Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Kitching, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has covered more than 850 emergency broadcasting events in the 2019-20 reporting period so far,

  (ii) this represents more than double the number of emergency broadcasting events covered by the ABC for all of 2018-19, and triple the year before that,

  (iii) in times of crisis, Australians turn to the national broadcaster for trusted news and information, and

  (iv) the ABC is a lifeline for at-risk and impacted communities, particularly when other lines of communication are affected by extreme weather events; and

(b) expresses its support for the work of the ABC in providing these essential services to all Australians, especially to those in regional areas;

(c) recognises that:

  (i) the whole of agency impact of the unprecedented bushfire season requires a significant commitment from the ABC,

  (ii) the cost of the ABC's emergency broadcasting comes out of its funding, and

  (iii) more frequent and intense climate events mean there will be increasing need for emergency broadcasting by the ABC;

(d) congratulates the ABC on the vital role it plays in the daily life of Australians and in Australia's democracy; and

(e) affirms the indispensable place of the ABC in the fabric of our nation.

Question agreed to.