Boy, as far as I know she has not said a word, but Minister Conroy and the Acting leader of the Greens are in frenzied overdrive. Just imagine what influence she could have if she actually gave us her opinions. This is amazing, she must be very powerful to create such a fuss without opening her mouth. I want her on my side. Oh, wait a minute, she already is..
If it comes to a stand-off between Gina and Christine, - now that would be funny. What has Christine ever done for Australia?
Australia's Greens party on Wednesday attacked the move by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart to take an almost 8.0% stake in Fairfax, Australia's oldest newspaper publisher, and said it will seek to change media ownership laws.
The call for law changes received tacit support from the Stephen Conroy, who said he will support a public interest test.
"Do we need stronger laws in this area? Yes," Conroy told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "We want to see a debate around a public interest test," he said.
Current media ownership laws, which are undergoing a review, limit an individual owner in having a controlling stake in two of either radio, television or newspapers.
The environmentalist Greens, who hold significant influence in parliament because they back Prime Minister Julia Gillard's minority Labor government, described the concentration of media ownership in Australia as "toxic" and "dangerous."
The party wants a public interest test applied to media acquisitions. "The Greens very strongly want to see changes to the laws," Christine Milne, acting Greens leader told reporters. "The Greens will certainly be raising this in the parliament." Rinehart's 10% stake in Ten Network Holdings Ltd. and Fairfax will give the mining magnate "a potent degree of influence over public debate," Greens upper house lawmaker Scott Ludlam said. With local media reporting Rinehart already owned a 4.9% stake in Fairfax, the latest raid would take her holding to around 12.8%.
