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Abbott promises no cuts to ABC, SBS.

Speaking on Election eve, Tony Abbott promised no cuts to public broadcasters.

abc hqPrime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has ruled out any cuts to ABC and SBS.

Speaking on Election eve, he told SBS that public broadcasters will not see any cuts under an Abbott government.

“No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS,” he said.

The news was immediately welcomed.

Glenys Stradijot, a spokesperson for Friends of the ABC (Vic) said, “Friends of the ABC was pleased to hear Tony Abbott’s election-eve promise that there will be no cuts to the ABC.

“We are gratified that the Liberal-National Coalition has recognised the respect and admiration with which the ABC is held by the Australian community.

“Australia’s independent national broadcaster plays a crucial role in the life and culture of the country. It’s the responsibility of politicians of all political persuasions to ensure that it thrives.

“The announcement that a Coalition government would not cut the ABC is good news which we had been waiting for.”

But does he promise not to privatise, commercialise or merge them too….?

17 Responses

  1. To help fund their operation, I’d actually support only ABC 24 and ABC 2 being allowed to run ads, but provided that they’re only shown at the beginning and end of all programs and not in between them.

  2. Didn’t Abbort say that we should not believe anything he says unless it is in writing? Is this promise in writing? And why did Joe Hockey say on Q&A that they would cut ‘waste’ from the ABC and SBS if they see waste? What is their definition of ‘waste’?

    I am guessing ‘waste’ is whatever Rupert and Gina tell them. No wonder so many ABC reporters were being so nice to Tony and the LNP prior to the election. More worried about their jobs than journalistic integrity. Leigh Sales and Chris Ulman and Emma Alberici were espectially biased towards Tony and the LNP. Their reporting of ALP and Kevin Rudd matters were a disgrace.

  3. Abbott wont turn back the boats, just send the people to the islands that Labour have organized to be processed and then take credit for it, and if he is going to abandon the carbon tax will the companies that have already increased their rates to compensate this, like electric and gas, will they reduce their rates back to what they were before, I don’t think so, they will be laughing all the way to the bank, what a joke..

  4. Both the ABC and SBS are top heavy with many multiple layers of management. Get rid of 75% of the managers, and hey presto, there will be tons of cash to make in-house programs again. And the viewers and listeners would notice no difference. Or the new Govt might just take back the money saved by getting rid of the excessive management numbers? Time will tell.

  5. Everyone will remember Abbott’s core and non-core promises statement. He has made many promises just to get elected and will be judged on his actions. Hard to see him resisting the free market ideologues in the Liberal Party though who want to privatise the ABC.

  6. I agree with Maev. Plus he said himself that you have to get his promises in writing because you can’t believe what he says verbally. Plus there was that agreement in writing that was reneged. So it seems not even things written down can believed either. Time will tell on what will happen.

  7. Now, after all of the lying, what will he do now that he got what he wanted. Remember he said, “I would do anything to be Prime Minister, except sell my ass” Lets wait and see.

  8. Govts lose elections due to their own ineptitude, oppostions rarely win them. The Kev/Julia saga treated everyday voters with contempt as did the previous corrupt NSW state govt.

    Tony has not promised to increase spending either.

    Still a great day for Australia, now we are rid of the buffoons hooked on their own Game of Thrones for the past 6 years. At least everyone now knows exactly where they stand

  9. My brother-in-law builds boats in Indonesia. He wants to know when Tony is going to start buying them. Or is this a “non-core promise”?
    @carolemorrissey – Agree. When Jamezee Diaz gets 45% of the vote and Clive Palmer wins his seat…what can one say? A woman at my daughter’s workplace announced she’s “delaying having a baby ’til Lib’s PPL comes in”. This, unfortunately, is the mentality out there that votes.

  10. I am dying a little inside today. This country is now screwed. My only consolation is he will only do one term because when he screws everything up no one will be stupid enough to vote for him again. I really don’t know what people were thinking voting for the Libs.

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