Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

We need to turn our minds back to the reason the ABC was established in the first place. It was established for two prime reasons. The first was that the commercial media could not be relied on to make the full and proper investment that was necessary to deliver services to much of Australia. That is still a problem today, despite the improvement in technology. The second reason, of course, was to ensure, as far as possible, that there was an independent voice which was not governed by commercial imperatives and which would not carry on the biased and somewhat superficial approach to news and current affairs that was and is a characteristic of some of the commercial media.

The ABC is not just an important part of our telecommunications and media network—the information gathering and disseminating network—it is a very important social and political counterpoint to the big business attitudes that often determine how our main commercial media report. It is therefore an important part of our democracy. The ABC provides a lifeline to, in particular, regional Australia, with informed current affairs reporting, vital contributions to Australian culture and the provision of Australian content. It also makes a contribution to a proud Australian nationalism and the expression of the Australian character.

However, ABC operational funding has declined by 30 per cent since 1985-86 under both Labor and coalition governments. In 1996, the coalition cut funding by 12 per cent. This has never been restored. ABC funding has been cut far more in relative terms than any other major area of government expenditure. The ABC is finding it difficult to maintain core services like news and current affairs at the level and to the depth required. Cheaper programs therefore end up replacing quality and more expensive, long-term programs. Australian content ends up falling and repeats become increasingly common. Those sorts of results directly attack the ABC charter and its basis of operation.

Many Australians are concerned that current affairs shows such as Four Corners and iconic children’s programs such as Play School might go without adequate funding. Already the ABC production of local drama has fallen from 102 hours in 2001 to just 20 hours in 2005 as a result of underfunding. A recent KPMG audit of the ABC, commissioned by the government, has found that the ABC is efficient but severely underfunded. Rather than spend a small part of the estimated $14 billion surplus on adequately funding the ABC and providing a service that Australians do value, the government is talking about allowing advertising on the ABC—not in the immediate future but in the long-term future. That would be a mistake because it would introduce commercial imperatives and suppress a fully independent operation. That is a government view which should not prevail in the future. Public funding means that the ABC does not have the commercial pressures of other broadcasters, allowing the ABC to provide diverse programming and maintain independence and journalistic integrity without fear or favour. The ABC should not be in the business of selling junk food to kids or motor cars to adults.

Last Thursday, GetUp and the MEAA launched a petition calling on the Treasurer and finance minister to grant the moderate funding requested by the ABC in their triennial budget submission. They set a target of 10,000 signatures. Within 12 hours they smashed their target, and within four working days they had received 41,270 signatures. The overwhelming response to the petition demonstrates the sense in the community—ordinary Australians—of how committed people are to this cherished institution and to it remaining independent and well funded. We are also concerned about Minister Coonan’s decision to remove the staff elected ABC board member. We think this decision is bad politics, bad public policy and bad corporate governance. (Time expired)