The federal opposition does not support a super regulator for the Australian media because that would repress free speech, opposition communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull sa lateline
A five-month-long independent media inquiry, headed by former Federal Court judge Ray Finkelstein, recommended that a government-funded News Media Council should be created to regulate print, online, radio and television news in Australia.
But Mr Turnbull told the ABC’s Lateline program he would not support the recommendation, saying the country should be able to trust competition and a diversity of voices to regulate its media.
“I think it would be bad for freedom of speech; it would repress freedom of speech,” Mr Turnbull told Lateline on Friday night.
“We don’t support the recommendation; it (the report) only had one recommendation of any consequence, which was to set up a new super regulator for news media, a news media council, and we’ve said we don’t support that.”