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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-17 Daily Xml
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ABC and SBS Funding

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:29): At lunchtime today, out the front of the ABC at Collinswood, there was a rally, and there was a very good reason for this rally. It goes back to 6 September 2013 when Prime Minister Tony Abbott looked into a camera and told Australians about his plans for the ABC and SBS. What he, in fact, said was: no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.

Since that time, the Abbott government has cut more than $240 million from the ABC and SBS. As the shadow minister for communications said, 'He abolished the Australia Network [a network that] was reaching out to 167 million households, giving our important Asian neighbours and the world an insight into Australian life and values.'

In the space of one year, the Abbott government has gone from no cuts to the ABC or SBS to 'the savings being sought from ABC and SBS are substantial'. Over $40 million has already been stripped from the ABC core budget and the Australia Network is gone. What, then, of our home state of South Australia? The impact could mean the direct loss of 100 ABC jobs in addition to 40 jobs in our local production industry.

I am concerned, and so were the people who attended today's rally and the 250,000 who have already voiced their concerns by signing a petition against the Abbott government cuts. It is our ABC and those opposite should be going to their federal Liberal colleagues and saying that these cuts are not justified and should be reversed.

Members interjecting:

Ms WORTLEY: I really do urge those opposite to hear this, because the impact on South Australia—and I am assuming that is what you are there for—are significant. Australians trust the ABC. They know its independence and ability to deliver the Australian story through reflecting Australian culture, but its ability to deliver local, national and international news will be impacted by these budget measures.

Those opposite need to ask themselves these questions. If they are there for South Australia, they need to ask: what level of impact will this have on rural news broadcasts by the ABC? What would we have without rural news? What about emerging Australian bands? How could they gain recognition without triple j Unearthed? What about the academic and intellectual debate on the airwaves? What of the job losses, and the opportunity for journalism graduates from the University of South Australia?

The impact of the Abbott government cuts are, and will continue to be, far reaching and could include, in South Australia, impacting on news rooms—this is national, not just South Australia—payroll corporate service and administrative cuts, outsourcing of TV production to the private sector, outsourcing of back-of-house functions, a potential merger of some ABC and SBS staff, and outsourcing of ABC staff being centralised to a company.

The ABC has always been about quality independent journalism, and these cuts threaten the essence of the national broadcaster's being. Dismantling the ABC or subjecting it to a death by a thousand cuts is a desperate and dangerous move by our federal government. The ABC is critically important to our nation. It fulfils roles no-one else can. Our ABC is of huge cultural importance for the role it plays in the arts in reflecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and in national debates they matter to individuals, to our community and to our nation.

I would like to speak briefly on a pledge that was put up today, and it is one that I would like to sign up to and ask those opposite to do so as well. It reads:

I know that Australia's independent public broadcaster is crucial to the life of our nation. Australians rely on the ABC for independent news and current affairs, programs that reflect our diverse culture, quality entertainment depth and innovation, services for rural Australians and the promotion of Australia in our region. I support the goal of maintaining a vibrant ABC with funding to thrive and remain commercial free. I pledge to uphold the ABC's independence by doing everything in my power to ensure the federal government honours its pre-election promise not to cut ABC or SBS funding.

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