Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Milne for her question. I am aware of the recent changes that have been announced by Channel 10. I believe you have referred the matter—I think, from your press conference; I saw reports—to the ACMA to look at.

The reason that the outsourcing is possible is that those opposite, when they last had majority control of the Senate, changed the rules so that a TV station could outsource its news and current affairs. Those opposite introduced an amendment which they had the numbers to pass through. We are in the process of considering the reports from Mr Finkelstein and the convergence review. We are in a situation where the government will finalise its consideration in the not too distant future of a whole range of issues across this portfolio area. I am not going to pre-empt the cabinet and I am not going to pre-empt the caucus by announcing any outcomes of those, but we are considering all of these matters. If the senator is aware of any breaches of existing rules or laws, they should, as they have done, refer them. But at this stage we will not be pre-empting on the floor of the Senate cabinet considerations.