Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberals are waging the biggest war on the ABC in a generation. Despite promising no cuts to the ABC, they've cut $282 million from the ABC since 2014, with 800 jobs cut. This year, they cut another $84 million from the ABC. At the Liberal Party's Federal Council recently, not a single person stood up to oppose the sell-off of the ABC. Australians love and trust our public broadcaster. From Bananas in Pyjamas to the Hottest 100 to getting critical warning messages about local floods and fires, the ABC is part of who we are. We on this side will not stand for the ABC being attacked just so the Liberals can fund their big tax cuts to the top end of town. Labor in government will reverse the Liberals' latest cut of $84 million. We'll keep fighting against the Liberals' war on our public broadcaster right through to the next election.

I'm glad to say that Labor has preselected Kate Thwaites to be the Labor candidate to replace me in Jagajaga. She's a former ABC News journalist. She understands we love the ABC and will fight to keep it safe.