Senator Jane Hume has backed calls from 7NEWS boss Anthony De Ceglie to scrap the tax on broadcasters in a bid to protect Australian journalism.
During a speech to the Melbourne Press Club on Tuesday, De Ceglie urged the Albanese government to axe the cash grab, which collectively costs the broadcasters $45 million a year.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Senior Coalition MP backs 7NEWS chief’s call to end ‘archaic’ broadcast tax.
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De Ceglie pointed out social media companies did not have to pay such a tax and accused the Albanese Government of treating newsrooms with disdain.
“Free-to-air networks like Channel 7 still pay an archaic broadcast tax that was designed 60 years ago during an era of super profits that simply no longer exist,” Seven West Media’s Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor in Chief said.
“At a time when a viewer can access up to 10 hours of news on Seven’s free-to-air channel on any given day … the so-called Commercial Broadcast Tax is actually just a tax on journalism. 
“Even more so, it’s a tax on the truth and it’s a tax on facts.”
On Wednesday, Coalition Senator Jane Hume backed De Ceglie’s comments when she joined Nat Barr and Minister for Housing Clare O’Neil for Hot Topics on Sunrise.
“Jane, should that $45 million that the networks are paying for many years should be dropped now? Others are coming in, supplying news and not paying anything,” Barr asked.
“I think (De Ceglie) made a good point here. The growth of the social media companies is a problem and the information that they’re disseminating is of questionable quality,” Hume said.
“It’s been clear from what academics and security agencies are telling us. Why we set up the media bargaining code was to ensure that credible news agencies were compensated for the work they do and the way that information was disseminated.
“That’s been flouted by Meta in particular — the government has done little about that. I remember when (former treasurer) Josh Frydenberg was on the phone to Mark Zuckerberg on a daily basis to make sure this was set up.”
Barr pressed Hume as to whether the Coalition would scrap the unfair tax.
“Would you guys consider dropping the fee?” she asked.
“We’d drop the commercial broadcasting tax that will be part of our gambling reforms,” Hume replied.
However Albanese Government minister Clare O’Neil said Labor had no such plans, although she acknowledged the difficulties the social media platforms had created for Australia’s news media.
“I think there’s some really broad agreement here that what’s going on in news at the moment is creating real issues. Not just for you guys in your newsroom and for the organisation but for us as Australians,” she said.
O’Neil was pressed by Barr if she would support scrapping the tax.
“Look that’s not what the communications minister is looking at the moment, she’s looking at trying to manage some of the financial issues being faced by media companies,” O’Neil said.
“What I do want you to understand is that good news is really important for our country and our government is taking steps to ensure that it’s more sustainable.”