Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

but they told the stories of the emerging migrant groups. We saw people reflected on the screen, telling us who we are and showing us who we are.

This government is committed to delivering on our national cultural policy, Revive. That policy is pivotal to our ability to promote the cultural importance of local Australian stories, ensure that Australian content has international reach and support Australia's global brand and standing. It is also pivotal to our ability to boost the positive economic impact of the screen sector on Australia's economy. This government believes strongly that, to understand who we are better, to tell our stories and to express ourselves, we should never ever underestimate how important it is for Australians to see themselves represented on the screen.

There is nothing wrong with American sitcoms, European shows and so on. They're all great shows, but they're not our stories. Our stories are unique to us. They are also a window on Australia and the diversity of Australia, and being able to tell those stories to the rest of the world is important for Australia's standing globally.

With this bill, the Albanese government is standing with our Australian creatives. We're making sure that that percentage of revenue that the streaming services collect from their subscriptions in Australia is going to be reinvested in Australian content. It will be a steady stream. In everything I've heard from the industry, they say, 'We need that stability. We need that baseline so we know that we've got work, and a pipeline of work—not one job and then eight months sitting at home, hoping for another job to come. We need to have that steady stream coming through.'

So we as a government are always going to invest in our culture, our industries and our future. I think this is a really important bill for Australia's cultural identity and for all the creative people and all the young people, as well as older people, who want to continue to work in creative industries, to tell our stories. It's such a special part of who we are. With the arts, it's not just about the economics. It's the heart and soul of any society. It's intangible to a certain extent. It's immeasurable to a certain extent. But you know when you see it and you understand when you see it how important it is to us as a people to be able to tell those stories and how that moves us emotionally. It moves our hearts as well as our minds. I think it's so important to be able to provide this certainty for the screen industry. That is why I am very, very happy to commend this bill to the House.

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