This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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MP Andrew Wilkie’s decision not to support the media laws has further jeopardized Federal Government’s chances of winning crucial crossbench support for the bills. Former Labor MP Craig Thomson, who now sits on the crossbench, has also showed discontent over the proposed laws.
The Federal Government needs five votes for the legislation to pass the lower house, which it might not be able to win without Wilkie and Thomson’s support. At the moment, only Greens MP Adam Bandt has extended his support for the new media laws. PM Gillard has taken the steering wheel of the last-minute talks over the four bills relating to the controversial new media watchdog, called the Public Interest Media Advocate.
“These reforms are rushed and poorly constructed,” MP Wilkie said in a statement on Wednesday. “Frankly this is a shambles of the government’s own making and no reasonable person could expect quality decisions to be made in these circumstances. The process surrounding those four bills has been nothing short of shambolic. They are deficient in a number of significant areas and some of the inclusions that are still in them – there are problems with them and I won’t support them.”
After Independent Rob Oakeshott refused to support the bills, the Government is eyeing three crossbenchers: Tony Windsor, Bob Katter and Peter Slipper.
Earlier today, Mr Windsor said the talks were showing promise.
“There’s no deal as yet but I’ve got to say that there is work being done and there was late into last night as well. I think there’s probably a 70 per cent chance of success; that means there’s a 30 per cent chance of failure,” he said.
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