Bill
Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund) Bill 2017
passed, as at 2018-06-19. Communications and the Arts portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Communications and the Arts
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2017-12-06
- second reading — 2017-12-06
- second reading — 2018-05-09
- second reading — 2018-05-09
- committee — 2018-05-09
- committee — 2018-05-10
- third reading — 2018-05-10
- introduced — 2018-05-10
- second reading — 2018-05-29
- second reading — 2018-05-29
- second reading — 2018-05-30
- second reading — 2018-05-30
- third reading — 2018-05-30
- passed — 2018-05-30
- royal assent — 2018-06-19
Divisions
- Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund) Bill 2017 - Second Reading - Media diversity — 2018-05-09, Senate: negative, ayes 30, noes 38
- The majority voted against [amendments (1), (2) and (3)](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2018-05-10.59.1) moved by Greens Senator [Sarah Hanson-Young](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/sa/sarah_hanson-young), which means they failed. Senator Hanson-Young explained that: > *Basically, what these amendments do is correct the problem that we have had with this piece of legislation from the beginning: that there is an ideological blindness that's been drawn into this bill. We want to make sure that if you're an Australian publisher, if you're an Australian news outlet, if you employ Australian journalists, if you're reporting Australian news and you're doing it for an Australian audience and you're within that small sphere as outlined by the criteria, you have access to this fund. It shouldn't matter whether you are friends with the government ideologically or not.* ### What does this bill do? The [purpose of the bill](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd085) is: > *to establish a legislative framework for a grant funding scheme, the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund, to be administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).* Read more in the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd085). — 2018-05-10, Senate: negative, ayes 30, noes 32
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2017-12-06.
This bill creates a grant scheme for regional and small publishers, run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority could give money to newspaper, magazine, or periodical publishers, or to content service providers, but only after signing an agreement with the recipient and only for the financial year starting 1 July 2018 and the two following years, with a total cap of $50,100,000.
The bill also allows a minister to set up an advisory committee to guide the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and requires the authority to report on grants in its annual report.
- Establishes the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund.
- Allows the Australian Communications and Media Authority to make grants to eligible publishers or content service providers.
- Limits grants to the financial year starting 1 July 2018 and the next two financial years, with a total maximum of $50,100,000.
- Requires the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enter into an agreement with each grant recipient before making the grant.
- Allows the minister to establish an advisory committee to advise the Australian Communications and Media Authority on grants.
- Requires the Australian Communications and Media Authority to include grant details and any advisory committee advice in its annual report.
Regional and small publishers, including newspaper, magazine, and periodical publishers, and content service providers, as well as consumers of news and journalism.
Sources
em
billhome
frl act