Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am on broadcast now, but I would like to be there on prime time, at the seven o'clock news, Senator Mason

Seriously, a lot of people are starting to say: should we privatise it? Why does the taxpayer have to fund this? It is not as if the ABC is now a balanced disseminator of news.

As I always do, I have almost run out of time. But I do want to make a distinction. I come from regional Australia and I have a lot to do with regional ABC radio. And as I always say, I am sure that a lot of the people in the regional offices do not agree with me politically—and they probably do not vote for me—but I have always found them to be very, very balanced. They will always give everybody a run and they will not editorialise when the interviews are over. So I do have a great regard for the work that the rural ABC radio in particular does. They are a great public service in rural and regional Australia. But I am sorry that I cannot say the same for the capital city news disseminators. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.