MUP publisher Louise Adler took the opportunity to urge Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to reject the findings of the Productivity Commission at the launch of journalist Paul Kelly's book The March of the Patriots, telling Rudd that ‘a vibrant and highly competitive publishing ecology, and many of the 80,000 jobs it creates, depends on cabinet's decision later this month'.
The Age also reported that three Labor MPs had signed the Saving Aussie Books petition, with first-term MP Graham Perrett saying Australia had ‘a market that lets people buy reasonably priced books' while also nurturing ‘a great Australian publishing industry that exports to the world'.
Independent bookshop Better Read Than Dead in Sydney's Newtown has added its customers' voices to the debate, posting ‘over 400 postcards to Senator Robert McClelland, Albanese, Nick Sherry and others', according to bookseller Sally Chilvers (postcard box pictured).
As reported last week, the Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen is ‘reportedly supportive of the Commission's recommendations, putting him at odds with Industry Minister Kim Carr, Arts Minister Peter Garrett, Attorney-General Robert McClelland, Regional Development Minister Anthony Albanese and Immigration Minister Chris Evans'.
The findings of an Australian Publishers Association-commissioned economists' study of the Productivity Commission's final report (reported in WBN last week), has also drawn coverage of the debate.
