Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026 is an important step forward in recognising and supporting Australian creators and publishers. It brings together the Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right schemes into a single, contemporary legislative framework, replacing the Public Lending Right Act 1985 and ensuring these vital programs remain fit for purpose.

Public and educational lending rights exist for a simple and enduring reason: to ensure that Australian creators and publishers are fairly paid when their books are made freely available through public and educational libraries. These schemes acknowledge that access to books should not come at the expense of those who create them, and they play a crucial role in sustaining Australia's writing and publishing sector.

While not everybody who writes a book seeks to be a full-time author, it is still telling that the average income in 2021-22 for an Australian writer was reportedly $16,100.

While this legislation won't turn that around, it is one of the concrete things that government can do to help.

An author's creativity is their property. It should not be stolen by those that wish to use it for other purposes. When it is read through a library loan or an educational setting, the author should be paid.

The origins of this principle are worth recalling. In 1974, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam approved the Public Lending Right scheme with a clear vision of fairness—one that recognised the value of authors' work and the importance of supporting Australian voices. More than 50 years later, that vision remains just as relevant.

In the 2024-25 financial year alone, more than 17,000 payments were made to eligible Australian creators and publishers through the scheme, totalling $28 million. For many creators—authors, illustrators, translators, and editors—these payments are not supplementary; they are a reliable and meaningful source of income. Lending rights payments help make it possible for Australian stories to continue to be written, published, and shared.

This bill also reflects the way Australians now read and borrow books. Through our national cultural policy, Revive, the government has invested in modernising lending rights to include digital formats. E-books and audiobooks are now a normal part of library collections, and it is only right that creators are recognised and compensated for their use in these formats as well.

The Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026 secures these reforms in legislation and provides a clear, modern framework for the future. It ensures that our lending rights schemes continue to support Australian creators, adapt to changing technologies, and strengthen our cultural life.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

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