Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says media outlets that oppose a price on carbon should not pretend that their coverage is balanced.
Mr Swan on Friday named Sydney's The Daily Telegraph as one newspaper that constantly opposed a carbon price. "It doesn't care how it does it," he said of the News Limited publication.
Referring to the phone hacking scandal embroiling media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News International organisation in the United Kingdom, Mr Swan told reporters in Perth that such practises were "absolutely unacceptable".
But he said he welcomed and accepted statements made on Thursday by News Limited's chief executive officer in Australia, John Hartigan, that the company was not engaged in those sorts of practises here.
But the treasurer said some media outlets in Australia did have a political agenda.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"They've made that very clear, they say it openly.
"They just shouldn't pretend that they are balanced," Mr Swan said. "I think it's pretty clear there are a number of media outlets that are opposed to the introduction of a price on carbon, that is their right.
"The fact is those media outlets shouldn't pretend their coverage is balanced. It clearly is not."
Mr Swan said he thought there would now be a healthy debate about media ethics and standards in Australia. "That's a good thing for the country. "I think by and large journalists do a good job, I think by and large journalists are very professional," he said.
