If and when Australia opts to “designate” Facebook owner Meta under its news media bargaining code, it’s unlikely to be the name of treasurer Jim Chalmers on the edict.

The legislation was introduced in 2021, requiring tech giants such as Meta and Google to pay for displaying news content, with a threat of forced ‘baseball’ (final offer) arbitration if they failed to make a deal with publishers, administered by treasury.

Now, with the government’s decision imminent, Chalmers has recused from the oversight to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

His wife Laura, works for News Corp Australia as editor of the group’s metro newspaper-inserted-magazines. As Laura Anderson, she wanted to be a journalist when she was 12 and applied for a cadetship at News’ (Adelaide) Advertiser three times before entering a career which took her to state and then federal political reporting, and then to politics itself, with roles as press secretary to first Penny Wong and then prime minister Julia Gillard.

She married Chalmers in March 2013 – a couple of days after an ALP leadership spill – and returned to News in Brisbane that December. As Weekend Magazine editor-in-chief (Sydney Weekend, VWeekend, QWeekend and SA Weekend), she now focuses on long-form journalism.

Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones has been given “ministerial oversight” on the designation issue, with a decision expected in days.

Meta had earlier announced it was “deprecating” the Facebook ‘News’ tab in Australia and the US in April, saying news made up only three per cent of what users saw on the social app.

Meanwhile, Google is understood to be continuing to negotiate with publishers. Country Press Australia this week announced it had signed a new agreement with Google, supporting its 240 member mastheads and continuing the Google News Showcase initiative with 80 CPA publications. Google says it has extended agreements with News Showcase partners including Solstice Media, Times News Group, The Conversation, Women’s Agenda and Independent Australia.

Pictured: Jim and Laura Chalmers with children Leo, Annabel and Jack (photo from the Jim Chalmers MP website)