The Shadow Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, says Labor has committed to reversing the Liberals’ $83.7 million cut to the ABC, as well as guaranteeing stable funding over the next budget cycle.
Labor says a question mark continues to hang over the Enhanced Newsgathering Program funding for the ABC which was introduced by Labor in 2013, then cut back by the Liberals.
Funding runs out in only a few months and the Minister has not confirmed whether it will be continued.
At the Senate Inquiry into allegations of political interference in the ABC this week, the Acting ABC Managing Director, David Anderson, warned that without extension of that funding and combined with the Liberal Government’s $83.7 million budget cut, the ABC faces a $127 million budget hole over the next three years.
Labor is calling on Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to confirm extension of the funding for enhanced newsgathering as a matter of urgency.
Let's not let facts get in the way of a good political rant shall we? The regional news funding was a one-off grant introduced by Julia Gillard to help her win some swinging seats at the election she had just announced (but never got to hold as she was rolled by Kev baby). The job ads for the positions created even specified that they were only guaranteed "for 18 months". The Libs had no obligation to continue this one-off grant, but decided to do so. To call it a "cut" is stretching the truth as politicians (on all sides) are wont to do.