Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

You've thrown them under a bus. We heard evidence in our inquiry from companies like BuzzFeed and others—these new, exciting, fresh, interesting companies. They're the ones who won't benefit from these measures as they appear to have been structured. Again, we'll have the opportunity to ask some specific questions a few minutes from now.

What we have here is a very dirty deal, and it didn't need to be done like this. It didn't need to be rushed through in this way. A $60 million slush fund is going to be the replacement for what could have been big, exciting new ideas. Senator Xenophon, I sat beside you when you asked question after question about whether Google and others are going to have to pay some kind of a levy or tax and about making public interest journalism tax deductible. These are big, exciting ideas. Whether they are the right ideas or the wrong ideas, we're going through a process to determine that, but what they weren't was a $60 million slush fund that will be targeted to exclude certain media providers. This is not how it should be done. We should not be debating big issues like this at the eleventh hour in this way. We, as a Senate, should be better than this. We, as a parliament, should be better than this.

I'm not going to hold up the chamber any longer, because I note the minister is speaking next and we'll have the opportunity to go to the committee stage, but, frankly, I have to say: this is a very, very disappointing situation to be in. It is an absurdity that we're creating, what, 60 scholarships? We're selling out journalism for 60 scholarships? We're selling out the ABC and SBS for 60 scholarships and $60 million? That's it? Perhaps those who know my history in ALP politics know that I'm not opposed to a deal, but make a good one. At least get something for it. How cheap do you have to go in this? With $60 million and 60 scholarships, at the end of it what jobs are actually going to be left?