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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2065 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

not passing a motion saying, "We condemn the Federal Government because they cut the ABC". Of course we think cuts to the ABC are not acceptable. We do not think cuts to public servants in the ACT are acceptable, and we have made that clear time and time again. But we do not just talk about it; we get out there and try to change it.

MS TUCKER (12.19): I will pick up first on what Mrs Carnell just said. I actually do think there is point to these sorts of motions. I think there is weight in having parliaments around Australia making these sorts of statements to the Federal Government. If a whole parliament supports a particular motion of this nature and the Federal government of the day is at all interested in what the States and Territories and the parliaments of the States and Territories in Australia think, it should take notice. If they are not interested, then be it on their heads and to their shame, I would say, because they have an obligation, in my view, in their capacity as the Federal Government and the person who is leading that Government, to be very interested in what State and Territory governments have to say about national issues. After all, we are part of this country. Why not let parliaments of particular regions make such statements? I would support this motion for that reason.

I would also, obviously, support this motion because I am very concerned about what is happening to the ABC. I would say also, though, that I would support what Mrs Carnell said. The ABC has faced budget cuts from both the Labor Party and the coalition, and Labor is certainly not at all squeaky clean on this issue. We have seen a number of actions over the last year. As a Friend of the ABC, I have been to meetings and rallies and listened to the concerns that have been expressed. I think they are very real concerns. I find it particularly alarming in the current situation, where we have media diversity laws being challenged, that we actually see this Federal Government changing cross-media ownership and a reduction of funding to the ABC. Therefore, there is a reduction in the ability of the ABC to present an independent picture of current affairs in Australia. It is a very worrying situation. When I look at polls and surveys that have been carried out, I see that the majority of people do value the ABC; it is one of those things that have meaning for Australian people. I find it really hard to understand how a Federal government fails to acknowledge that to the degree that this current Federal Government is not acknowledging it.

I think it is about a government that keeps talking about how the Australian identity is so important; how much it values it; being Australian and pushing that line. You can have philosophical discussions about that, too; but I will not go into that right now. The point is that this is the line that is coming from the Federal Government; yet, with these cuts, we are losing the ability to promote and explore our cultural identity. Local content is supported by the ABC much more than the commercial stations or media outlets support local content. Local content is who we are as Australians. We have shown, in film, for example, how we are really good at doing things; so much so that we can sell what we do, what we create, right around the world because we are creative people and we have a great deal of talent in Australia.

These artists already are struggling. These artists are involved in raising Australia's profile as a country that produces inventive, creative, clever and witty people and artistic products, particularly films, plays and whatever, that can be fostered through ABC radio and television. It is a real slap in the face for them. If many of us had to take on the conditions of their lives, we would be very, let us say, impressed by how they struggle

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