The Morrison Government welcomes the report from the Senate Economics Legislation Committee which recommends no changes to legislation to establish the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code.
The Government thanks the Committee and all interested parties for their contributions throughout this process.
The world-leading Code was developed after extensive analysis from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), including almost three years of public consultation.
The purpose of the Code is to address the bargaining power imbalance identified by the ACCC between digital platforms and news media businesses in order to support a diverse and sustainable Australian news media sector, including Australia’s public broadcasters.
The Code creates a framework for the parties to reach commercial arrangements, so that news media business are fairly remunerated for the content they generate and which digital platforms benefit from.
The Government expects all parties to continue to work constructively towards reaching commercial agreements in the spirit of collaboration and good faith encouraged by the Code.
The Code will be reviewed by Treasury one year after its operation to ensure it is delivering outcomes that are consistent with the Government’s policy intent.
The Bill will now be considered by the Parliament from the week commencing 15 February 2021.