John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I speak very much in support of this matter of public importance put forward by the Labor Party:

Strong, well-funded and independent public broadcasting in Australia by the ABC and SBS.

The Nationals leader, Mr Michael McCormack—the Deputy Prime Minister, the member for Riverina and a bloke I call my mate—made a statement today:

The Nationals does not, and has no intention of ever supporting the privatisation of the ABC.

The ABC provides an invaluable service to rural and regional Australians.

From providing cricket coverage to those driving Australia's long highways, to its dedicated coverage of the agriculture sector on The Country Hour, as well as its role in supporting emergency services during natural disasters, the ABC is a crucial and much-loved institution in the regions.

The Nationals believe the ABC should invest more of its staff and resources into rural and regional Australia.

We also believe the ABC should have a legislated obligation to provide coverage to rural and regional Australia.

The Liberals and Nationals Government has a range of measures to support these aims, including legislating that the ABC Board always has at least two members from rural and regional Australia.

There it is in black and white, read out for Hansard. The government supports strong, well-funded and independent public broadcasting in Australia by the ABC and SBS. That is perfectly clear. I get on very well with the ABC. I nearly always listen to them on the radio at home. I watch TV very little but the ABC often. There's one program I do refuse to watch, though, called Q&A. I will not watch that program. There are not enough hours left in my life to waste now without watching Q&Aand a bit of smirk there from Senator Carr! I was in the audience of Q&A one night, at Tamworth, and I was disgusted with the way the questions were stacked up against the conservatives. I almost walked out at half time; I thought, 'No, never ever.' Luckily, in the 10 years I've been in this chamber, I've never been invited onto Q&A. Perhaps they know it's probably a waste of a phone call inviting me.