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
14th Sep 2017, 5:48 PM – Senate Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017 and another - Third Reading - Pass the bills
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of passing the bills in the Senate. In parliamentary jargon, they voted in favour of reading the bills for a third time.
Since the Senate had agreed to some amendments, the bills will now return to the House of Representatives for the Members there to decide if they agree with the amendments or not. If they do agree, the bills will become law.
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 Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives | Absent | |
| 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 (76% turnout) | 0 Yes – 19 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | No | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | No | |
| Don Farrell 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 | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | Absent | |
| Sam Dastyari NSW | Absent | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | Absent | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Absent | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Yes | |
| Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party | Yes | |
| Sue Lines WA Deputy President | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent | No | |
| Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent | Absent | |
| David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (50% turnout) | 1 Yes – 0 No | |
| James McGrath Queensland | Yes | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Absent | |
| Liberal Party (76% turnout) | 16 Yes – 0 No | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Yes | |
| George Brandis Queensland | Yes | |
| Slade Brockman WA | Yes | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Yes | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Yes | |
| David Fawcett SA | Yes | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Yes | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | Yes | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Yes | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Yes | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Yes | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | Yes | |
| Dean Smith WA | Yes | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | Absent | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Absent | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | Absent | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Absent | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Absent | |
| National Party (100% turnout) | 4 Yes – 0 No | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | Yes | |
| Barry O'Sullivan Queensland | Yes | |
| John Williams NSW | Yes | |
| Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) | 3 Yes – 0 No | |
| Stirling Griff SA | Yes | |
| Skye Kakoschke-Moore SA | Yes | |
| Nick Xenophon SA | Yes | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (75% turnout) | 3 Yes – 0 No | |
| Brian Burston NSW | Yes | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Yes | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Yes | |
| Peter Georgiou WA | Absent | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania President | Yes | |
| Totals (78% turnout) | 31 Yes – 27 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.