MICHELLE ROWLAND MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
MEMBER FOR GREENWAY  


LAST MINUTE ABC ATTACK FROM MORRISON-JOYCE GOVERNMENT
 

The Morrison-Joyce Government has instigated a wasteful and duplicative inquiry into ABC and SBS complaints handling, in yet another attempt at political interference from this Government.  

The ABC Board has already commissioned an independent review of complaints-handling, which is due to report in March 2022, yet Morrison-Joyce Government Senators have seen fit to run a hasty Senate inquiry cutting across this process. 

Instead of investigating evidence of waste and excess at the NBN or Australia Post, or the apparent refusal of Facebook to conclude a deal with SBS and other news publishers under the News Media Bargaining Code, Morrison-Joyce Government Senators on the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee prefer a pointless and empty crusade on complaints handling. 

The ABC and SBS already have best practice independent complaints handling and internal review mechanisms and are committed to continuous improvement. 

ACMA already has a formal statutory oversight role over the ABC and SBS. If anyone isn’t satisfied with the response they get from the national broadcasters, they can take their complaint to the ACMA. 

The evidence shows that few complaints ever go before the ACMA. Fewer still are upheld. 

This begs the question: Does Minister Fletcher believe this inquiry is necessary and, if so, why? 

Over the term of the 46th Parliament, the ABC and SBS have provided invaluable programs and services to help Australians through natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated “infodemic” of misinformation.

Meanwhile, the Morrison-Joyce Government has overseen funding cuts to the ABC, misled the public about these cuts, attacked the ABC Board in response to a Four Corners investigation, and failed to act on the recommendations of two inquiries into press freedom in the wake of AFP raids on journalists at the ABC and News Limited. 

This Senate inquiry has nothing to do with improving the national broadcasters and everything to do with the Morrison Government’s aversion to scrutiny and accountability.

Labor will defend the national broadcasters from this latest missive from the mini-Trump playbook and we encourage all Australians who value the role of independent public broadcasting in our democracy to make their views known to the Committee. 

The inquiry is now accepting submissions which can be made here.

FRIDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2021

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