Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

in continuationI briefly wish to make a further comment on the report for 2008-09 of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. I am a great supporter of the ABC. I think it provides a great many interesting shows as a public broadcaster but, like many people on this side of politics I have concerns about some of the content of the ABC and sometimes the lack of disclosure—these have been discussed on numerous occasions. One of my preferred shows which I enjoy is the television show Q&A. I have appeared on it once or twice and I think it is an interesting debate and discussion. But part of the content that was discussed the other night I found was just appalling and I think has no place on our public broadcaster. There was a discussion which started with a question of the philosopher Peter Singer about his endorsement of bestiality and his writing of a foreword for a book, or a review of a book, that basically said—and he said this on the show but I will paraphrase it—what is wrong with intimate relations between a human and an animal if neither of them object to it?

I am sickened by that. I am sure most Australians are sickened by it. The fact that our national broadcaster allowed the debate and the discussion to go on, that they gave it air time, and that they gave it any semblance of credibility, is to my mind just appalling. Most people should be sickened by this sort of thing. It is not about stifling people’s views; let them write them down if that is what they want to do. But to have a discussion about the alleged merits of sexual relations between a woman and a dog is just grotesque and a misuse of taxpayer funds, which are financing our ABC.

This was built on top of Mr Singer’s views about infanticide and how we should be able to knock off children who are born with a disability—he does not like them; they do not look right or something like that. He says that is okay, we can do that. If you want to have these sorts of discussions leave them to those seedy chat rooms where weirdos lurk and stuff like that. Let it happen there. Let it happen in an environment that is not endorsed by our national broadcaster.

On Q&Aas I said, I like the show; I find it interesting—they know the questions that are going to be asked because they screen them. They know generally what the topics are going to be. If there is a legitimate question that is going to be posed to someone with extreme and horrendous views such as this Singer chap, you have got to then rein in the debate. You cannot turn people off.