Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Services) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I absolutely stand by my comments about the ABC board's decision in December 2016, on the advice of their former managing director, to shut down the short-wave services that communities in the Territory needed, that Pacific nations relied on, that fishermen in the waters around the Northern Territory relied on, and that the truckies who went from Adelaide to Darwin relied on to stay informed. It was an appalling decision by the ABC, and I absolutely stand by those comments. But I do find it a little cute by half that your team is lecturing our side of politics about ensuring that the ABC is independent. That is something that we are very cautious about.

We want the ABC to retain their independence, which means we can't direct the board or the managing director where to spend their money. But I will always urge the managing director—and, indeed, I've even written to the new acting chair about this issue to say that the board needs to revisit that decision and that it also needs to look at the advice that the ABC is giving rural and regional people in the NT about how they can access ABC services. They say, 'Just use VAST.' Do you know what? That would require you to put a satellite on your ute so that you can get to listen to ABC services. They do not understand what it means to live out in the regions. They think everybody has amazing connectivity. It's an appalling decision, and I stand by my comments.