2023-03-03
The Greens will introduce a bill to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the Murdoch media empire and the control and influence they have over Australian democracy.
Greens spokesperson for Communications and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Media Diversity, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The credibility of the Murdoch media is in tatters. This week’s revelations in the Dominion case in the US about Fox News knowingly platforming lies must be the last straw. If the Murdoch media is telling lies in the US, why would it be any different in Australia?
“Australians’ trust in news and journalism is at an all time low. The damage the Murdoch press has done to the integrity of the Fourth Estate and public interest journalism cannot be underestimated.
“It is why Australians overwhelmingly support a Royal Commission into the Murdoch Media and if the government won’t deliver it, the parliament should.
“The Greens will introduce a bill for a parliamentary commission of inquiry with the full powers of a Royal Commission and we urge the Labor Government to support it.
“For too long politicians and political parties have been too afraid to question the Murdoch machine in fear of misreporting and powerful campaigns being waged against them on the front pages of newspapers across the country.
“Politicians can’t continue to sit on their hands in fear while our democracy is undermined by a billionaire media mogul who wields unvetted and unaccountable political influence.
“Only a Royal Commission will be able to expose the true extent of this behaviour and make recommendations to the parliament to ensure it comes to an end.
“Whether it’s the US, UK or Australia the ongoing harassment of individuals, spreading of misinformation, campaigns that corrupt our democratic processes, is overt and dangerous. It’s time for it to stop.
“Rupert Murdoch should be giving evidence in Australia next. The revelations out of the US this week are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the influence the media mogul has had over politicians and the lives of everyday Australians.
“Media regulators in this country are toothless and powerless to act in the public interest under the huge political and market influence of the Murdoch machine. A Royal Commission is the only way forward.”