Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

This government, like every government before it, has no power, as the Greens well know, to direct the ABC in relation to its operational matters and editorial decisions. These are matters for the executive and the board. In terms of internal ABC programming and editorial decisions, the parliament has given the ABC independence by law. Obviously the responsibility for ensuring that this obligation is met is expressly stated to lie with those particular parties, and the government respects this. The government has stated its commitment to maintaining the quality, performance and efficiency of the ABC to ensure that the ABC fulfils its charter. All governments have a duty to ensure taxpayers' funds are used as efficiently as possible, and the national broadcaster is no exception. The efficiency study the government recently announced will assist the national broadcaster to find more efficient delivery— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.