Senator CONROY (Victoria—Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity) (14:19): I thank Senator Bob Brown for his question. Like you, Senator Brown, I am indeed surprised that those opposite are so out of touch with public opinion on this issue. Perhaps they should simply keep reading the Australian each morning. The government believes it is necessary to support the independence and integrity of the media in the face of technological change and that the public have a right to have trust in our media. As I said earlier today when announcing the inquiry, a healthy and robust media is essential to the democratic process. Labor believes it is incumbent upon government to ensure that regulatory processes and industry structures are sufficiently strong to support the continuation of a healthy and independent media that is able to fulfil its essential democratic purpose and to operate in the public interest. I made this very clear a little over an hour ago, but let me repeat it for those whom seem to have missed it. The government is not interested in attacking any one media organisation or in seeking to reduce the necessary scrutiny of the political process that is at the heart of a functioning— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: I remind senators that any interruption to the answer is disorderly. It does not help question time with people wanting to throw their comments into the ring during question time. Post question time, that is at 3 pm, there is a time for people to put forward in a robust manner their views on these issues. That is when it should be done. Senator CONROY: The media inquiry will be conducted independently of the government as is imperative in a free and democratic society. A former justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Ray Finkelstein QC, will conduct the inquiry, assisted by Dr Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Journalism at the University of Canberra and a former practising journalist. The government is delighted that those eminently qualified— (Time expired)