George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to the words of the Finkelstein report in which Mr Finkelstein wrote:

…whatever mechanism is chosen to ensure accountability speech will be restricted. In a sense, that is the purpose of the mechanism.

Does the minister agree with Mr Finkelstein's words? Does he accept that the mechanism that he has proposed—the Public Interest Media Advocate—will be, as Mr Finkelstein explains, a new restriction on free speech?