Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I was answering a question about media and thought the member in the House might be interested in what has happened in the House of Commons and in the United Kingdom as it deals with media questions. I would have thought that was relevant and I would have thought the member for Wentworth would not treat with disrespect his sister political party in the United Kingdom. Before the member for Wentworth characterises the reform propositions before this parliament I suggest that he has a look at the reform propositions there, which go far, far further than anything in contemplation by the government or for the parliament.

So, every ugly word and every criticism that the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Wentworth have directed against the government's reform proposals now need to be directed against Prime Minister Cameron and the British Tories or they will stand accused of the most gross hypocrisy. The House of Commons over there has gone far further than we are requesting the parliament to go here. But there are clear issues of public interest here—things that matter to the Australian community: being able to hear a diversity of voices in their democratic debate, being able to see Australian content on their TV screens, being able to make a complaint about the media should they choose to do so, and have that complaint appropriately handled.

I recognise that these are important questions. Prime Minister Cameron has recognised that these are important questions. The only ones, with their typical negativity, not recognising that this is an important debate in democracies around the world is—you guessed it—the opposition.

See this speech in context