Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over the past few months, since the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017 was brought forward to be introduced into the parliament, One Nation has had quite extensive talks with people in the industry, interest groups, media outlets and corporations, and they have stated that they wish to see this bill passed. The two-out-of-three rule and the 75 per cent reach rule need to be changed. It's very important to people. The media has changed. TV was first introduced in Australia around the 1950s, and it has changed quite considerably over the period of time since then. We must move with the changes that have happened. As has been stated in the chamber by other speakers, we are seeing that the internet has made a big impact on media. The money that media organisations were making is now taken by internet sales, so the current situation is not reflective of what is happening in newspapers and television.

This bill is very important to a lot of people. We're hearing that a lot of media outlets are shutting down and journalists are losing their jobs. This needs to be addressed. It concerns me that those on the other side of the chamber, the Labor Party, agree with the two-out-of-three rule and are supportive of it, and yet they won't work towards helping media organisations that are struggling and people who are losing their jobs with regard to this. As I said, we have had extensive talks with the government. What we have brought to their attention, I think, will make a big difference with some of the organisations. What we've raised before is to do with the ABC and community radio, which needs a helping hand. It is struggling. People in rural and regional areas need assistance as well. One Nation will be raising the issues in my further discussions on the floor of parliament with regard to this bill.

I have a grave concern with the American company CBS buying up Channel 10, if that be the case. Foreign ownership of our media is of grave concern to me. I will talk further about that later on. Information on the remuneration packages of ABC presenters over $200,000 needs to be made available to all Australians, because the taxpayers are paying for this. We will also be addressing the $12 million going into community radio stations over the next four years.

Debate interrupted.