Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am disappointed to see yesterday's announcement by the ABC General Manager, Mark Scott, of the closure of ABC production unit in Tasmania. I have repeatedly called upon Mr Scott to guarantee the production capabilities in Tasmania during a number of Senate estimates hearings. Mr Scott's answers have been deliberately evasive, and it appears that there has been a determined strategy by piecemeal removal of shows and segments to destroy ABC production capacity in Tasmania, with the aim of the complete shutdown of ABC production in Tasmania.

The Australian people expect that the rich stories of all Australians are told by the national broadcaster. The decision to shut down production in Tasmania is a failure to uphold one of the basic obligations of the ABC. We are a diverse nation and it is fundamental to our cultural identity that the stories of our home state are told through the ABC.