Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

which, Mr Acting Deputy President, is anathema to what this Senate is. I believe we should have a tighter voice test and we will try to bring that about. I believe that the related entity test should be tightened up. We have a related entity test in the tax act which is very clear, very precise and works very well. That related entity test should be in this piece of legislation. I know we have an associated entity test but I feel it could be strengthened to have greater effect. And we must make sure that the ABC remains a vibrant voice—it is terribly important—and SBS, for that matter.

But there has been a great win for the National Party in the deal that it has made. Without a shadow of a doubt, a person walking down the street, not only in St George but in Sydney, has to realise that the reason they are getting two out of three is that there is a party in this nation called the National Party. They also have to understand—especially someone who is a journalist out there in Cowra today—that they still have a job, because there is a local content plan. Who got that? The National Party got it. And Mr Samuels will know that he is about to get new, increased powers to deal with mergers and acquisitions in the media market. Why is that coming about? It is because the National Party brought it about, and we are going to have a review of channel B so that it cannot create a monopoly in the channel B licence. Why is that happening? It is happening because of the access regime that the National Party brought about. That is the effect of what this party does. We are few in numbers and we collect the ire and the bile of people from all sides of politics, but we stick to our guns, because if we did not do that the democratic process in this nation would be changed forever.

With due respect, you never see the Greens break up on a vote; you never see them cross the floor. They always vote as a block. In fact, it is a dynamic that has been lost from this place, and one which detracts from our democratic process. But there is always acknowledgement that this party will do it—