Summary

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The majority voted against an amendment introduced by NSW Senator Deborah O'Neill (Labor), which means it failed.

What did the amendment do?

This bill proposes to repeal the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which is that:

A person can only control two of the regulated media platforms (commercial television, commercial radio and associated newspapers) in a commercial radio licence area.

(Read more about this rule in the bills digest.)

This amendment supported removing that part of the bill so that the 2 out of 3 cross-media control rule remains unchanged.

What do the bills do?

The two bills are the:

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 small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives Absent
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 7 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (76% turnout) 19 Yes 0 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Yes
Carol Brown Tasmania Yes
Doug Cameron NSW Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Patrick Dodson WA Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Katy Gallagher ACT Yes
Chris Ketter Queensland Yes
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Helen Polley Tasmania Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Lisa Singh Tasmania Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Penny Wong SA Yes
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Sam Dastyari NSW Absent
Alex Gallacher SA Absent
Gavin Marshall Victoria Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Murray Watt Queensland Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party No
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Yes
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent Yes
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent Absent
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
Simon Birmingham SA No
George Brandis Queensland No
Slade Brockman WA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Mathias Cormann WA No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Dean Smith WA No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Ian Macdonald Queensland Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 4 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
John Williams NSW No
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 (75% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Brian Burston NSW No
Pauline Hanson Queensland No
Malcolm Roberts Queensland No
Peter Georgiou WA Absent
Stephen Parry Tasmania President No
Totals (81% turnout) 28 Yes – 32 No