Over the next 3 months ABC Friends will campaign across Australia in support of the ABC. Our 2025 Federal Election Platform advocates for a properly funded, independent ABC which continues to play its role as a cornerstone of a strong democracy.

Image: ABC

For nearly a century, the ABC has been integral to Australia’s democratic landscape. It has provided impartial news, education, and entertainment, reflecting Australia’s diversity and serving as a platform for healthy debate. 

Between 2014 and 2022 the ABC’s funding was cut, heavily. The equivalent of $150m per year was stripped from its operating budget. More than 1,000 jobs were lost.

Our political leaders must do more to repair the harm that was done to the ABC, and prevent a further slide in the quality and quantity of its programs and services.

We need the ABC now more than ever. This election, we call on all candidates to support our plan for a fearless, independent ABC.

ABC Friends 2025 Federal Election Platform

• Restore ABC funding by $140 million per year to be phased in progressively over a 3-year period commencing in 2026.

Australia needs a bold investment in our public broadcaster to guarantee its future as a fearless presenter of quality news and original Australian content. An investment in the ABC is an investment in Australia’s future, democracy, and national identity.

• Fully fund the ABC’s emergency service through a supplementary fund dedicated to keeping Australians safe in times of crisis.

The costs of providing emergency service broadcasts have skyrocketed in recent years as climate crises accelerate. At the same time, the ABC’s operating grant has been slashed. Yet the ability for Australians to receive this service is imperative – it could mean the difference between life and death.

• Guarantee that the ABC remains free-to-access for all Australians: no ads, no subscriptions and no downgrading of services.

High costs of living are hurting Australians. In these tough times, there’s only one service that’s free with no ads and no subscriptions: the ABC. But there’s no guarantee for the future. We need a national public broadcaster, and it must be free and accessible for all Australians.

• Provide additional funding to ensure that high quality ABC services can be received by all Australians across the country.

All Australians, regardless of location, should have access to our national broadcaster. But in some parts of the country, access is difficult, and sometimes impossible. Lack of a signal not only denies Australians access to ABC programs; it leaves them vulnerable during crises. 

• Guarantee the ABC’s independence. 

The ABC has been a vitally important part of our democracy for more than 90 years. In this era of fake news, the need for a fearless public broadcaster has never been greater. But to be effective, the ABC must be independent, free from commercial interests and immune from political interference.

• Change the indexation formula for the ABC to cover the impact of real-world inflation, including the cost of content production.

In 2018 the government paused the indexation of operational funding, an effective cut of $83.7 million over 3 years. Although additional funding was recently facilitated by the Albanese administration, it does not cover the full costs of inflation or the escalating costs of broadcast production. Unless urgent steps are taken to stabilise the ABC’s funding, there is a real risk of more cuts to the ABC’s programs, staff, and services.

We'll present these six demands to political parties and to candidates in selected seats. We'll inform voters of the responses we receive, and urge them to vote for a candidate who supports a fearless, independent ABC.

It is imperative that the ABC's future is secured and that it continue to operate independently of government and commercial interests. 

A healthy democracy needs a strong ABC. 

Please support our campaign for a fearless independent ABC.