Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My time is very brief, but I can indicate at the outset that I am a great friend of the ABC but I have become an enemy of the ABC management that have made these decisions that are completely unfair, particularly to the so-called BAF states—to Queensland, to Tasmania, to South Australia and to Western Australia. John Howard used to talk about core promises and non-core promises. The government may consider this a non-core promise not to cut the ABC, but the ABC is fundamentally important. It goes to the core of the identity of communities around the country in the work that it does in giving us program diversity and in being a unifying force for the nation in its extensive coverage. Whether you agree or disagree with the ABC, it is an important independent broadcaster.

The other thing is that the government's cuts go way beyond an efficiency dividend. Do they include, for instance, the redundancy payments that will be made? That to me is unclear therefore the cuts are much deeper than that.

Mr Acting Deputy President Bernardi, I am in the delicious position where you cannot respond to what I am going to say: I know you are a big fan of education minister Christopher Pyne and I just think it is a bit cute for Minister Pyne to say that he has got a petition to get people to sign up so they can oppose the cuts to the ABC production in South Australia. I suggest Minister Pyne direct his energies to getting his cabinet colleagues to support him on this, not getting a petition which is a bit of a political stunt—and I know a thing or two about stunts. That is a stunt.

Let's go to the managing director, Mark Scott's announced cuts to the ABC. They have been a long time coming, but that has not softened the blow. Mark Scott has had it in for the Adelaide production unit of the ABC for many years, despite the fact that it is lean. It is efficient. It is creative, and they have just had a ratings blockbuster with Countdowntwo episodes with something like an average of 1.2 million viewers for each episode, and a great testament to the skill, creativity and efficiency of that ABC production unit.

Mr Scott cannot choose how much the ABC is cut; however, he can choose where the ABC bleeds and he has made some very bad choices in relation to that. It is now clear that the ABC management intend to axe the last remaining half hour of ABC state based current affairs television left on our weekly schedules. That makes a big difference to the states and territories outside Sydney and Melbourne. It makes a difference having that local content—I take it back: I think that what Quentin Dempster is doing in New South Wales is important in terms of state coverage. What is happening in Victoria is important in terms of state coverage. It means that it will be centralised.

Mark Scott has an obsession with centralising the management of the ABC and its resources. That is why I will be pushing for a Senate inquiry in relation to the whole issue of the ABC cuts and pushing to change the ABC charter so that it does reflect the cultural and regional diversity of this nation. Cutting the ABC in Port Augusta is a disaster when you consider it is such an important part of this country—the crossroads of Australia are going to lose their ABC outlet in terms of its bureau.

It is interesting that the latest ABC annual report reveals that New South Wales now counts for 51 per cent of all ABC staff while the proportion in Australia has slipped from eight per cent to 6.9 per cent over a decade.

To the ABC Board members, some of whom were too busy to see me: I will be doing my very best to have you appear before a Senate inquiry about the ABC and how you have gutted production in the states. Of course the government must be held to account for their cutbacks, but the ABC board must also be accountable. (Time expired)