Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Labor Party, I would like to indicate our support for the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Primary Television Broadcasting Service) Bill 2015. This amendment to the Broadcasting Services Act will allow commercial and national broadcasters the flexibility to provide their broadcasts in either standard definition or high definition. I will give a little context as to why this amendment is necessary. When the switchover began to digital television, Australia needed to ensure that all Australians across the nation did not lose access to the television content that they know and love. This was important at that time given the take-up and access to digital enabled televisions and set-top boxes was relatively small. As has been pointed out in other places, more than 96 per cent of all Australian householders now have access to high-definition televisions or set-top boxes. The survey was done by Newspoll in 2014 and we can safely assume that the percentage of households which now have access to high-definition content is even higher.

The other important aspect of the amendment will be to allow both commercial and national broadcasters to meet their requirements with regard to the anti-siphoning scheme that required all broadcasters to televise all listed events on their primary service. For example, this has meant that for broadcasters to meet their obligations they have had to broadcast the Ashes, the NRL and the AFL grand finals on standard definition. The intention was to ensure that all Australian homes continued to have access to the listed events that they had a right to expect while access to high-definition television sets and boxes at that time was relatively small, but, given the change in circumstances, it is evident, with the high number of households accessing high-definition enabled devices, that this protection is no longer needed. The amendment will ensure that there is an even playing field between the free-to-air and pay TV broadcasters, allowing all to broadcast listed events on either standard or high definition. For that reason, the Labor Party will support the bill, although we have expressed some concern that it has taken the government so long to have this matter put before the parliament.