Friends of ABC backs Greens
The Australian Greens has the best policy for the ABC, says Friends of ABC, and the Coalition the worst.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Friends of the ABC has given the Australian Greens a tick, after comparing policies for the broadcaster from the three major parties.
It prefers the Greens plans to support increased triennial funding, a ban on advertising, and maintaining strong in-house production.
“Friends welcomes the Greens having placed on the political agenda a funding method that would ensure the national broadcaster is adequately resourced and stop governments from interfering in the ABC’s operations by withholding funds,” said Glenys Stradijot, a spokesperson for Friends of the ABC (Vic).
By contrast it called the Coalition’s response on ABC funding very worrying.
“The Coalition has promised only that it would not cut funding already committed to the ABC.
“That’s not reassuring, particularly in light of the Coalition’s record on the ABC when it was in government last time. Friends is concerned at what may happen when the ABC’s current round of funding expires in 2012.”
Meanwhile Labor only got measured support from Friends of ABC.
“The Labor Government has not revealed its plans for the ABC if re-elected. Instead it only provided to FABC a statement of its record in government. Labor’s positive actions in its first term in office – increased funding and a halt to the stacking of the ABC Board – were heartening. Its failure to address questions asked of it about the ABC’s future is disappointing,” said Stradijot.
“We don’t even have an assurance that Labor would reintroduce its Bill for a new merit-based system of appointments to the ABC and SBS boards and to restore the staff-elected director position on the ABC Board. Friends believes the staff director is an important counter to governments that stack the Board and ensures at lease one member of the board with public broadcasting experience.”
4 Responses
d.no. I think you would find, it isn’t only the murdoch papers who suggest abc is a left leaning institution. The greens are the reason why, i will be numbering all the boxes individually. on the senate paper today. Just to make sure they get the last preference.
@Jason D. only the Murdoch papers say that and they have a right wing bias and a vested interest. All the evidence suggests that ABC is actually right of centre themselves.
I consider myself a friend of the ABC but no, I won’t be supporting the Greens.
It’s not suprising, especially when the ABC has continually been biased towards the Labor Party. If the ABC was neutral, as it should actually be being taxpayer funded, then there would probably be no difference between all the governing policies towards the ABC. The ABC is merely copying the BBC, in terms of electoral bias towards the left-wing and regrettably has a strong culture of Labor bias.