Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House that News Corp now has a monopoly over commercial news media in the state. The Queensland monopoly arose in late 2016, when News Corp took over APN Media’s string of regional mastheads and websites, stretching from Toowoomba through Ipswich and Maroochydore up to Mackay. Added to the company’s long-term ownership of the Cairns, Townsville and Gold Coast mastheads, it created a regional monopoly, meshed with News Corp’s Brisbane monopoly of The Courier-Mail and associated community newspapers.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to work with the State and Federal Governments so that state and federal legislation be put in place to stop the monopoly of television, print and radio by foreign companies that threatens Australian democracy.