Senate debates Questions without Notice
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Anne McEwen SA, Australian Labor Party
2:55 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Minister, what is the status of the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that there would be 'no cuts to the ABC'?
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
2:56 pm
The Prime Minister made a promise to the Australian people that we would get the budget back into shape. Part of getting the budget back into shape has required us to consider an efficiency dividend. Indeed, anybody—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
Doug Cameron NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services
Why don't you say you just told lies?
Stephen Parry President
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
A one per cent efficiency dividend should not be beyond the wit of any manager of an enterprise to be able to achieve without cutting the services or programs. We say that you can make those savings in the back office operations. Indeed, one of our tasks as a government—and I remind honourable senators on that side that they still do not get it. After having delivered the biggest legacy of deficit and debt that this country has ever seen, they still do not get that every single dollar that a government spends first has to be taken out of the pockets of one of our fellow Australians. When the Labor Party say that they do not want efficiency dividends, they are saying that they do not want the ABC—
Stephen Parry President
Pause the clock. A point of order, Senator Moore?
Claire Moore Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women
Yes, on direct relevance, Mr President. The specific question was around the status of the promise of no cuts to the ABC.
Stephen Parry President
Senator Moore, the minister was addressing that in his opening remarks in the answer to the question.
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
You always know when the Labor Party are under stress because they will come up with a point of order to try to stop the flow of information to the Australian people. Let us be very clear: every single dollar that we as a government spend first has to come out of the pocket of one of our fellow Australians.
Honourable senators interjecting—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
'We broke the promise.' That is the answer: 'We broke the promise.'
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
Depicted by the person—
Honourable senators interjecting—
Stephen Parry President
Order! Senator Abetz, you do not have the call at the moment. Order!
He is not the only one in the chamber, Senator Conroy.
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
Every single dollar that we as a government spend, first of all has to come out of the pockets of our fellow Australians. That is why any prudent government would seek to ensure that every single government enterprise is run in an efficient manner. Why is it that the Labor Party are against an efficiency dividend of one per cent on the ABC? (Time expired)
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Why did you lie?
Anne McEwen SA, Australian Labor Party
2:59 pm
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to comments by the Minister for Communications, Mr Turnbull, who said on Q&A last night that funding for the national broadcaster would be cut, and 'it will average over five years about five per cent off the top'. Will the minister confirm that the Prime Minister's promise of no cuts to the ABC has been broken and tell us how much the cut will be in dollar terms each year over the five-year period?
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
3:00 pm
I confess along with many other Australians that I am not necessarily an avid watcher of Q&A, especially in recent times; but, if the Minister for Communications has made certain comments on Q&A, I will acquaint myself with them. In the event that the minister wants to provide an answer in relation to that which Senator McEwen has raised, I am more than happy to inform the chamber of that.
Anne McEwen SA, Australian Labor Party
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. How many ABC jobs will be lost and which services will be cut as a result of the Prime Minister's broken election promise, and will these cuts result in the closure of the ABC studios in Adelaide with the loss of up to 100 local jobs and the axing of all state based 7:30 programs?
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
3:01 pm
As everybody in this chamber actually knows, those decisions are left with the ABC and not with the government. Indeed, we got a question earlier on today about programming from the Australian Greens as though somehow government could determine programming. Sometimes I wish! But we accept that programming and those decisions are left with management of the ABC, and it is appropriate that it be left there. Therefore, to assert that somehow there would be 100 jobs lost here or there—I am surprised that Senator McEwen did not raise the chestnut of Peppa Pig, which was tried on earlier and fell completely flat.
I say yet again: this government is committed to the efficient administration of Australia's hard earned tax dollars and, as a result, we want every area of government to operate as efficiently as possible. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.