Media self-interest
Media organisations will advocate for commercial self-interest at a parliamentary inquiry into the government's proposed media reforms, says Jonathan Swan.
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Labor ministers are pushing to amend the government's week-old media reform bill to ''clarify'' that the new public interest advocate will not allow the government to effectively control content.
Senior Labor sources expressed dismay at what they described as the ''bungling'' of the new reforms, as crucial crossbenchers remained uncertain about whether to support them and media executives descend on Canberra to continue a fierce lobbying campaign against them.
The new advocate has been the most controversial element of the reforms, which were presented to cabinet as a fait accompli last Tuesday. Among many concerns held by media companies is that the legislation gives the Communications Minister, and therefore the government, authority over the public interest advocate, especially when it comes to hitting media companies with sanctions such as removing their exemption from the Privacy Act.
"The minister's negotiating style, which we know and love as combative, has crossed into the unreasonable": Senator Scott Ludlam. Photo: Jim Rice
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy was on Sunday staring down the angry Greens and crossbenchers who object to his ''gun to the head'' tactic of promising to ditch his media reform package if Parliament does not pass it by the end of the week.
The Coalition will use every possible parliamentary tactic to ensure the six media bills are not put to a Senate vote this week and Greens senator Scott Ludlam also insisted on Sunday he would not be ''constrained by arbitrary timelines''.
''The minister's negotiating style, which we know and love as combative, has crossed into the unreasonable,'' Senator Ludlam said.
But Senator Conroy said he would not budge from the position that ''if we can't get a final vote by the end of the week, we are not proceeding''.
At the same time, Senator Conroy has softened his initial ''take it or leave it'' stance on the content of the reforms, indicating he will consider amendments and will proceed with some of his proposed changes even if he is forced to abandon key elements to avoid parliamentary defeat.
The Coalition and the crossbenchers had assumed the minister's declaration that the reforms were a take it or leave it package meant the rejection of one bill would mean the demise of them all, but government sources said on Sunday it was not a ''one down, all down'' situation and some amendments would be considered.
The Greens said on Sunday they would not support the the creation of the new public interest advocate to oversee the Press Council and adjudicate on mergers and acquisitions unless the bill was amended to prevent the creation of multiple press councils.
Several crossbenchers have also expressed concern about the public interest media advocate but other bills, including a law to update the ABC and SBS charters, rules about Australian content and a bill confirming a permanent reduction in television licence fees appear likely to pass.
In the lower house, Labor needs the votes of five out of seven crossbenchers.
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