters—the first rights to purchase those events. I should point out that the anti-siphoning list doesn't mandate that free-to-air commercial TV has to purchase particular events, it doesn't prevent them from onselling them and it doesn't make it mandatory that they in any way seek to acquire those events. I just thought I'd provide that context for the way sporting rights operate in Australia.

Colleagues would be aware that recently a majority of us in this place together moved to update and reform Australia's media laws. Part of that was to have a sensible renovation of the anti-siphoning list.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Senator McAllister?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has provided relevant context, but he has yet to answer my question. I asked him whether he agreed that the event was of a kind the televising of which should be available free to the general public.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: could I just say that the minister should also have referred to the Townsville Fire women's basketball team, which should also be broadcast nationally.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, please take your seat. Senator McAllister, as you know, I can't direct a minister how to answer a question. I believe the minister is being relevant to the question. I draw his attention to the question. Senator Fifield.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point I'm making is that government doesn't mandate which particular platforms events are on. It is a matter for particular media organisations to determine what is free to air and what is not.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a supplementary question.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is gifting pay TV networks $30 million a better use of public funds than supporting the free broadcast of women's sport, televised for all Australians, not just those who can afford to pay?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Colleagues are obviously aware, and I know Senator McAllister is aware from her question, of the comprehensive and historic media reform that fairly recently passed through this parliament. Part of the package that was agreed upon in the context of the federal budget was that there would be $7½ million per year over four years that would go to subscription TV to facilitate the broadcast of women's sport and other underrepresented sports. It's important to recognise that the Australian Sports Commission, in a recent work a couple of years ago, found that 70 per cent of all women's sport was on Fox Sports. There are indeed four dedicated channels that they use—

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Mr President. When I'm this far back in the chamber and the Greens are caucusing on the phone, I cannot hear the minister's reply.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will ask colleagues, as I have over the last three days, to show some courtesy to those senators who have requested less noise so they may hear questions and answers. Senator Fifield, have you concluded your answer?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a final supplementary question.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister went nowhere to answering my last question, but I will try again. Given that officials have confirmed in estimates that the minister had not sought any advice from them on the grant, isn't it clear that the grant had nothing to do with supporting women's sport and was nothing more than a $30 million taxpayer funded gift?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the context of the preparation of the budget, government receives a range of sources of advice as inputs to the decision, but can I just point out, by way of contrast, that, while it is true that the budget determined that there would be $7½ million per annum over four years to Fox Sports, the public broadcasters receive in excess of a billion dollars a year, and that is an important contribution which the public broadcasters, for example, can use to purchase any sporting events that they think are appropriate for their particular mandate and charter. These are the facts.