Matt Canavan has just become leader of the National Party, and for ABC supporters, his Senate voting record is worth noting.

Image of Senator Matt Canavan: ABC News: Matt Roberts

According to the parliamentary tracker They Vote For You, Canavan voted almost always in favour of decreasing funding for the ABC and SBS across his decade in the Senate. He has been one of the Nationals' most vocal critics of government spending and the public broadcaster has consistently been in the firing line.

There's a certain irony in that record, given who it hurts most. The ACCC estimated there were 21 news deserts around Australia in 2019, with 16 of them in rural and regional areas - the heartland of Canavan's own constituency. Around 50 regional news outlets closed, merged, or reduced their services in 2022 alone, and the crisis in local news deepened during the pandemic as hundreds of regional and rural newspaper titles closed. 

Meanwhile, digital exclusion continues to widen, with regional and remote Australians increasingly priced out of reliable connectivity, meaning free-to-air and local ABC radio remain the primary news source for many of his own voters.

There's a further irony too. Canavan built much of his public profile through appearances on ABC Radio and television, using its platforms to advocate for coal mines and oppose climate action. He was happy to use the ABC. He just didn't want to fund it.

His election as Nationals leader signals the party room has opted for a combative approach as the Coalition rebuilds, with One Nation surging across regional Australia. The ABC's next funding negotiation will take place against that backdrop. 

ABC Friends will watch this space closely.

Phil Evans
Communications
ABC Friends