Opened the debate
McCarthy argued that the streaming content requirement fulfils a commitment in the National Cultural Policy to guarantee access to Australian stories regardless of the viewing platform. McCarthy stated that the measure applies to services with over one million subscribers, requiring them to spend 10 per cent of program expenditure on eligible Australian formats such as drama and documentaries. McCarthy explained that including global content in the expenditure base prevents services from avoiding obligations by minimising local spending. Regarding the second bill, McCarthy noted that it retrospectively validates the handling of tax file numbers by VET providers from 2017 to 2025 to ensure legislative compliance. McCarthy confirmed that no student complaints had been received regarding this handling and that IT updates have since automated the process to remove the need for providers to manage these numbers.