Clive Palmer mulls vote for cross media law change

Clive Palmer says current cross media laws were drawn up before the internet era, but regional media rules don't need fixing. Photo: Eddie Jim

Clive Palmer says he would consider voting for the repeal of cross media ownership laws even though it could benefit Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which publishes newspapers that have been critical of the Palmer United Party (PUP) leader.

The PUP gained a third upper house seat in last weekend's re-run of the Western Australia Senate election. A voting alliance negotiated last October between the PUP and the Motoring Enthusiast Party means Mr Palmer will control a crucial bloc of four votes, which the Coalition will need to pass legislation opposed by the Labor Party.

News Corp owns The Australian, Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph newspapers, as well as half of pay television service Foxtel.

The Australian has run several articles questioning, among other things, Mr Palmer's treatment of employees at his Palmer Coolum Resort dinosaur park in Queensland, his business dealings, as well as a raft of legal cases he has initiated. Mr Palmer last year threatened to sue Mr Murdoch and accused his ex-wife Wendi Deng of being a Chinese spy.

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Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is conducting a regulatory review of the media sector, including legislation that prevents a single entity owning more than two of either a newspaper, TV licence or radio licence in a metropolitan market, although the government is not expected to put forward any proposed changes to Parliament until September.

"You've got to put aside any animosity people may have and look at the issues in a professional way," Mr Palmer told Fairfax Media.

"You want independence. You don't want too much concentration of media ownership.

"However, when these laws were originally drawn up, we didn't have the internet and a lot of other things - we need to have a good look at it before we make a decision."

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Clive Palmer mulls vote for cross media law change

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