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

As I think all colleagues know, the media laws that we currently have, which date back to 1987, have not been significantly changed since that time. In contrast, the media landscape has changed dramatically. Both technology and consumer choice bit by bit have been rendering the existing media laws redundant, which is why the government is proposing to remove what is known as the 75 per cent reach rule and the two-out-of-three rule.

If we get rid of these media rules it will not only allow Australian media organisations to configure themselves in ways that best suit them but also put them in a good position to remain viable and to serve consumers. This is important because it is part of the government managing an economy in transition. Communications can be of assistance to people as they manage the transitioning economy, but the media sector itself is also in transition. So it is entirely appropriate that we make sure that our media laws are fit for purpose and that they reflect the world that we currently live in.

It is very much my hope that my colleagues across the chamber will recognise that the time has come to remove these two outdated media laws. They might have made sense in 1987 when Kylie Minogue was still a resident at Ramsay Street and she was still singing TheLocomotion. It was the year that I was finishing university, so 1987 might not seem long ago but it is indeed a long time ago. It is time our media laws changed.