Labor promises funding increase to protect Australian public broadcasters from ‘arbitrary’ interference | Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Labor will promise to protect ABC and SBS against “arbitrary ideological cuts and political interference” – including by providing greater financial security to national broadcasters.
The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, will say on Saturday that he would give the broadcasters five-year financing terms – rather than the three-year financing reviews that currently apply.
By making a pitch to voters before the election, Albanese will declare that “only Labor will protect ABC and SBS as independent public broadcasters”.
Removing funding from the three-year election cycle “will improve national broadcasters’ capacity to innovate as well as plan,” according to a statement issued by Albanese and Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland.
“In addition to five-year funding terms, a Labor government will review the possibilities of providing a greater level of financial stability and security to national broadcasters to safeguard against arbitrary ideological cuts and political interference,” Albanese and Rowland will say.
The declaration does not identify these possibilities, but ideas that have been flown in the past include a more open, transparent consultation process with public input prior to funding renewals and even legislative possibilities.
Labor would consider these options in government with elections for May next year.
Albanese and Rowland will pledge to “strengthen the independence and stability of national broadcasters as a guard against political interference in Australia’s democratic institutions.”
“In the face of political, social and economic instability at home and abroad, we must ensure that Australia’s instruments for nation-building, democracy and culture remain strong now and in the future.”
The opposition says the five-year funding commitment is a complement to Labor’s previous commitment to reinstate $ 83.7 million cut from ABC.
The promise comes a few days after the ABC chair, Ita Buttrose, accused the Morrison government of political interference and attempts to intimidate the public television company after the Senate established an inquiry into its appeal. Buttrose also described the relationship with the government as “strained”.
The query was announced last week after ABC’s complaints department told Fox News that it had not confirmed any of the complaints made in a lengthy submission of a Four Corners program on Fox News released in August.
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The Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, chaired by Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, launched a rapid investigation into complaints being processed by ABC and SBS, to report on 28 February.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, defended the investigation, and said he could not understand why ABC “would consider itself an exception to business as usual”.
“[The ABC] is a government agency, they have their independence and no one questions it, but that is not beyond the scrutiny of how they behave using taxpayers’ money from any other government agency, Morrison said Monday.
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