Are attacks on the ABC indefensible?

Letter to the editor ForumLetter to the editor Forum

[Forum] On the evening of Friday, August 3, a public meeting was held at the Gosford Leagues Club by Friends of the ABC to discuss the apparent attack by the present Federal Government on our ABC.

The continued attacks appear to be by funding reductions, efficiency reviews, government appointees to the ABC board, accusations of bias, calls for privatisation and so on. Both the Communications Minister, Mitch Fifi eld, and our local member, Lucy Wicks, had been invited to speak. Disappointingly, I have to report, neither were in attendance. No clear explanation was given for the non-attendance of either person.

Both lost the opportunity to explain and defend the reasons for the funding reductions, efficiency reviews etc. that may not be obvious to the Friends of the ABC. Maybe they were worried about the possibility of a hostile meeting or was their non-attendance an admission that the attacks on our ABC are, in effect, indefensible? Whatever the reasons we, the Friends of the ABC, are left to continue with the perception that our ABC is under attack. Mitch and Lucy, we, the voting public, deserve to know the full reasons for the actions taken by the present Federal Government. Note, the ABC is not owned, but held in trust, by the government, and hence should not be sold nor privatised. After all consideration, the source of funds for our ABC is our taxes.

Letter, Aug 4 Col Hodgson, Mount Elliot