Page 2998 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 15 August 2018
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These are not questions being asked without reason. Not too long ago, the federal council of the Liberal Party, one of that party’s most powerful voting bodies, voted on a motion on privatisation of the ABC. Privatisation of the ABC could lead to advertisements, commercial influence on news, significantly less investment in regional services and a further reduction in the diversity of Australia’s media sector, risking the future of Australian media content.
I understand the motion that was discussed at the federal Liberal Party council was brought forward by current Young Liberals President and senior member of the Canberra Liberals, Josh Manuatu, who was also previously ACT Young Liberals president and staffer. I understand Mr Coe was not present to vote on the motion, but I think Canberrans deserve to know which MLAs were in attendance on behalf of the Canberra Liberals and how they voted on privatising this important public asset.
Given that it is reported that only 10 people in the whole room voted against privatising the ABC and given that the ACT delegation was apparently made up of 14 people, it is probably guaranteed that many of the Canberra Liberals representatives held the view that the ABC should be privatised. It is a sad fact that there is more local drama going on in the federal Liberal Party council than is now on the ABC. The public deserves to know whether members of the opposition who attended this federal Liberal Party council either abstained or voted for the motion. Canberrans deserve to know.
While Mr Coe can maintain that he did not vote on the motion, he is ultimately the leader of his party. If members of this Assembly believe vital public assets should be sold off then the opposition leader needs to clarify his party’s position. The Liberal Party is very fond of demanding more transparency from the ABC; maybe they can lead by example and provide the public with some transparency on their voting record.
This Assembly should accept the fact that the ABC is one of Australia’s most respected, trusted and beloved cultural institutions. We should fight to build stronger Australian culture and better local news coverage rather than attempting to tear it down. The ABC provides vital local services to Canberrans. If members of the Canberra Liberals hold the view that the ABC should not only be defunded but also privatised then voters in the Australian Capital Territory deserve to know who these people are.
I think Mr Coe and the Canberra Liberals need to provide transparency to the ACT community and commit to show their support for a vital public institution by joining other party leaders in writing to Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for Communications, to express concern over the federal government’s ongoing cuts and attacks on the ABC.
Every member of the Canberra Liberals should come into this chamber today and tell the Assembly which way they voted or whether they abstained in relation to the motion on the privatisation of the ABC at the 2018 Liberal Party federal council meeting and let us know where they stand in relation to cuts against the ABC. On this
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