Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Williams, for the question and for your interest, particularly in regional communications issues. Yesterday, I announced media reforms which are the most significant in a generation.

I am pleased to report to colleagues that the package of measures has been very well received by a broad cross-section of media organisations. The Chairman of Prime Media, John Hartigan, said:

Abolition of the out-dated media laws demonstrates the Turnbull Government's commitment to television viewers in regional and rural Australia.

The CEO of Southern Cross Austereo, Grant Blackley, said:

It's time for the rules to reflect media in the 21st century.

We encourage all Members and Senators to embrace these reforms and support a swift passage through both houses of Parliament.

The CEO of Network Ten, Paul Anderson, said:

Removing these archaic media laws is an important first step in dismantling a set of rules that are making Australian media companies less competitive in a global, converged media market.

The CEO of Fairfax, Mr Greg Hywood, said:

Fairfax Media strongly supports the government's decision today to update media ownership laws, making them more relevant by removing outdated and irrelevant restrictions in the legislation.

We believe the removal of these restrictions will provide substantial benefits to all Australians by strengthening local media.

It is clear that not only media organisations but, in particular, consumers recognise that the media laws that we have today just simply do not reflect the world that we live in. I think that is particularly true of those consumers of media who might be younger than those of us in the chamber here today. I think that, if you took them through the media laws that we have in place today, they would actually be quite bemused. It is time for outdated media laws to go.