Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The Bureau of Meteorology is, as honourable senators have suggested, one of Australia's most popular websites, with in excess of 471 million visits a year. It is a website trusted by all Australians. This bill amends the Meteorology Act 1955, and will ensure that the bureau can act with surety in the decisions made in relation to advertising on its website, without compromising its standards or compromising its services.

Senator Ludlam made a very interesting contribution this afternoon, and I think it is fair to say that it is impossible to generalise across all of the instrumentalities of government the degree to which advertising will be permitted, or indeed encouraged. It is often the case that what initially seems controversial or perhaps unusual quickly becomes ordinary and uncontroversial—perhaps that is the case with advertising on SBS. I am confident that Senator Ludlam will cast an eagle eye over developments in this space. I thank him, Senator Singh and Senator Macdonald for their eloquent contributions, and I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.