Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced that there would be no further cuts to the ABC.  In 2014 the ABC budget was cut by the Abbott government after Tony Abbott had promised no cuts to the ABC.  We hope that Scott Morrison will be more consistent with his pledges.

In addition, the three year Indexation Freeze imposed by the Malcolm Turnbull government will end in 2022.  Indexation ensures that real funding for the ABC remains the same in spite of inflation; otherwise funding goes backwards, as it has since the freeze was imposed in 2019.

Morrison has also pledged an $87 million increase to ABC funding.  But is this enough to compensate for the damage to public broadcasting in Australia since 2014?

The Australia Institute provides a short analysis of the impact of the cuts and indexation freeze over the last 8 years - please click on Australia Institute analysis.

A report on the impact that cuts/freeze have had on media jobs is also provided by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance - please click on MEAA analysis.

These cuts to the ABC have also been at a time when specific political and commercial interests have been pushing for the ABC to be privatised, or even abolished.  If you want to add your voice in support of the ABC you may wish to sign an ABC Friends petition - please click on Restore and Secure our ABC for further details.

Active public broadcasting, independent of political and commercial interests, is critical for a functioning democracy and healthy Australian community.