Actors in push for local TV content

SOPHIE DOUEZ

22/05/2001

The Age

CANBERRA

Some of Australia's biggest movie, television and theatre stars visited Canberra yesterday to push for the maintenance of 55 per cent local content on Australian television.

Bryan Brown, Ruth Cracknell, Susie Porter and David Wenham led the charge, which followed suggestions by Trade Minister Mark Vaile last month that regulations on local content could be up for negotiation in a free trade agreement with the United States.

``It was of concern to us that under this government, that Australian culture was put on the table as negotiable in any trade agreement," Brown said.

More than 40 leading actors - including Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Garry McDonald and Pia Miranda - wrote to Prime Minister John Howard three weeks ago to voice their concerns. After being denied a meeting with Mr Howard they sought - and yesterday received - a guarantee from the opposition that it would exempt local content quotas from any free trade negotiations with the US.

``If we don't have the opportunities to tell our stories, be ourselves, which spreads through us a degree of esteem ... then we become second-class people," Brown said.

A spokesman for Mr Vaile said local content regulations had not been raised in recent meetings with the US and having 55 per cent local content remained the government's position. However, he refused to rule out discussing local content regulations in future talks.

Mr Howard's spokesman said the actors' request for a meeting had been referred to Arts Minister Richard Alston.