Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025. This bill is a significant step forward for our cultural influence, for our local screen sector and for every Australian who deserves to see their own stories reflected in shows they watch, no matter what screen they view them on.

When Australians think about stories that have shaped us, connected us and helped to define who we are, they are not thinking about content created overseas; they are thinking of shows, characters and worlds that feel distinctly Australian. We think of classics like Kath & Kim, which captured the humour and charm of Aussie suburban life. We think of Bluey, which has become a world success because it speaks to families everywhere while staying very much true to Australians. We think of The Secret Life of Us and its portrayal of friendships and young adulthood in St Kilda. We think of documentaries like Fire Front, which helped the nation understand the summer bushfires through the voices of those who lived them.

Australian storytelling is not just produced by large studios or major broadcasters; it is nurtured in our communities, in our suburbs and in grassroots creative organisations that provide pathways for people who would otherwise never get the opportunity to see themselves on screen or contribute to the creative process. My electorate of Barton is home to two extraordinary organisations that embody the spirit of Australian storytelling: Shopfront Arts Co-op and Bus Stop Films.

Shopfront Arts has been a local establishment for youth arts development for decades. It is a place where young people come to tell their own stories and to learn the craft of performance, filmmaking, writing and collaboration. It is a place that celebrate difference and creativity. When you walk into Shopfront in Carlton, you feel the energy of young people who are being empowered to speak in their own voices. They create short films, theatre works, digital media and documentaries that reflect the world as they see it. These are not just creative projects; they are the early seeds of Australian content, nurtured locally and driven by authenticity.

Bus Stop Films is another organisation that makes our community proud. They have become a global leader in inclusive filmmaking, working with people with disability to deliver world-class film production, training and storytelling. Their films have travelled internationally and have won awards. But, more importantly, they have changed the landscape of representation. They have given people with disability the opportunity to be in front of the camera, behind the camera and part of the creative process at every single level. Bus Stop Films shows us what modern Australian storytelling should look like: inclusive, diverse, meaningful and empowering.

These organisations prove that Australian content does not start with big studios. It starts with local talent, community support and opportunities to be seen and heard. Shopfront Arts and Bus Stop Films are the incubators for the next generation of creators, producers, actors, editors and cinematographers. They demonstrate what is possible when local stories are invested in and when diversity is embraced.

This bill ensures that the platforms with the greatest power in the screen landscape also carry their share of responsibility to support content and production like this. The bill requires major streaming services with more than one million Australian subscribers to invest at least 10 per cent of their total program expenditure on new Australian commissions or first release acquisitions. For those who choose the alternative, it will be 7.5 per cent of their gross Australian revenue.

This is fair, balanced and essential to ensure that creativity does not become centralised in overseas content pipelines. It ensures that organisations like Shopfront Arts and Bus Stop Films will have a stronger future because the broader industry will be healthier, better funded and more committed to telling stories from every corner of Australia. These stories matter. They help us understand each other. They reflect our culture back to us. They build pride, they challenge us and they connect us.

Yet the reality is that more and more Australians are watching content on streaming platforms. But those platforms are not currently required to invest in Australian stories in the same way that free-to-air broadcasters have been required to do for decades, and that has created a growing imbalance. It means that, unless action is taken, Australian storytelling is at risk of being overshadowed or underfunded in the new streaming era.

The Albanese Labor government promised that our national cultural policy, Revive, would restore, rebuild and restrengthen our creative sector. At the heart of Revive is a simple truth: Australian stories are our greatest cultural asset. This bill delivers on that truth. It delivers on the commitment made by the Prime Minister and the Minister for the Arts during the election campaign. It delivers on a promise to protect and promote Australian content for generations to come.

This bill introduces an Australian content obligation on major streaming services with more than one million Australian subscribers. These services will be required to invest at least 10 per cent of their total program expenditure in Australia on Australian commissions or first release acquisitions and key formats. These formats include drama, children's programs, documentaries, arts programs and educational programs. These are the kinds of programs that shape culture, influence imagination and spark creativity.

This policy is fair, balanced and future focused. It recognises the scale of the major streaming platforms and the significant influence they have over what Australians watch. It ensures that investment is linked directly to their presence in the Australian market. It recognises that consumers deserve continued access to local stories across all screens, not just traditional television.

The bill uses the same definition of Australian content that already applies to free-to-air broadcasters. It provides a three-year carryover period for program expenditure to give companies flexibility in meeting their obligations, and it requires a statutory review to take place four years after the scheme begins. This ensures transparency, accountability and the ability to adapt as new technologies and audience behaviours evolve.

Importantly, this bill applies only to major streaming services. It does not apply to platforms with user-generated content, to services that rely solely on advertising revenue, or to niche services with limited public appeal. It does not apply to services that rely solely on one-off transactions or that operate for short-term special events. The bill is carefully targeted to the services with significant reach and financial capacity. This legislation is not only about economics, although the economic benefits will be quite substantial. It is about the value of culture. It is about identity. It is about ensuring that future generations grow up with shows that reflect their lives and their communities. It is about making sure that young people in suburbs like Hurstville, Carlton, Clemton Park and across the electorate of Barton can see themselves on the screen. When a child sees themselves represented, it expands their sense of possibility. It shows them that they belong. When a community sees its story told with accuracy and respect, it strengthens social cohesion, it creates pride and it makes Australia a richer and more inclusive society.

For decades Australian television has nurtured the carers of our actors, writers, producers, directors and crew. People have gone on to succeed on the world stage. I'm thinking of Nicole Kidman, Chris Hemsworth, Deborra-Lee Furness and so many others. Their journeys began because Australian content was funded, supported and valued. This bill ensures the next generation will have the same opportunity. Without this reform, Australian stories are at risk of being left behind. Other countries already have strong local content rules for streaming platforms. Canada has required investment in Canadian content. Europe has mandated quotas for European works. Australia cannot afford to fall behind, especially when we have one of the most talented and innovative screen industries in the world. Our actors, screenwriters and production crews deserve certainty, our local production companies deserve stability and our audiences deserve authenticity.

In the electorate of Barton we have families who watch Bluey together on weekends, seniors who love watching local documentaries, young people who binge Australian dramas and new migrants who learn about Australia through the stories we tell. Representations matters, fair access matters and cultural visibility matters. We should not underestimate how important it is for Australians to see themselves on screen, whether this is through shows like TheNewsreader, which explores the media landscape of the 1980s, or Heartbreak High, which reconnects young audiences with stories of contemporary Aussie high-school life. These shows reflect our humour, diversity, challenges and triumphs. They show Australia in all of its complexity and beauty. This bill ensures that these kinds of stories will continue to be made.

While this bill strengthens Australian content obligations, it also sends a message to the world. It says that Australia values its creative industries, that we trust our artists and storytellers, that we believe in our capacity to create world-class content that can reach global audiences while staying proudly Australian. I am proud to be part of a government that is investing in culture, creativity and the stories that hold us together. This bill supports jobs, the economy and our national identity. It supports the idea that Australia should not simply consume stories from abroad but also contribute stories that enrich the global conversation.

As the federal member for Barton, one of the most culturally diverse electorates in the country, I know how important it is for people to see their heritage, languages and experiences represented truthfully. From the children in our multicultural schools to the families I meet at community festivals, people want to see themselves reflected on screen like they want to see themselves reflected in this Parliament House. They want to see Australian stories that acknowledge their contributions and their place in our national story. This bill makes it possible.

I commend the Minister for the Arts and the Prime Minister for their leadership. I'm incredibly proud to represent a community that is home to creative organisations with such heart, purpose and talent. Shopfront and Bus Stop Films are shaping the next generation of Australian storytellers. They prove that when we invest in local creativity we do not only produce content; we produce confidence, belonging, pride and opportunity. This bill supports them, it supports the broader industry and it supports every Australian, who deserve to see themselves reflected on screen.

I commend the screen sector and Screen Producers Australia for their continued advocacy, and I commend the many Australian creators whose talent, passion and perseverance has kept Australian storytelling alive even during the most challenging years. This bill is for them. This bill is for our future children. I proudly support this bill and encourage all members of the House to do the same.

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