Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Sport, Senator McKenzie. I'd like to congratulate her on her recent appointment, but I point out that there have been four sports ministers in the last 12 months. In November, Senator Fifield sought to defend his decision to gift $30 million to Fox Sports on the basis that 70 per cent of all women's sport was on Foxtel. What proportion of women's sport was broadcast on free-to-air TV before the Liberal-National government broke an election commitment and cut $254 million from the ABC?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Farrell, for your congratulations. I know that we'll work very, very well in a bipartisan spirit to promote sport and getting active right across the Australian population. We've got a lot to cheer about. We've got the Winter Olympics starting this week, we've got the Commonwealth Games coming—

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm getting there, Senator Farrell. Seriously—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Senator McKenzie, resume your seat. Senator Farrell, on a point of order.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since she is getting there, I'm happy to withdraw.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will let the minister continue on the journey.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He loves a point of order, does Senator Farrell. Thank you—30 seconds in. Indeed, the promotion and viewing of women's sport is incredibly important to ensure that young women are inspired and motivated to participate in physical activity and that they can see actual role models, whether it is Caitlin Bassett as the captain of our Australian Diamonds or Sam Kerr—what a fabulous international athlete—as one of our fabulous Matildas. So it is important that not only are young women able to see our female athletes on free-to-air, such as our AFL Women's broadcast or our WBBL—our fabulous cricketers—but that right across our broadcast offerings women participating in sport can be viewed by young women to ensure that they see appropriate role models.

So, Senator Farrell, I have absolutely no issue with Fox Sports being given an incentive to promote women's sport; nor do I have an issue with Nine Network investing with Netball Australia to broadcast those women's sports; nor, indeed, with Network Ten and WBBL. Right across the broadcasting spectrum, we need to ensure that all young women can look up and see footballers, swimmers, netballers— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, a supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to questions about his decision to gift $30 million to Foxtel, Senator Fifield's spokesman said, 'the grant guidelines are close to being finalised, and the government expects to be in a position to make them public before the end of 2017'. What is the substance of those guidelines? Have they been made public? If so, when and where would they be available?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Farrell. Yes, the guidelines are out there. They're being discussed, as the Minister for Communications has already answered you. I want to touch on your earlier question around the ABC. I remember getting up very early on a Sunday morning to watch netball. They were the first broadcaster to broadcast women's sport. We thank the ABC for being a leader in broadcasting women's sport, but the ABC gets a billion dollars a year from the public taxpayer. It's very well positioned to broadcast women's sports, and I'd actually encourage it to get out there into our communities and use the technology that's available to it to look not just at the WBBL, the AFL et cetera but also at the more niche sports that women are participating in right across our communities and get it onto the public broadcaster so that we can all get a good look. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given officials confirmed in estimates that Minister Fifield had not sought any advice from them on the grant, does the minister agree that there's absolutely no evidence that gifting pay TV networks $30 million is a better use of public funds than supporting the free-to-air broadcast of women's sport for all Australians, not just those who can afford to pay?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for your question, Senator. As I've already said, I would love the ABC to get into broadcasting sport—not just women's sport, Senator Farrell, but all sport. I think the ABC needs to think less about high culture and a little bit more about low culture, because there are more people participating in sport in this country than there are attending the opera or the theatre. I want to see the ABC investing some of that billion dollars into real people doing sport right out in our communities. Get the cameramen and camerawomen or get the local ABC Radio broadcasters down to the local footy or down to the local netballers. We pay you a billion bucks. Get out of the studio and into the community and talk about what matters to real people—and that is sport.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On that note, Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.