Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's most trusted news and current affairs broadcaster,

(ii) the ABC is an extremely well loved national institution, and that independent opinion polls regularly reveal high levels of public satisfaction with the broadcaster, and

(iii) the Coalition has cut funding for the ABC in the past, including an 11 per cent cut in 1998 under Prime Minister John Howard;

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) commit to protecting funding to the ABC in the forthcoming budget, and

(ii) cease threatening the ABC's editorial independence; and

(c) orders that there be laid on the table, by the Minister representing the Minister for Communications (Senator Fifield) by 3 March 2014, the 2006 KPMG report into the adequacy and efficiency of ABC funding commissioned by the Howard Government.

I seek leave to make a very brief statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that the government will be opposing this motion—although if Senator Fifield wants to put us in the picture, that would be greatly appreciated. This motion effectively cements and acknowledges the role of the ABC as Australia's most trusted news and current affairs broadcaster. It is a well-loved and trusted national institution. The last time the coalition was in power, they cut funding for the ABC and put it on a starvation diet, including an 11 per cent cut in 1998 under Prime Minister John Howard. I, like many other Australians, was extremely disturbed to see the Prime Minister and senior members of the executive criticising the ABC and demanding it take a particular editorial line on the same day as announcing a so-called efficiency review, which we all know is code for 'cuts to funding'. On 6 September, Prime Minister Tony Abbott categorically said he would not cut funding to the ABC. I ask Senator Fifield, for the coalition, to underline this commitment before the Senate today. (Time expired)

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government, like every government before it, has no power, as the Greens well know, to direct the ABC in relation to its operational matters and editorial decisions. These are matters for the executive and the board. In terms of internal ABC programming and editorial decisions, the parliament has given the ABC independence by law. Obviously the responsibility for ensuring that this obligation is met is expressly stated to lie with those particular parties, and the government respects this. The government has stated its commitment to maintaining the quality, performance and efficiency of the ABC to ensure that the ABC fulfils its charter. All governments have a duty to ensure taxpayers' funds are used as efficiently as possible, and the national broadcaster is no exception. The efficiency study the government recently announced will assist the national broadcaster to find more efficient delivery— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.