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Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Aussie Streaming Quotas Could Divert $200 Million From Hollywood: Trump Official
Australia has been named as one of several governments that 'undercut' the U.S. film industry, according to a social media post by a top U.S. trade official. On May 23, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer wrote about the Trump administration's efforts to bring big budget Hollywood productions back onshore, appointing 'special ambassadors to Hollywood' to try kickstart the initiative. The move comes after the administration approved a 'Over 80 countries offer production tax incentives, resulting in many productions that could have been filmed in the United States locating elsewhere,' Greer 'Many blockbusters have been filmed in Canada, Croatia, France, New Zealand, and several other countries, which offer generous incentives, while overall production in the U.S. was down 26 percent in 2024 compared to 2021.' Greer named the Australian Labor government's impending National Cultural Policy 'Revive.' Related Stories 4/29/2025 4/10/2025 'Australia's National Cultural Policy, released in January 2023, recommends imposing Australian screen content requirements on streaming video services,' he said. According to Greer, these rules could lead U.S.-based platforms spending between $220 million and $440 million annually in Australia, instead of in the United States. The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles on Nov. 16, Are the Current Quotas? Content quotas require broadcasters and digital platforms to invest or broadcast a specified amount of local content, aimed at maintaining the local culture. Revive earmarks a production expenditure model where streaming companies need to spend a portion of locally derived revenue—up to 30 percent for the largest platforms—on Australian drama. The other suggestion is mandating that 10 percent be invested in new local productions, which could later rise to 20 percent. The policy remains under development. 'Countries typically rely on tools like local content quotas. For example, France and Australia have requirements for domestic content on radio and streaming platforms, and China restricts access to foreign film licenses through a strict annual cap,' said Vladimir Tyazhelnikov, senior lecturer in economics and specialist in global tariffs, in The Epoch Times has reached out to Tony Burke, the minister for art and culture for latest reaction but did not receive a response in time for publication. During Senate Estimates in May 2024, officials from the Department of Communications confirmed that the Revive proposal was still being refined ahead of Cabinet consideration. The issue hit a roadblock when trade experts and industry representatives raising concerns that the proposed quotas might violate terms of the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). Australia's Response So Far Australia's ambassador to Washington, former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, recently flagged concerns over the 100 percent tariff on imported films. Speaking at a public forum, Rudd warned such a move could hinder cultural exchange. 'I don't think we want to see a tax on Bluey,' he said, referencing the Brisbane-made children's show that has become the most streamed program in the United States. Meanwhile, some local experts are concerned of the impact it could have on the Australian industry, given its heavily reliance on U.S. productions. 'The impact on Australia would be swift and severe. States such as New South Wales and Queensland have built robust screen production industries, attracting major international projects such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Elvis, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Fall Guy,' said Mike Seymour, an Emmy-nominated visual effects professional and senior lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School. 'These productions inject millions into local economies and support a wide network of jobs in everything from set design and location services to visual effects and post-production. 'When Australian screen content is under pressure because of the rise of global streamers and the decline of free-to-air broadcasting, these international partnerships are more important than ever.'
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Anthony Albanese goes into damage control as Penny Wong declares the Aboriginal body is inevitable in bombshell pre-election move... so do YOU buy it?
Anthony Albanese has denied that one of his most senior ministers claimed a resurrected Voice to Parliament was inevitable in Australia. Foreign Minister Penny Wong sparked a political firestorm three days before Aussies head to the polls by suggesting that there will one day be a Voice – and people will wonder why there was ever an argument about it. 'I think we'll look back on it in 10 years' time and it'll be a bit like marriage equality,' Senator Wong told the Betoota Talks podcast. 'I always used to say, marriage equality, which took us such a bloody fight to get that done, and I thought, all this fuss. 'It'll become something, it'll be like, people go "did we even have an argument about that?" 'Like, kids today, or even adults today, barely kind of clock that it used to be an issue. Remember how big an issue that was in the culture wars? Blimey, just endless.' But the Prime Minister has rejected out of hand the idea that Senator Wong was drawing an equivalence between the fight for marriage equality and the Voice. 'Well, she didn't say that at all,' Mr Albanese told ABC Radio Melbourne on Thursday morning. Foreign Minister Penny Wong sparked a political firestorm three days before Aussies head to the polls by suggesting that there will one day be a Voice – and people will wonder why there was ever an argument about it 'She spoke about how people will look back on what the issues were. That's very different from saying it's inevitable.' The Labor spin machine went into overdrive on Thursday morning, trying to claim that Senator Wong was not referring to the Voice. 'The Minister was clearly reflecting on the heated debate on how we address reconciliation and close the gap – and saying that as progress is achieved, today's arguments will no longer be an issue,' a campaign spokesperson said. 'The Government has been clear that we respect the outcome of the referendum, and we need to find different paths to achieve reconciliation in this country.' Mr Albanese has repeatedly said there will be not be another referendum. Asked by Channel Seven's Political Editor Mark Riley during Sunday night's leaders' debate whether he still believed in the Voice, Mr Albanese responded: 'It's gone'. 'I respect the outcome (of the referendum), we live in a democracy,' he said. Pushed on his position, he added: 'We need to find different paths to affect reconciliation.' But now it can be revealed that on the day before the election was called, a top government official refused to rule whether work was progressing on Voice, Treaty and Truth. At Senate Estimates on 27 March, Senator Wong refused multiple times to answer a simple question from Senator Michaelia Cash: 'Is the Prime Minister still committed to Voice, Treaty, Truth?' Instead, Senator Wong directed a government official to answer. 'The government remains committed to the principles of the Uluru Statement and continues to engage in good faith with leaders and communities around next steps,' Greta Doherty, First Assistant Secretary of the Social Policy division responded. 'I guess government acknowledges there is considerable work underway at a state and territory level on treaty and truth telling process - and government welcomes this work.' Wong's comments threaten to undermine the official Labor position, which has sought to distance the administration as much as possible from the disastrous result. The disastrous Voice campaign was a major blow for the Labor government and Albanese, who hinged his legacy on the proposal. Senator Wong's comments are a political gift to Peter Dutton who is trailing badly in the polls three days out from the federal election. The Opposition Leader tried to bring up the failure of the Voice in the leaders' debate on Sunday night in the context of Welcome to Country ceremonies. He said he thought the ceremonies were 'overdone', cheapening their significance. 'It divides the country, not dissimilar to what the Prime Minister did with the Voice,' he said. HOST: It's an interesting thing because we have all this stuff happening elsewhere in the world, and obviously, you know, that's, that's your job to deal with all that and look at that at least be aware of it. But in Australia we've got a federal election happening and we've got domestic politics which of late – and I think really ramped up in the pandemic – is we've seen just such an increase in the culture wars, you know what I mean? It distracts from a lot of things, , but, you know, we kind of have, Trans rights, Aboriginal flags, woke schools, yada yada yada, all that stuff. Is this a new thing or as someone who's been (the) longest serving cabinet minister, female cabinet minister, has this always been around? WONG: I think it's just Peter Dutton doing what John Howard did is you try and pick a fight in order to define yourself and so that people don't ask you what you're really gonna do. Frankly, that's it. That's just end of story. HOST: Throwing dead cats on the table. WONG: You remember the fight over the apology or the black armband view of history or whatever, the fight over school curriculum. I think we all know he wants to talk about that because he wants to define himself on those grounds because he doesn't want to talk about cuts to Medicare, doesn't want to talk about $600 billion of nuclear reactors, all of that kind of stuff. But can I go back to the world that you're just. I mean, it's not just me dealing with this, I mean, the government and Albo,he's had to be a prime minister to in a time where we've got to navigate a pretty different world, . The thing that is, and he's a mate of mine… there are many things that I think are really great about him, doesn't forget where he came from, but he's also really disciplined and really firm about the direction he wants to take. He's good to work with. HOST: That's the funny thing, right, with the referendum: is this an example of that? You know, the referendum looked like it was going to fail, everyone who was supporting it had hope, but back to the culture wars, that's what it turned into. The opponents turned it into that. Albo had the chance to, to pull the pin on that…early days before we'd even seen… all the confusion set in, 'if you don't know, vote no'. But is that what you're saying there, he said he was going to do it. WONG: Yeah, he's not a pull the pin kind of guy. HOST: So he's gonna wear it – wear the bark getting taken off him by his opponents. WONG: He thought it was the right thing to do and a lot of the First Nations leaders wanted the opportunity. I think we'll look back on it in 10 years' time, and it'll be a bit like marriage equality, don't you reckon? Like I always used to say marriage equality, which took us such a bloody fight to get that done, and I thought all this fuss, it'll become something, it'll be like, people go, do we have an argument about that? …kids today, or any, even adults today, barely kind of clock that it used to be an issue. Remember how big an issue that was in Cultural wars? HOST: Yes, I remember (Alan) Joyce getting hit with a pie.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grim reality as election turns to chaos
Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese face an uphill battle on Saturday as they race to get their campaigns back on message ahead of their official campaign launches this weekend. The federal election campaign was thrown into disarray on Friday after bombshell news a 16-year-old boy had been charged over an alleged terror plot that reportedly targeted Mr Dutton. Both the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister were peppered with questions about The Australian's report, forcing them to give up valuable time in front of the nation's media to address the issue. Mr Albanese added to the chaos by revealing he also was allegedly targeted in an offence he said remained before the courts, while Mr Dutton used the moment to show a more human side, telling reporters his first thoughts upon hearing the news were for the safety of his family. The story highlighted a major issue facing this year's federal election. Just days before the election was called, Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed threats against Australian politicians and dignitaries had nearly doubled in the past two years. Mr Kershaw said the threats and reports of harassment, nuisance and offensive communications had almost doubled from 555 in the 2021-22 financial year to 1009 in 2023-24. As of February 28 this year, there had been 712 reports, with the number of threats this year expected to surpass last year's figures. Giving an update on investigations to a Senate Estimates committee on March 27, Mr Kershaw said six men had been charged across five separate incidents for allegedly threatening parliamentarians in the six weeks prior. One man was also charged for allegedly threatening a political organisation, with the men aged between 29 to 64. The chaos did not stop there, with Victorian Police tasked on Friday with removing hateful and homophobic banners placed in the electorate of gay Labor MP Julian Hill. Officers were called to Hemmings Park bridge overpass, which runs over Princes Hwy, on Friday, before processing the scene and removing banners. Police were then advised of further incidents where banners had been displayed in various locations, including in Casey and Cardinia local government areas. One of the banners, which was hung in Mr Hill's home electorate of Bruce, which he holds by a margin of only 5.3 per cent, said: 'Julian Hill MP – more worried about his husband than his constituents.' The banner, which contained a rainbow flag, did not appear to include an official campaign endorsement and was also attached to public property. Another stated: 'LGBTQ+ means more to Julian Hill than you the people.' The banners were slammed as 'disgraceful' by both major parties, and investigations by Victoria Police are continuing. More to come
