Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answers about cuts to the ABC. Will the minister now admit that he was wrong?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Even by the standards of the shadow minister that is a particularly mysterious question: will the minister admit he is wrong? Wrong about what? Wrong about thinking every day that I might get a question from the shadow minister about the NBN? Wrong in thinking that the member for Blaxland might have the courage to stand up for his convictions in the House and have an MPI on the NBN or the ABC? Wrong in thinking that the Leader of the Opposition would not be so insensible to popular culture—

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You did not think you would lose the ballot by one vote, either. It is wrong about the ABC.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member is not entitled to add to his question. He is totally out of order.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, was I wrong in thinking that the Leader of the Opposition was not so insensible to popular culture that he would ask a question about barnacles when clearly the reason why the ABC's allocation from government is being cut, the reason why we are saving $254 million over five years, is barnacle Bill's bill? It is Labor's bill. Labor left us with a $48½ billion deficit—it is barnacle Bill's billion dollar deficit.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: the minister knows that he should address members by their proper title.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, you only have to mention a bill and the barrister gets to his feet! I respect that. In deference to our former profession, we know that lawyers have families and you have to respect that. They struggle—and it is not so easy now, of course, for the honourable member. Let me be very clear about this: the ABC has been exempt from efficiency dividends since the mid-nineties—nearly 20 years. Were the efficiency dividend that is currently applying to other government agencies been applied to the ABC, it would be 2½ per cent this year, 2½ per cent next year, 2½ per cent the following year and one per cent in the fourth year. In the ABC that would amount to about $250 million. But that is not what was applied to the ABC. In terms of the Department of Finance, they are getting over five years roughly the same amount of money so it is perfectly reasonable to say it is in substance, in terms of a return to the budget, effectively the same financial consequence as an efficiency dividend.

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is that what you said on Sky?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is exactly what I said on Sky. I explained it. The savings to the ABC are, as the Prime Minister said, much better calibrated, much better targeted, than an efficiency dividend—unlike your side, we have done the hard work to make the ABC more efficient.