Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has taken to Google's YouTube channel to question the impartiality of the ACCC's news media bargaining code and raise doubt about the government's motives.

"I always get a little bit suspicious when the Murdoch media get excited about something, and they're really excited about this code," says the bearded former leader. And he adds that when "#scottyfrommarketing" - yes, he really does have his own hashtag - "produces legislation to make the Murdoch media feel really happy".

While he professes to be no fan of Google or Facebook, or the idea of people's content being stolen, he expresses doubt about the public policy objectives. "I would have thought it is something old-fashioned called media diversity," he says.

But if that's the case, Rudd argues that the aims are not being well served by the ACCC's approval of Nine's purchase of Fairfax Media, or of News Corp's purchase of the former APN regional newspapers, print editions of most of which have been closed in recent weeks.

See the video here: