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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-19 Daily Xml
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ABC and SBS Funding

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:44): I was going to speak this afternoon on the cuts to the SBS and ABC budgets heralded on Media Watch and confirmed by the Minister for Communications on Q&A on Monday 17 November. However, this afternoon, I understand, while we were in question time, the federal communications minister (Malcolm Turnbull) actually announced the figures. I understand at this stage that the announcement revealed $254 million of cuts over five years for our national broadcaster, the ABC, and the SBS operating budget will be reduced by $25.2 million over five years. It was on the eve of the last federal election that the Prime Minister said in response to a direct question on SBS news:

I trust everyone actually listened to what Joe Hockey has said: no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.

It is interesting that these remarks were prefaced with the word 'trust' because it was Mr Abbott who said on an earlier occasion that the only utterances made by him that should be perceived as gospel truth were carefully scripted ones made as part of a speech or policy announcement. Comments made during the heat of discussion—they were his words, 'the heat of discussion'—should not necessarily be regarded as truthful or reliable.

I cannot say that Mr Abbott's remarks on SBS, remarks that have been frequently broadcast and quoted since the election, appear to me to be made in the heat of the moment or under any particular pressure from his questioner. It is a pity that some of the voting public did not recall Mr Abbott's analysis of his own trustworthiness when casting their votes last year, because it is the case that there have been cuts to education; there have been cuts to health; there will be cuts to pensions; and, of course, now we know, and it has been announced, that there are cuts to the ABC and the SBS.

Mr Turnbull says that this action is not based on ideology, but when one considers the current Coalition government's fairly notorious reluctance to submit to scrutiny, one can hardly be surprised that the robust reportage and analysis for which the ABC and SBS are rightly respected is to be silenced by what, with these figures, one can only assume will be a death of a thousand cuts.

I understand that the cuts announced today will represent 4.6 per cent of the ABC's budget over five years, though this estimate does not take into account the recent loss of the Australia Network. It is also estimated that up to 500 jobs could be lost before Christmas; that the state-produced 7.30 programs (including our own) could go, and with them related local production capacity; that Lateline could be cut back; that overseas bureaus will lose staff; and that ABC radio will lose funds, although regional radio will be protected to a degree, as will Radio National.

I have to say that I am keeping a close eye on what eventuates. If true, there is obviously a strong possibility that network content from Sydney and Melbourne will dominate our viewing and listening here in South Australia, that our local voices and our local views will be subsumed. How does this adhere to the charter of our national broadcaster, one has to ask, to its responsibility to serve not only the large metropolitan centres but also rural and regional areas?

I urge all supporters of our national broadcaster, all who have a measure of trust in their integrity—who incidentally include 70 per cent of ABC viewers and 65 per cent of SBS viewers—to make their views known to the federal government. I got those figures from a 2013 Essential research poll. I think it is important that members of the public make their concerns known, and I would just like to point out that there will be a lunchtime rally at 12.30 on Thursday across from the ABC building. It is a community rally. All members of the public are welcome, and it will give them an opportunity to voice their concerns about the cuts, the $254 million worth of cuts over five years that have just been announced by the federal communications minister, Mr Turnbull.


At 15:49 the house adjourned until Thursday 20 November 2014 at 10:30.

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