Bob Katter in one of the many libraries within his home in Charters Towers, QLD. Picture: Wesley Monts Source: The Daily Telegraph
IF the media reforms weren't already in enough trouble by last night - before being killed today - Independent MP Bob Katter's plan had members of the Council for the Order of Australia scratching their heads this morning.
The independent MP's "convoluted" overnight proposal to charge the Council for the Order of Australia with appointing a panel - to appoint another panel - to oversee the country's media would never have worked, according to one of its members.
This comes as the federal government today dumped the final four media reform bills after it failed to get the backing of enough cross bench MPs to save them.
The Queensland MP said he wanted to see the media regulated by a "people's watchdog" of three commissioners appointed by a panel of 12.
He wants the panel of 12 to be appointed by the Council for the Order of Australia - an independent body that meets twice a year to consider nominations for appointments and awards.
Mr Katter tabled a bill proposing "to select 12 individuals who together are to comprise the panel, using the same process by which the council selects individuals for the award of the Order of Australia" within three months.
The panel should consist of representatives of retirees, journalists, academics, jurors, employees, owner-operated businesses, the Australian Journalists Association and the Australian Press Council.
The panel would then appoint three commissioners to the Public Interest Media Advocate (PIMA) to regulate the media industry.
The proposal was news to the Council for the Order of Australia this morning.
One of its 19 members, who asked not to be identified, said "surprise, surprise" when told of Mr Katter's plan.
The member said the council was "absolutely not" qualified to be charged with that role.
"We don't have any expertise in that whatsoever," the member said.
"That's certainly not within the normal remit of the Order of Australia Council at present.
"The Order of Australia Council is obviously selected by government on the basis of their expertise to judge the
Order of Australia nominations - nothing to do with media."
The member said Mr Katter's proposal "just wouldn't work".
"The Council comes together twice a year and each time there are thousands of nominations from around the country in areas from community service to law to medicine to arts," the member said.
"It's a significant task but a very important one and council members are chosen for their ability to cover those breadths of areas - nothing to do with media."
Mr Katter tabled the plan last night following a tense day of negotiations over the government's proposed media reforms.
The draconian media regulations proposed by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy were last night on the brink of collapse as Julia Gillard scrambled in a bid to salvage a new compromise deal with key independents.
But Mr Katter offered his support - in principal.
Yesterday, Mr Katter had said that while he backed media reform, a government-appointed advocate was "thoroughly repulsive and revolting".
He said Mr Conroy's proposed PIMA was "dead" just after 5pm. However by 7pm he was believed to be back supporting the government.
Andrew Wilkie, Rob Oakeshott and Craig Thomson yesterday ruled out backing four contentious bills which would establish a powerful government appointed enforcer - the PIMA - to oversee the print media and a public interest test for media mergers.
Additional reporting Gemma Jones
Follow @itsKShort or email kristin.shorten@news.com.au
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