John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again get to my feet this week and condemn the government’s Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill 2006. I think it is outrageous that The Nationals are gloating that they have cut a deal with the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan, to get this bill through the parliament. I will say it again: they have cut the throat of Australia’s democracy. Next week we will be debating the fact that the Howard government is going to allow News Ltd and PBL to own all of the major newspapers in Australia, both a free-to-air television network, monopoly pay television and 70 per cent of the internet’s news and information sites.

That is an appalling and disgraceful assault on the public interest and the future of our democracy. I would hope that the Special Minister of State, who is sitting at the table, reflects on what I am saying here tonight so that when we have this debate next week members will vote to defeat this outrageous assault on our democracy. The government have got into bed with Australia’s two biggest media companies and abandoned the public interest at the expense of our democracy.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 5 pm, the debate is interrupted.