July 03, 2024
Jackson praises digital bill revival
Former broadcasting minister Willie Jackson has welcomed the coalition Government’s belated decision to pick up his Digital Bargaining Bill.
The bill had not had its first reading at the election, and former minister Melissa Lee strongly objected to it.
But Mr Jackson says current minister Paul Goldsmith phoned him yesterday to confirm the shift.
“It’s really good for local industry. The industry is crying out for support. The bill’s about being able to do deals, be paid for your news. These big companies just take the news and there is no recompense so it’s putting a bargaining regime in, a backstop so companies can get something for the work they do,” he says.
Mr Jackson says companies like Google and Meta take nearly a billion dollars a year out of the New Zealand market, and the bill could bring $30 million to $50 million coming back to this country.