Page 3779 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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As I said in my earlier speech, every other capital city in Australia has an ethnic radio station - but not Canberra. We all know that this is one of the most multicultural cities in Australia. Therefore, I felt that it was a priority. I feel that 2XX does an absolutely wonderful job, but I think it covers a certain field and ethnic radio should not be tagged onto it. The fact is that very little time is allotted for ethnic broadcasters, and very few languages have the opportunity to be broadcast. This is unfair.
Therefore, there is probably more reason for there to be more public radio licences, but I do not think we should have to wait for that before we have an ethnic radio station. I think that they have waited long enough. They have asked for support. They had a committee go through the process of trying to come to an agreement with the Federal Government. They have been told that in 1993 they will get one - although that is not in writing; they have no positive proof that they will get it. Therefore, I think a little urging of the Federal Government by this house would be appropriate. A majority vote in the house would provide that little bit of extra pressure. It would say that the Assembly itself had come to a decision that they have the right to this station and that it should be brought on line as soon as possible - and I think it should be before 1993.
These people who have come to make this place their home have a right to hear what is happening in the world today - not only in English, in which they get very little news, but also in their native language. Anyone who has listened to the radio over the last few days, even on very good radio stations such as the ABC, will know that we have been hearing about a judge nominated for the Supreme Court in America until it is nearly coming out of our ears; and we have been hearing about CHOGM. But what, really, do we get about the rest of the world? Our news seems to come from England or from the US. I am not against this, but I honestly believe that these people have a right to know what is happening back in their own country where they have relatives.
Therefore, to me, it is a priority. But I believe that we should be voting for the priority of the motion that I put up in the first place and not muddying the waters, as Mr Kaine said, by adding to it. I do not think public radio licences should be piggybacked onto ethnic radio. Ethnic radio is an entirely different form of radio station, and I think that this motion should go through.
Mr Jensen was in government for seven or eight months, and he was here before that. If he believed that this was so important, he could have put up such a motion. Why now, at the last minute, is he piggybacking this onto mine? I am afraid that I could not agree to that. I think it is important that there be more public radio stations; but I do not agree that it should be tagged onto ethnic radio,
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