Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

that the national broadcaster’s complaints handling process works appropriately. They are quite right to bring to the attention of the ABC issues that they perceive as being biased and otherwise not delivering on the ABC’s charter. Both the ABC and, in fact, the SBS—because I think it is important that we deal with both for the purposes of Senator Moore’s question—introduced changes during 2005 to improve their internal complaints handling processes. These changes are in fact welcome changes and are continually monitored by the government. The Howard government is further committed to expanding the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s capacity to consider complaints about both national broadcasters in relation to specific cases of bias, lack of balance, inaccuracy or unfair treatment in respect of ABC and SBS broadcasts or publications. This process and the enhanced capacity of ACMA to deal with these issues will assist in providing a more complete, streamlined and responsive complaints handling process in respect of the ABC and SBS.