Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

To complete my sentence, the issue of food is very important, Mr Deputy Speaker, and you would agree that it is very important. But just as important are the workings of democracy. The High Court has held again and again that there must be fairness. If you have a monopoly position in the media then you must act as if you do not have a monopoly position. I quote the Wire and BHP case, where the High Court held almost unanimously that you must act in a fair and responsible manner. But if you have a concentration of media power then, quite frankly, you can do what you like. You are answerable to nobody. I most certainly would not be game to take on the press barons, and I do not think anyone else here with a sense of personal survival would be game to do so.

If we put in place a watchdog, a protective mechanism, that would be a good outcome. I must be fair to the government and say that, whilst they contaminated beyond belief a good proposal that there be some restrictions upon the concentration of media power and whilst they contaminated it with the PIMA proposal, let us have a watchdog over the concentration of media power and let that watchdog be set up by people who are visibly at a distance, at arm's length, from the government, and I will be proceeding with that legislation. If people in this place are genuine then I think I will receive unanimous support. If they are playing party games then I think I won't.

See this speech in context