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Murdoch Media Inquiry

Current status

This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.

Policy area

Government & democracy

What does this bill do?

Australia would get a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-appointed inquiry, led by a former judge, to examine media diversity and the conduct of Murdoch-owned media outlets and report to Parliament.

Why was it introduced?

Australia's highly concentrated media market and outdated regulation have let Murdoch-owned outlets wield largely unchecked influence that, the bill says, is corrosive to democracy. The bill creates a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-appointed, former-judge-led inquiry with strong powers to examine media concentration, conduct and regulation, and report reforms to Parliament.

Broader context

Australia’s media ownership rules had already been overhauled, but the bill’s backers argued the market remained highly concentrated, News CorpThe major media company singled out in the page as the main Murdoch-owned owner in Australia. still dominated much of the print sector, and existing regulation had not kept pace with modern media power or complaints handling. After a record 2020 parliamentary petition and continued claims that Murdoch-owned outlets were damaging public trust and democratic debate, the bill was introduced in June 2023 to create a judge-led inquiry with coercive powersLegal powers that let the inquiry force people to attend hearings, answer questions and produce documents., but it never passed and lapsed when Parliament ended in July 2025.

Key criticism

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, beyond an obvious drafting and fairness risk in giving a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-created inquiry Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses.-style powers while focusing on one media group. The material here shows support from the bill’s sponsor and no party represented in the debate opposing it, so any criticism appears limited and mostly implicit rather than developed in public argument.

Who supported it?

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Greens.

Introduced in Senate 13 June 2023
Failed in Senate 21 July 2025
Did not reach House —
Did not become law —

Did it become law?

No

The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.

Final passage

No final passage

The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.

Time before failure

769 days

From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. Australia would get a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-appointed inquiry, led by a former judge, to examine media diversity and the conduct of Murdoch-owned media outlets and report to Parliament.

  2. The inquiry would investigate whether Australia’s media rules still work, how concentrated media ownership is, and whether media ownership laws are making that concentration worse.

  3. The inquiry would also look at whether Australia needs one independent media regulator to set common news standards and handle complaints effectively.

  4. The inquiry would have strong powers to force witnesses to attend, answer questions and hand over documents, similar to a Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses..

  5. The inquiry would have to report within one year unless the SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline. extends the deadline, and its report would be made public in both houses of Parliament.

Show source excerpts
  1. A person is not eligible for appointment as the member unless the person is a former Judge.
    Murdoch Media Inquiry introduced bill text
  2. 7. Subclause 7(1) specifies the terms of reference for the inquiry that will guide the work of the Commission. The terms of reference have been drafted to allow the Commission to undertake a broad investigation of the media industry in Australia as a whole, as well as look specifically at the conduct and practices of the Murdoch media empire in Australia.
    Murdoch Media Inquiry explanatory memorandum
  3. the need for a single, independent media regulator to harmonise news media standards and oversee an effective process for remedying complaints;
    Murdoch Media Inquiry explanatory memorandum
  4. 17. This clause provides the Commission with coercive powers to compel a witness to attend a hearing, to give evidence and to produce documents. Counsel assisting the Commission may also cross-examine a witness as well as people called to give evidence or their legal practitioners.
    Murdoch Media Inquiry explanatory memorandum
  5. 11. This clause specifies that the Commission is to submit its report to the Presiding Officers within one year of commencement of the inquiry. This reporting period can be extended through resolution of the Senate. Once the report is provided, the Presiding Officers are required to make the report public by tabling the report in each House as soon as practicable.
    Murdoch Media Inquiry explanatory memorandum

Context

Broader context for this bill

Australia’s media ownership rules had already been overhauled, but the bill’s backers argued the market remained highly concentrated, News CorpThe major media company singled out in the page as the main Murdoch-owned owner in Australia. still dominated much of the print sector, and existing regulation had not kept pace with modern media power or complaints handling. After a record 2020 parliamentary petition and continued claims that Murdoch-owned outlets were damaging public trust and democratic debate, the bill was introduced in June 2023 to create a judge-led inquiry with coercive powersLegal powers that let the inquiry force people to attend hearings, answer questions and produce documents., but it never passed and lapsed when Parliament ended in July 2025.

  1. 2017

    Government announces major media law reforms

    The government described its package as the biggest overhaul of media regulation in a generation, setting the backdrop for later arguments that concentration and oversight problems still remained.

    Department of Infrastructure ↗
  2. 07 July 2017

    ACCCThe competition regulator that was looking at ownership changes in the media market, including the Ten bid mentioned on the page. examines Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon's Ten bid

    The competition watchdog's scrutiny of the proposed Network Ten acquisition highlighted ongoing concerns about how ownership changes could further reshape an already concentrated media market.

    Australian Financial Review ↗
  3. 09 Nov 2020

    Record petition calls for a Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses. into Murdoch mediaA shorthand on the page for the network of Murdoch-owned outlets the inquiry would examine.

    The House of Representatives received a petition with 501,876 signatures calling for a Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses. into Murdoch mediaA shorthand on the page for the network of Murdoch-owned outlets the inquiry would examine., turning concern about media power into a visible demand for formal action.

    Senate committee report ↗
  4. 13 June 2023

    Murdoch MediaA shorthand on the page for the network of Murdoch-owned outlets the inquiry would examine. Inquiry Bill is introduced in the SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.

    The bill proposed a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-appointed former-judge-led commission with powers like a Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses. to investigate media concentration, Murdoch outlets' conduct and possible regulatory reform.

    Hansard ↗
  5. 21 July 2025

    Bill lapses at the end of Parliament

    Because the bill lapsed before becoming law, the proposed inquiry and its reporting powers were never created.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 13 June 2023

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 13 June 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Committee report (10/10/2024) review 13 June 2023

Referred to Committee (13/06/2023): SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline. Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Committee report (10/10/2024)

Referred to committee

APH bill page notes
Scrutiny of Bills review 23 June 2023

Considered by scrutiny committee (23/06/2023): SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline. Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 7 of 2023

Considered by scrutiny committee

APH bill page notes
Lapsed at end of Parliament 21 July 2025

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, beyond an obvious drafting and fairness risk in giving a SenateThe upper house of Parliament, which would appoint the inquiry under this bill and could extend its reporting deadline.-created inquiry Royal CommissionA powerful public inquiry model the bill is trying to resemble, with the ability to compel evidence and witnesses.-style powers while focusing on one media group. The material here shows support from the bill’s sponsor and no party represented in the debate opposing it, so any criticism appears limited and mostly implicit rather than developed in public argument.

Recorded criticism was limited; the main concern is fairness and use of coercive inquiry powers.

Votes

Recorded votes

No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Sarah Hanson-Young

Australian Greens • Senator 13 June 2023

Sarah Hanson-Young strongly supports the Murdoch MediaA shorthand on the page for the network of Murdoch-owned outlets the inquiry would examine. Inquiry Bill 2023.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Greens

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Sarah Hanson-Young ★ Sarah Hanson-Young strongly supports the Murdoch MediaA shorthand on the page for the network of Murdoch-owned outlets the inquiry would examine. Inquiry Bill 2023.
    “This bill will establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the Murdoch media and media diversity in Australia. This commission will have powers like those of a Royal Commission, including resources and the ability to compel witnesses. It will report to the parliament, rather than the government.”

    Australian Greens • Senator • 13 June 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

Full chat