Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. F. Pangallo:

That this council—

1. Recognises the significance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (the ABC) to South Australians and especially to regional South Australians;

2. Acknowledges the importance of the ABC remaining a public broadcaster; and

3. Rejects any attempt by the federal government to sell the ABC.

(Continued from 4 July 2018.)

The Hon. T.T. NGO (16:51): I rise to support this motion moved by the Hon. Frank Pangallo. There has been a lot happening recently at our national broadcaster, the ABC, with the sacking of their managing director, Michelle Guthrie, by the then CEO, Justin Milne. As the reasoning for this decision became public, Mr Milne was forced to resign. Amongst all of this, in July we have had the bizarre motion by the Liberal Party Federal Council calling for the privatisation of the ABC. The public reaction to this has been profound in its animosity.

Personally, I do not believe any government will be able to get away with privatising the ABC. What I am more concerned about is the constant gutting of its budget, which in my view compromises the important role the ABC has in providing information to Australians in an unbiased and integral manner. We have seen how this integrity was compromised within the ABC management when it was reported that Justin Milne had been pressuring Michelle Guthrie into sacking Emma Alberici as well as making other decisions in order to satisfy the federal Liberal government of the day.

Whilst Mr Milne had clearly acted inappropriately, it is also clear that the pressure of budget cuts and constant attacks by the federal Liberal government had negatively affected the ABC's independence and impartiality through Mr Milne's actions. I think this concern showed up when Mr Milne was interviewed by Leigh Sales recently and he stated:

Nobody has told me that I'm supposed to be a wall. I think more what I'm likely to be is a conduit.

Many have interpreted this statement as meaning that Mr Milne had no intention of protecting his reporters from being unduly influenced in their coverage and that there should be a mutually beneficial relationship between the government and the ABC. As the saying goes, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. I do not believe these are the actions of a CEO who was safeguarding the independent and impartial integrity of the ABC.

It probably comes as no surprise that Michelle Guthrie's sacking was preceded by her attacks on the Liberal Party Federal Council's decision to call for the privatisation of the ABC. When she addressed the Melbourne Press Club back in June, she stated that the ABC 'deeply resents it being used as a punching bag by narrow political, commercial or ideological interests'.

My concerns on this issue of the ABC have only deepened when considering the constant discussion in conservative circles about the potential to merge the ABC and SBS in order to cut costs. This would do a disservice to our multicultural communities, with the potential for many non-English language based networks being unable to air on a newly merged broadcaster.

We all remember then prime minister Tony Abbott's solemn promise on the eve of the 2013 election that there would be no cuts to the ABC or SBS. This promise became one of a number that Mr Abbott broke in his horror budget of 2014. Amazingly, these Liberal cuts to the ABC continue four years on: $84 million has been cut by the federal Liberal government in this year's May budget. All of this amounts to cuts to the magnitude of $254 million in federal Liberal government budgets since 2014.

What we also know is that the ABC is in the firing line for another round of efficiencies, with a second review currently taking place by the federal Liberal government, known as the 2018 national broadcasters efficiencies review. In response to this second review, Prime Minister Morrison was cryptic with ABC Radio National host, Jon Faine, on the issue of a potential merger between SBS and ABC, saying:

These sorts of ideas have been floated before, but, look, I'll wait and see what the review says. I think that's the fair and reasonable thing to do.

I find it gobsmacking that one of the two people conducting this review is the current Foxtel chief executive, Peter Tonagh. Mr Tonagh is reported to have put forward the argument that vacancies at the helms of the ABC and SBS meant that the review could be more creative and was not as constrained as it might have been. Surely, Mr Tonagh has a conflict of interest on this issue, and I am concerned that he will be one of the authors of a further set of recommendations to go to the federal government.

The ABC was formed in January 1932 by the Lyons government. However, one of its chief advocates at the time was Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, who would become the longest serving Liberal prime minister in Australia. Indeed, the ABC fits ideally within some of the values the Liberals used to have, particularly the freedom of expression without government interference, and the idea that the ABC be established for educational, social and cultural purposes.

How far to the right has the Liberal Party now gone? The current Liberal Party of the day is now willing to sacrifice the values they once held dear and attack the ABC because, in their narrow-minded ideology, the economics do not stack up. The federal parliament still sees fit to deny the ABC and SBS the same rights to advertise that the free-to-air stations have. In return, the federal government monetarily compensates our two public broadcasters. This in itself is an acknowledgement that the ABC was not formed for economic reasons and that it should not operate like any other free-to-air broadcaster.

With this in mind, I condemn the federal Liberal government's handling of the ABC during its time in office. I also call on the federal Liberal government to rule out any further cuts to the public broadcaster in the second round of its efficiency review and to also rule out merging the ABC and SBS. Therefore, I commend this motion to the council.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (17:00): I rise in emphatic support of my colleague the Hon. Mr Pangallo's motion, supporting the ABC and repudiating any attempt to see it sold off in whole or in part. I send a clear and loud message to the Coalition government all the way from South Australia, 'It is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Hands off the ABC.' A lot has happened since my honourable colleague moved his motion and spoke on the matter in June 2018, and you just cannot make this stuff up.

So here goes. First, the Liberal Party's Federal Council passed a motion back in June to sell off the national broadcaster, the impetus for the motion I am speaking to now. Not one person spoke out against the motion. Perhaps that was an administrative error. At least that was the excuse proffered on how they came to vote on Pauline Hanson's appalling motion last month, but more on that when I speak to my colleague's multiculturalism motion.

The Liberal Party's Federal Council started a fight it cannot win with its motion for the sale of the ABC and it simply opened a hornet's nest of Liberal Party antipathy towards the ABC laid bare for all to see, although they have never been very good at keeping that hidden. We did not even need the motion to know what the Liberal Party thinks of the ABC. Their actions speak louder than words.

Funding for the national broadcaster was cut by $84 million in May, with the now Prime Minister and former federal treasurer, Scott Morrison, saying that the reduction was justified because everyone has to live within their means. If only the government would practise what they preach. They had no qualms in spending $100 million of taxpayers' money last year on a postal survey for marriage equality in which the federal parliament preferred to play Pontius Pilate politics rather than just getting on with it and legislating within the existing marriage power available under the constitution.

They also had no qualms in making a curious $444 million grant to a small charity, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to fund projects to improve the health of the reef. Of course, we know now that the foundation is supported by companies including BHP, Rio Tinto and Qantas, and only had six staff when it was awarded the huge amount of money. That decision is now the subject of a Senate inquiry. The $84 million cut to the ABC over the forward years comes on top of the government's decision not to continue a further $43 million target to support news gatherings and after cuts in the magnitude of $254 million in successive budgets since 2014.

Then the federal Minister for Communications, Mitch Fifield, announced the second efficiency review for the ABC and SBS, echoing the Lewis review in 2014. Minister Fifield, of course, is a member of the Institute of Public Affairs, otherwise known as IPA, the right wing think tank and failed Liberal candidate for Mayo Georgina Downer's former employer who has long advocated for the privatisation of the ABC. Yet, he is meant to be protecting the ABC as the minister.

Up to June this year, minister Fifield had made six complaints to ABC management in five months. In January, it was over the date of Triple J's Hottest 100. The minister thought that the decision was somehow politically motivated by the ABC and he felt compelled to complain. In February, it was the Emma Alberici articles on corporate tax. This complaint was backed up by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's own complaint about this issue. The ABC conducted its own internal investigation and found that there were no material errors in her reports. However, the report noted that the articles did swing from editorial to opinion, and this was amended, and the articles reposted.

In March, minister Fifield complained again about the Tonightly sketch. In April, he complained again about another sketch on the ABC Indigenous Facebook page. In May, the minister once again had Emma Alberici in his sights with a complaint about an innovation story. A review into that complaint by the ABC found a minor issue but nothing that would merit the sacking of a journalist. Despite his protestations, the minister would have us believe he never sought to influence employment matters at the ABC. The composition of the ABC board is another matter, and one the minister firmly had a hand in—but more on that later.

We then move to a couple of bills introduced by the Coalition government to get One Nation on side. While those bills languish on the Notice Paper they remain as a stark reminder of how intent the Coalition government is on chipping away at the independence of the ABC and SBS to get what it wants. Not only did the Coalition vote for Pauline Hanson's motion that it is okay to be white, at first instance, they also think it is okay to pander to Pauline's every whim.

From there we witnessed the unceremonious sacking of former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie only a month ago, halfway through her term, and the self-implosion of its former chairman Justin Milne, a friend and former business associate of Malcolm Turnbull, who was forced to resign amid damaging allegations of how he compromised the independence of the public broadcaster by demanding journalists Emma Alberici and Andrew Probyn be sacked to appease the Coalition government.

That sorry and torrid episode revealed the former chairman's email to Michelle Guthrie where he asked Guthrie to 'get rid of' high profile presenter Emma Alberici because, he said in the email, the Coalition government 'hated' her and she had 'tarred' the ABC. That episode also highlighted the inequity of the board appointment process, which is in dire need of transparency and reform, when the Coalition government—and specifically minister Fifield—ignored the advice of an independent nomination panel in appointing several directors. This ugly episode is now the subject of yet another inquiry.

Last week, the Senate referred matters related to allegations of political interference in the ABC to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry. That committee is due to report by 29 March 2019—just before the next federal election. I have to commend Senator Hanson-Young for moving that motion, supported by our federal colleagues Centre Alliance. The inquiry will examine the sacking of Michelle Guthrie, the conduct of former chair Justin Milne, the system of board appointments, and any political interference or attempted interference by the federal government and the ABC. This inquiry is accepting submissions. Grab your FruChocs—the hearings will certainly be something to watch.

This now brings to five the number inquiries the ABC is facing, five, including the aforementioned efficiency review, a competitive neutrality inquiry, a departmental investigation ordered by the communications minister, and an inquiry by the board itself into the Milne allegations. The threats to the ABC by the Coalition are absolutely unprecedented.

There is a simple reason to support Aunty; it is because the ABC is a treasured, pre-eminent cultural institution producing quality programming where commercial broadcasters have preferred to go down the path of dumbing down audiences with pointless dating shows and spin-off after spin-off of talent shows and more dating shows. I am still old enough to remember Meet The Press on Channel 10, and the Sunday Program with the mellifluous tones of Jim Whaley. All gone.

In October 2017, an Essential trust-in-media poll found that ABC TV news and current affairs were the most trusted sources of media in Australia—but we do not need a poll to tell us that, we know that to be the truth. Investigative journalism is at its best on the ABC, and the broadcaster has been instrumental in shedding light on so many important issues where commercial stations do not tread.

Explosive stories on Four Corners have resulted in two royal commissions. The first, in 2016, followed the investigative piece called 'Australia's Shame', which achingly revealed the torture of children in the Don Dale Detention Centre in the Northern Territory. Most recently, the federal government announced the royal commission into aged care the very day Four Corners aired the first of its two-part investigative special 'Who Cares?', which examined failings in Australia's aged-care sector.

There is no doubt the public broadcaster provides an invaluable service to Australians wherever they live, in the city or in the bush, by breaking stories and entertaining children and adults alike with its quality programming, with not a fake wedding in sight. The ABC is not a state broadcaster, it is not a mouthpiece for government; it is a public broadcaster. It is our broadcaster. The independence and integrity of the ABC is absolutely paramount. It must remain free from political interference. SA-Best and our federal colleagues in Centre Alliance will continue to advocate and fight for exactly that. With those words, I commend the motion to the council.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (17:10): I rise to address the motion from the Hon. Frank Pangallo. I take the opportunity to congratulate him on bringing this matter before the chamber. I have no doubt that he has done so in a most sincere way. It is an issue that stirs a great deal of passion amongst Australians and, of course, that includes South Australians.

As members would note from the circulation of amendments in my name, the government is unable to support the motion from the Hon. Mr Pangallo in its current form. However, it is our desire to support it in an amended form. Therefore, I move to amend the motion, as follows:

Delete paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 and substitute—

1. Recognises the significant role media organisations play across South Australia and particularly in regional and rural areas;

2. Acknowledges the importance of having a strong regional media presence through such mediums as radio, newspaper and television;

3. Notes the South Australian parliament recognises the important role of the ABC; and

4. Urges the federal government to consider the importance of independent media, especially in rural areas.

There are a number of important aspects of this that need to be highlighted, and that is that, with the advancement of technology, the delivery of news—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Allow the member to speak.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: And: '6. We welcome the sale of the ABC.'

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Sir, really.

The PRESIDENT: The members to my left should show the same respect the Hon. Mr Hood has shown you during the debate.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Thank you, sir. With the advancement of technology, the delivery of news continues to advance, and often away from traditional methods. The truth is that almost everybody has internet access these days and the internet is playing an increasingly important role in availability of news services. In fact, many people in our current world access news only via the internet. Certainly, a number of my constituents have expressed that to me, as they have to all members in this place, over time. So we need to be careful about taking various positions on things, based on the current state of play; it is very much a moving feast.

In regional areas in particular, the traditional local newspaper and radio station do continue to play an important role, and I suspect they will for a very long time yet to come, despite the changing face of the media landscape. It is important that regional areas in particular have access to local content. People living in remote areas or even very significant regional centres would obviously have a strong interest in the matters affecting their regional community, and there is no doubt at all that the ABC has played a role in delivering those services to those communities in particular.

According to research undertaken by the Australian Communications and Media Authority last year, 86 per cent of regional Australians say local news is important to them, firming up the point I just made; 87 per cent of regional Australians are currently satisfied with the overall quality of local news available in the local area; and 78 per cent of regional Australians have access to all the local content they would like. That is an important point: they actually have access—that is 78 per cent of Australians—to all the local content that they would like, so it is not difficult for most people to access these services.

The ABC, along with other forms of regional media, does play an important role, as I said, in providing the community with up-to-date information and items of significant interest, particularly in their areas. Any speculation about the ABC's future has been addressed by the federal government, and the federal government has the responsibility of determining the ABC's final budget. That is a significant point here.

Obviously, the ABC is a matter wholly for the federal parliament, not for the state parliament. I think members would be well aware that the budget for the ABC is determined by our colleagues in Canberra, not by the Treasurer sitting to my left. It is important that we acknowledge the fact that, regardless of what the state parliament decides to do today with this motion or any other issue surrounding the ABC, we really have almost no influence on it as a matter of fact and certainly as a matter of legality.

With those words, I indicate that the government is not able to support the motion as currently moved by the Hon. Mr Pangallo. As I said, we have moved some amendments, which we, in good faith, hope he is able to support. If he is not able to support them, then the government indicates that we will not be able to support the motion if it is not amended, and I indicate that we will be calling for a division.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (17:15): I thank all honourable members for their contributions. I note that the Hon. Dennis Hood has proposed scrapping my original motion and replacing it with a totally different one that defeats the whole purpose of it. In journalistic parlance, he has done a complete rewrite, and I will not be supporting it. I would also like to point out to the Hon. Dennis Hood that commercial media is actually cutting back in regional areas, including Fairfax, which is closing some regional offices.

The Hon. D.G.E. Hood: Not Sky. Sky is expanding.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Well, not everybody can get or afford Sky. Since filing this motion, our national broadcaster has been embroiled in controversy, with the sacking of its managing director, Michelle Guthrie, and then the departure of her executioner, Justin Milne. There are still serious questions that need to be answered, particularly by the board, because this action unfairly reflected poorly on the ABC itself and its staff. It did not reflect well on Mr Milne, who wanted journalists sacked because the thin-skinned Turnbull government did not take well to criticism of its performance by the broadcaster, which is funded by taxpayers. But this is the value of having an independent voice that will not be dictated to by politicians. And don't they look like fools now, after their clumsy and ill-conceived coup?

I have never met Michelle Guthrie, but I did see her in action in Senate estimates last year. She handled herself well, considering she was new to the job and had a tough challenge, in part caused by the Turnbull government's cuts to its budget. She has an impressive resume, but there was some criticism from ex-ABC journalists that she was not a managing editor and therefore did not have a closer connection or understanding of its news and current affairs division and what it does.

I do not agree with that assessment. Running the ABC can sometimes be regarded as a poisoned chalice because of the relentless attacks on it from outside media organisations. It was disappointing to see the attacks on its integrity and of its journalists, particularly Emma Alberici, for whom I have admiration. Whether or not that particular story which created all the fuss was accurate, Emma is a fine journalist, a tough interviewer and one I could never accuse of showing political bias.

All that aside, it is vital we protect the independence of the ABC and that it should be free of political interference. I note that recently in Senate estimates its acting managing director, David Anderson, conceded cuts to the programming and, most likely, staff would need to be made to meet Scott Morrison's $84 million efficiency dividend, or freezing the annual funding for three years. Now, we all know that is pollie-speak for 'You're losing $84 million from your budget'. To meet this objective it means the ABC will have to review services both in the city and the regions.

On my recent trips to the regions, I turned to ABC radio programs tailored for the regions and realised how important they were to those communities in keeping them informed about what was happening in their own backyards, whether it was news or covering areas important to them, like primary industry, mining or manufacturing. They provide a conduit for regional people to communicate and provide feedback about the issues that impact on them, like the drought. The ABC plays a vital role in bushfire and other emergency alerts to communities flung far and wide.

The National Farmers' Federation noted the integral role the ABC plays in the lives of all Australians. In a submission to a Senate inquiry earlier this year it stated:

ABC is also one of the only media entities that produces a free dedicated news service to primary industries (there are a number of smaller enterprises that offer email subscription news services that source revenue from advertising). Landline, Country Hour and ABC Rural amongst others are regarded as institutions by many in the sector.

Keeping rural, regional and remote Australians connected also carries significant community benefit. Overall the NFF considers the ABC plays a positive role for regional Australians and the agricultural sector.

We also do not want to see a cutback in local drama and entertainment. While the commercial networks go into overdrive with their contrived reality shows, the ABC is the only TV network that is consistently producing high-quality viewing made right here using Australian talent. A great example of that is Pine Gap, the six-part spy drama the ABC co-funded in conjunction with Netflix. Rake, Riot, Mystery Road, Cleverman, The Code, Glitch, Harrow, Janet King and Jack Irish are quality you will not see on commercial TV, which is obsessed with reality and loop repeats of the same blockbuster movies when it is not showing live sport.

Talking of sport, the ABC was the only network interested in live coverage of the Invictus Games. They also broadcast the Paralympics until it was taken over by the commercial Seven Network in 2016, only to see this year's Winter Games in Pyongyang reduced to mid-morning and late-night highlights package. We missed live coverage of gold medal winners. The ABC also cover the Women's Australian Open golf, played right here in Adelaide.

The ABC pours money into comedy, variety, infotainment, like Gardening Australia, documentaries, children's programs, music—I can go on. While the commercial networks have heavily slashed their commitments to news and current affairs, the ABC remains front and centre with groundbreaking investigations by flagship programs like Four Corners and 7.30, its news channel and assorted current affairs content. I am proud to say that I have worked there, on 7.30, and as South Australian editor of their TV magazine, TV Times. I do not know if many can remember that.

I do not want to ever see the day where the ABC is forced to reduce or even stop local production of its TV news and have it come out of a Melbourne or Sydney studio. The ABC's online presence is impressive and remains free of paywalls, much to the annoyance of the commercial media, and that is how it should remain because every taxpayer contributes to its funding and is entitled to access that valued and informed mine of content.

While the federal Coalition government has since distanced itself from that nonsensical motion passed at the Liberal Party's annual Federal Council to privatise the ABC, even the very thought of it is offensive. If there is a new Labor government in Canberra next year, I would hope they reverse the draconian budget measure and respect the ABC's standing as a public broadcaster that is free of political intrusion. I commend this motion to the Legislative Council.

The council divided on the amendment:

Ayes 7

Noes 9

Majority 2

Amendment thus negatived; motion carried.