Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm proud to stand here in this place today to support this important piece of legislation. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025 is yet another example of the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to ensure that Australian stories continue to be told, shared and celebrated on Australian screens. It is a commitment rooted not only in policy but in our understanding of who we are as a nation.

The importance of telling our stories has been part of our conscience's fabric for over 65,000 years. Storytelling is not simply entertainment; it is a way of passing on knowledge, shaping identity and strengthening community. It is how cultures endure.

There is a well-known Indigenous proverb: those who lose Dreaming are lost. Those words are a reminder that, when a people lose their stories, they lose a sense of themselves, their past, their place and their purpose. Simply put, if we don't tell Australian stories, we lose part of our national identity. We lose the ability to understand ourselves through our own eyes rather than through the lens of others, and in a media environment increasingly dominated by global platforms and global content, that risk becomes greater every year.

This legislation recognises that reality. It mandates that, whether Australians flick on channel 2, tune into Foxtel or log into Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video or any other major streaming service, they will be able to hear their own voices and have their own experiences and their own stories reflected back at them.

For the first time, large streaming platforms with more than one million Australian subscribers will be required to invest 10 per cent of their Australian sourced revenue into local content, into Australian made dramas, children's shows, documentaries, arts, programming and educational material. This is not a burden on these companies; it is a responsibility that reflects their enormous presence in the Australian market and the vital role they now play in shaping our cultural landscape. They benefit from Australian audiences. It is only fair that Australian audiences and Australian creators benefit in return.

This obligation will provide vital and ongoing support to our domestic screen sector and to the tens of thousands of writers, performers, directors, set builders, camera crews, animators, visual effect artists and production workers who bring Australian stories to life. It will ensure that quality local content continues to be produced here in Australia, building a sustainable pipeline of work and opportunity.

This is important because Australian stories are world-class stories. We know this. The rest of the world knows this too. We only have to look at the extraordinary success of Bluey, a show made in Brisbane that has captured the hearts of families across the globe; Heartbreak High, which has been embraced from Sydney to Sao Paolo; or Boy Swallows Universe, a story deeply rooted in Brisbane life yet universally loved for its humanity. These programs not only have been hits in Australia; they've shared pieces of our culture, our humour, our struggles and our joy with millions beyond our shores. They demonstrate—

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