edited
24th Jun 2017
Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017 - Second Reading - Agree to bills' main idea
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 95% attendance
13th Sep 2017, 10:59 PM – Senate Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017 - in Committee - Amendments
Summary
EditA large majority voted against amendments to the bills introduced by SA Senator Cory Bernardi (Australian Conservatives). Along with Bernardi, only Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie supported them.
What were the amendments?
See the debate for a copy of the amendments as well as an explanation as to what they would change.
Senator Bernardi, who introduced them, told the Senate:
I don't even agree with all of these amendments, quite frankly, but I have read the standing orders and I'm compelled to vote for them. I want to put that on the record. But please do not refer to these as the 'Bernardi amendments'. This is the Burston-McKenzie amendment package. I am just the conduit, the vessel, through which they have been introduced into the Senate in the most effective and efficient manner that there can possibly be.
What do the bills do?
The two bills are the:
- Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017; and the
- Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017.
Most significantly, the bills were introduced to get rid of certain media ownership, control and diversity laws, like the ‘75% audience reach rule’, which stops commercial television broadcasting licensees from controlling licences if the combined licence area has a population over 75% of Australia' population. It would also get rid of the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which stops a company from having control over more than two out of three regulated media platforms in any one commercial radio licence area.
Read more in the bills digest.
Votes Not passed by a large majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives | Yes | |
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 7 No | |
| Richard Di Natale Victoria | No | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | No | |
| Lee Rhiannon NSW | No | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | No | |
| Rachel Siewert WA | No | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
| Australian Labor Party (84% turnout) | 0 Yes – 21 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | No | |
| Sam Dastyari NSW | No | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | No | |
| Don Farrell SA | No | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | No | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | No | |
| Chris Ketter Queensland | No | |
| Kimberley Kitching Victoria | No | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | No | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | No | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Penny Wong SA | No | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | Absent | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Absent | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | Absent | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | Absent | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Absent | |
| Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party | No | |
| Sue Lines WA Deputy President | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent | Yes | |
| Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent | No | |
| David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party | No | |
| Liberal National Party (50% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
| James McGrath Queensland | No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Absent | |
| Liberal Party (81% turnout) | 0 Yes – 17 No | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | No | |
| George Brandis Queensland | No | |
| Slade Brockman WA | No | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | No | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | No | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | No | |
| David Fawcett SA | No | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | No | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | No | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | No | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | No | |
| James Paterson Victoria | No | |
| Marise Payne NSW | No | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | No | |
| Anne Ruston SA | No | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | No | |
| Dean Smith WA | No | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Absent | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Absent | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | Absent | |
| National Party (75% turnout) | 0 Yes – 3 No | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | No | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | No | |
| Barry O'Sullivan Queensland | No | |
| John Williams NSW | Absent | |
| Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 3 No | |
| Stirling Griff SA | No | |
| Skye Kakoschke-Moore SA | No | |
| Nick Xenophon SA | No | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (0% turnout) | Absent | |
| Brian Burston NSW | Absent | |
| Peter Georgiou WA | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Absent | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Absent | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania President | Absent | |
| Totals (77% turnout) | 2 Yes – 55 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.