This was published 5 years ago
Opinion
Can Canberra move from timid and tepid to courageous?
By Ranald Macdonald
Barry Jones, former ALP minister and a genuine living legend, Malcolm Fraser, the late Liberal prime minister, and others believed that Australia needed a rebirth politically.
The ABC has scored a number of own goals over recent months.Credit: Christopher Pearce
As Barry Jones said: “We have a timid party and a tepid party in Canberra, cannot we aim for a courageous one?”
So they drew up a detailed constitution for all to think about, but sadly one wonders whether the exciting prospect of a new and imaginative and fresh political party is just a pipe dream. I hope not.
I played a minor part in consultation about the media and in particular about the ABC and its future role. For it is (I believe) vital we have properly funded, politically independent and courageous (that word again) public broadcasting.
Even when I was responsible for The Age newspaper, I felt that Australians needed their ABC for so many reasons.
These reasons have strengthened rather than receded in recent years. In part, because of the rise and rise of the Murdoch monolith and also because in so many areas – rural and regional reporting, emergency services, children's programming and other crucial areas where our society needs leavening – it is the ABC that is required to deliver as the commercial operators recede.
Over recent years, the budget for 46 outlets, four television channels, iView, News 24 has been slashed – and of particular hollowness was the ending of the Australia Network with its Australian voice to our north and informed reporting back. In today’s money, that totals nearly a one-third reduction in funding over 30 years, with the Abbott government cut of $254 million in 2014, despite his pre-election promise to camera of “no cuts”.
So what follows is a log of claims just put forward by the body ABC Friends National through its president, Margaret Reynolds, to all current and potential politicians for their serious consideration.
Former ABC boss Michelle Guthrie.Credit: ABC
News of it will probably not see light of day in the Murdoch empire, nor be seriously debated by some of the appallingly myopic commentators of the far right. But here it is for serious thought and debate.
We seek additional funding for the ABC from 2019/20 additional to reversing the freeze already announced by the government of $83.7 million over the next triennial budget.
In establishing the required budgetary enhancement, we note the $254 million reduction imposed by the Coalition government in 2014, plus the withdrawal by DFAT of $210 million, which funded the Australia Network. Further, that the current total contribution of government funding represents just .02% of the GDP compared to .06% in 1980.
Additional resources are required to allow the ABC to resume its charter role of reporting international news from our Asian Pacific neighbours as well as providing Australian voices back into this region. Further, it is in the public interest that short-wave transmission is restored for the ABC as soon as possible.
The ABC requires additional funding to ensure it can produce quality Australian content in all areas of broadcast programming, with a particular focus on news and current affairs, regional and rural services, Radio National, ABC Classic and children’s television.
And, of special importance, is a commitment to de-politicise board appointments and to provide certainty for management and board planning by introducing rolling five-year budgets, with the first three years given legislative protection.
Lastly, should neither the current government nor the opposition be able to commit fully to the above log of claims, then they will ensure that the next Australian government should appoint an independent, expert panel committed to public broadcasting to advise it on the level of funding needed for the ABC to meet its charter obligations in full – and on terms which serve the public interest and Australian democracy.
The ALP has committed itself not to privatise the ABC (as has the political arm of the Liberal Party) and also to provide more funding. Hopefully others will join in and there will follow promises of actual dollars greater political independence and and budget certainty.
The ABC has scored a number of own goals over recent months, with board and management needing to lift their games, but that does not diminish the importance of its role in democratic Australia.
Come on, Canberra! Choose courageous over timidity and (if there is such a word) tepidity – and commit to public broadcasting.
Ranald Macdonald is a former Managing Director and Editor in Chief of The Age newspaper. He is a spokesman for Friends of the ABC.