House debates

Thursday, 21 June 2007

Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill 2007

Consideration of Senate Message

Bill returned from the Senate with amendments.

Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately.

Senate’s amendments—

(1)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 16 (after line 8), after the definition of adult chat service in clause 2, insert:

ancillary subscription television content service has the meaning given by clause 9A.

(2)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 24 (after line 19), after the definition of special link-deletion notice in clause 2, insert:

special service-cessation notice means a notice under clause 59A.

(3)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 25 (lines 8 to 14), omit paragraphs 3(1)(b) and (c), substitute:

             (b)    in the case of a live content service—the live content service is provided from Australia.

(4)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 25 (after line 14), at the end of subclause 3(1), add:

Note:   A link is an example of content. If a link provided by a content service is hosted in Australia, the content service will have an Australian connection (see paragraph (a)).

(5)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 26 (line 8), before “For”, insert “(1)”.

(6)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 26 (after line 10), at the end of clause 5, add:

        (2)    For the purposes of this Schedule, a person does not provide a content service merely because the person provides a billing service, or a fee collection service, in relation to a content service.

(7)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 27 (after line 12), after clause 9, insert:

9A  Ancillary subscription television content service

        (1)    For the purposes of this Schedule, an ancillary subscription television content service is a service that:

             (a)    delivers content by way of television programs to persons having equipment appropriate for receiving that content, where:

                   (i)    those television programs are stored on the equipment (whether temporarily or otherwise); and

                  (ii)    the equipment is also capable of receiving one or more subscription television broadcasting services provided in accordance with a licence allocated by the ACMA under this Act; and

                 (iii)    those television programs are delivered to a subscriber to such a subscription television broadcasting service under a contract with the relevant subscription television broadcasting licensee; and

             (b)    complies with such other requirements (if any) as are specified in the regulations.

        (2)    For the purposes of subsection (1), it is immaterial whether the equipment is capable of receiving:

             (a)    content by way of television programs; or

             (b)    subscription television broadcasting services;

when used:

             (c)    in isolation; or

             (d)    in conjunction with any other equipment.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 33 (line 6), omit “otherwise); or”, substitute “otherwise);”.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 77, page 33 (after line 6), at the end of paragraph 20(1)(c), add:

                 (vi)    the content service is not an ancillary subscription television content service; or

(10)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 56 (line 29), omit “such steps as are necessary”, substitute “all reasonable steps”.

(11)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 56 (line 36), omit “such steps as are necessary”, substitute “all reasonable steps”.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 63 (after line 28), after clause 59, insert:

59A  Anti-avoidance—special service-cessation notices

        (1)    If:

             (a)    an interim service-cessation notice or a final service-cessation notice relating to a particular live content service is applicable to a particular live content service provider; and

             (b)    the ACMA is satisfied that the live content service provider:

                   (i)    is providing; or

                  (ii)    is proposing to provide;

                      another live content service that is substantially similar to the first-mentioned live content service; and

             (c)    the ACMA is satisfied that the other live content service:

                   (i)    has provided; or

                  (ii)    is providing; or

                 (iii)    is likely to provide;

                      prohibited content or potential prohibited content;

the ACMA may:

             (d)    if the interim service-cessation notice or final service-cessation notice, as the case may be, was given under paragraph 56(1)(c), (2)(d) or (4)(b) of this Schedule—give the live content service provider a written notice (a special service-cessation notice) directing the provider to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a type A remedial situation exists in relation to the other live content service at any time when the interim service-cessation notice or final service-cessation notice, as the case may be, is in force; or

             (e)    in any other case—give the live content service provider a written notice (a special service-cessation notice) directing the provider to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a type B remedial situation exists in relation to the other live content service at any time when the interim service-cessation notice or final service-cessation notice, as the case may be, is in force.

Note 1:  For type A remedial situation, see subclause (2).

Note 2:  For type B remedial situation, see subclause (3).

Type A remedial situation

        (2)    For the purposes of the application of this clause to a live content service provider, a type A remedial situation exists in relation to a live content service if the provider does not provide the live content service.

Type B remedial situation

        (3)    For the purposes of the application of this clause to a live content service provider, a type B remedial situation exists in relation to a live content service if:

             (a)    the provider does not provide the live content service; or

             (b)    access to any R 18+ or MA 15+ content provided by the live content service is subject to a restricted access system.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 64 (after line 5), after subclause 60(2), insert:

Special service-cessation notice

     (2A)    A live content service provider must comply with a special service-cessation notice that applies to the provider as soon as practicable, and in any event by 6 pm on the next business day, after the notice was given to the provider.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 64 (line 10), after “(2),”, insert “(2A)”.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 70 (line 36), omit “such steps as are necessary”, substitute “all reasonable steps”.

(16)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 71 (line 7), omit “such steps as are necessary”, substitute “all reasonable steps”.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 99 (after line 26), after paragraph 113(3)(b), insert:

           (ba)    a decision to give a live content service provider a special service-cessation notice;

(18)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 103 (after line 20), after clause 117, insert:

117A  Meaning of broadcasting service

                 Disregard the following provisions of this Schedule in determining the meaning of the expression broadcasting service:

             (a)    clause 9A;

             (b)    subparagraph 20(1)(c)(vi).

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I understand it is the wish of the House to consider the amendments together.

11:05 am

Photo of De-Anne KellyDe-Anne Kelly (Dawson, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

11:06 am

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

The government’s proposed amendments to the Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill 2007 appear to address some of the issues raised by me as shadow minister representing the shadow minister for communications in the House during the debate and indeed in amendments that were pursued by the opposition in the Senate. There were also submissions made to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts at the inquiry into the bill.

The amendments, inter alia, exclude on-demand subscription television services from the bill, allowing subscription TV broadcasting services to broadcast MA15+ programs on the internet or 3G phones without age-verification systems; provide ACMA with the power to issue special service cessation notices in relation to live content services; insert certain anti-avoidance measures for content service providers, for example, service providers can take all reasonable steps to abate act or acts in breach of the bill; clarify that a content or hosting service will only be subject to the bill where it has an ‘Australian connection’ and clarify what an ‘Australian connection’ is; and, provide that a person does not provide a content service merely because the person provides a billing service or a fee collection service in relation to a content service.

However, the opposition believes that the amendments do not address all issues raised in the submissions or at the inquiry. For example, the amendments, perhaps most importantly, do not prevent prohibited material being accessed from overseas content providers; they do not remove or clarify the access requirements for MA15+ or R18+ content, except for on-demand subscription television services; they still prohibit content rated RC and X18+, which means that films rated X18+, which are currently legally available in the ACT and Northern Territory and can be purchased interstate via mail order, are now prohibited via the internet; they still discriminate against artists that use media technology for the creation and dissemination of their work, that is, video artwork, web and sound art and short film; and they do not clarify the definition of ‘content service’, which, with its 22 exemptions, can be quite confusing for people seeking to understand the practical application of this legislation.

Notwithstanding the above, the amendments do improve the bill, such as it is. However, I wish to inform the House that Labor considers the amendments should have gone further and should have taken into account the submissions received by the committee and evidence given at the inquiry into the legislation. Labor will be voting to support these amendments but would urge the government to consider the points raised. The opposition express some disappointment that these amendments do not go as far as we believe they should have gone.

Question agreed to.