Those who live in remote communities have particularly relied on the coverage of the ABC. Government services are important. I very much believe the government needs to supply services to the community when the private sector is unable to do so for commercial reasons.
I, along with many other Australians have lived in remote communities with nothing but ABC radio (Radio National) and ABC Television - that however was some time ago. These days, the choice of television networks in the bush are significantly improved.
When I worked in remote areas during the 1980s, choice was pretty much limited to the ABC - fortunately, that time has passed. Firstly, a review of the ABCs $233 million government contract to provide the Australia Network international television service is in order after sparking outrage by releasing alleged revelations of Australian phone tapping by intelligence agencies in Indonesia.
Furthermore, the government generally spends in excess of $1.2 billion per annum funding the broadcaster - this is expensive. As television and radio broadcasting is no longer a core role of the government, the ABC is competing with the private sector and should be considered for disinvestment and outright sale.
One also has to question the timing in regards to the official retirement former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the same week and the recent resignation of former Foreign Minister Bob Carr following their disastrous election campaign.
Now neither can be held to account in the parliament, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's lackluster performance and change of heart in pursuing the matter is interesting to say the least. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Tanya Plibersek is just plain farcical.
Had this information been leaked in May, conveniently waiting until after the federal election when then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd actually authorised the alleged intelligence gathering, he could have dealt with the issue himself.
The attempt by the left-leaning ABC and ultra left UK owned Guardian newspaper to cause embarrassment to the newly elected Abbott government is breathtaking.
The intelligence documents provided to the UK Guardian by former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, was shared with the ABC and published triggering a crisis in Australia's sometimes stormy relationship with Indonesia.
The intelligence documents provided to the UK Guardian by former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, was shared with the ABC and published triggering a crisis in Australia's sometimes stormy relationship with Indonesia.
Mark Scott, the ABC Managing Director defended his decision to reveal top-secret information into the public domain for an incident that allegedly occurred in 2009.
Furthermore, Scott was also forced to defend (to a senate committee) the airing of an ABC television program including a photoshopped image of a prominent journalist having sex with a dog. The judgement of the ABC is once again called into question.
Furthermore, Scott was also forced to defend (to a senate committee) the airing of an ABC television program including a photoshopped image of a prominent journalist having sex with a dog. The judgement of the ABC is once again called into question.
Ironically, I don't believe Scott has apologised for the image, nor has he revealed the cost of defending the legal action of defamation - taxpayer money used to defend highly questionable material.
Apparently he feels it shouldn't be published in the public domain, furthermore he believes an apology for the actions of the ABC while he was Managing Director is not in order.
Imagine Mark Scott's outrage when salary information of ABC staff was leaked to the media, apparently it is not in the public interest to publish such confidential information - bullshit.
But alas, the ABC wasn't hacked, they inadvertently sent the information to the office of a politician themselves - apparently incompetence is as rife at the ABC as poor judgement.
One has to seriously question both the motives and judgement of the ABC. The attempt to cause damage to the Abbott government not only betrayed the government but undermined the national interest - as a taxpayer-funded public broadcaster it is chartered to uphold.
The diplomatic furore has the potential to expand to the region as further revelations will undoubtedly arise, Russia has invited Indonesia to meet directly with Snowden in Russia.
The disdain of the left-wing ideologues is truly amazing, the Abbott government in its infancy has a serious diplomatic issue with its important neighbour, left leaning commentators are very open in their hope Abbott will fail, they will stop at nothing, including harming the national interest to realise their dream.
Apparently he feels it shouldn't be published in the public domain, furthermore he believes an apology for the actions of the ABC while he was Managing Director is not in order.
Imagine Mark Scott's outrage when salary information of ABC staff was leaked to the media, apparently it is not in the public interest to publish such confidential information - bullshit.
But alas, the ABC wasn't hacked, they inadvertently sent the information to the office of a politician themselves - apparently incompetence is as rife at the ABC as poor judgement.
One has to seriously question both the motives and judgement of the ABC. The attempt to cause damage to the Abbott government not only betrayed the government but undermined the national interest - as a taxpayer-funded public broadcaster it is chartered to uphold.
The diplomatic furore has the potential to expand to the region as further revelations will undoubtedly arise, Russia has invited Indonesia to meet directly with Snowden in Russia.
The disdain of the left-wing ideologues is truly amazing, the Abbott government in its infancy has a serious diplomatic issue with its important neighbour, left leaning commentators are very open in their hope Abbott will fail, they will stop at nothing, including harming the national interest to realise their dream.
Indonesia has suspended cooperation with Australia regarding the smuggling of illegal boat arrivals from its shores, the issue of people smuggling is not such an issue an in Indonesia, in comparison, the Abbott government is committed to stemming illegal arrivals.
Abbott will be spending years cleaning up the mess left by the Rudd/Gillard governments - I hope he has braced himself for further difficulties, there seems to be booby traps and time bombs at every step.
Highly vocal Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, denied Indonesia conducted intelligence gathering by listening to the phone calls of Australian government officials.
Natalegawa's claims that Indonesia doesn't monitor telephones is clearly a false statement. The Abbott government is well aware of the falseness of the claim that is riddled with hypocrisy.
Highly vocal Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, denied Indonesia conducted intelligence gathering by listening to the phone calls of Australian government officials.
Natalegawa's claims that Indonesia doesn't monitor telephones is clearly a false statement. The Abbott government is well aware of the falseness of the claim that is riddled with hypocrisy.
Natalegawa has claimed Indonesia has downgraded cooperation with Canberra, one would presume that includes accepting the $500+ million aid program the Australian government provides Indonesia.
Of course, Australian involvement with Indonesian authorities for transnational crime, people smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism affects Indonesia directly, of course, we know Natalegawa is playing domestic politics for the upcoming 2014 presidential elections.
The former chief of Badan Intelijen Negara, Indonesia's national intelligence agency directly contradicted Natalegawa. Furthermore, in an extraordinary 2004 admission, Indonesia admitted to bugging the Australian embassy during the East Timor crisis, even trying to recruit Australian nationals as spies plus tapping civilian and military telephone calls - ouch.
Prime Minister Abbott's statement was technically correct as every nation conducts intelligence; he should not apologise for protecting the national interest of the country he was elected to lead.
Abbott maintained the long standing protocol of not providing details of intelligence operations. Abbott has handled the crisis well, negotiation is not conducted by megaphone in the public sphere (aka Rudd diplomacy) with commentary remaining minimalist.
Closely cropped vision of rent-a-crowd students burning Australian flags in front of the embassy is farcical, normally they would burn an effigy of Abbott, but alas, they weren't that organised.
Instead, they burnt paper flags churned out on a colour printer, others were drawn by hand, they couldn't even get real Australian flags organised.
Of course, Australian involvement with Indonesian authorities for transnational crime, people smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism affects Indonesia directly, of course, we know Natalegawa is playing domestic politics for the upcoming 2014 presidential elections.
The former chief of Badan Intelijen Negara, Indonesia's national intelligence agency directly contradicted Natalegawa. Furthermore, in an extraordinary 2004 admission, Indonesia admitted to bugging the Australian embassy during the East Timor crisis, even trying to recruit Australian nationals as spies plus tapping civilian and military telephone calls - ouch.
Prime Minister Abbott's statement was technically correct as every nation conducts intelligence; he should not apologise for protecting the national interest of the country he was elected to lead.
Abbott maintained the long standing protocol of not providing details of intelligence operations. Abbott has handled the crisis well, negotiation is not conducted by megaphone in the public sphere (aka Rudd diplomacy) with commentary remaining minimalist.
Closely cropped vision of rent-a-crowd students burning Australian flags in front of the embassy is farcical, normally they would burn an effigy of Abbott, but alas, they weren't that organised.
Instead, they burnt paper flags churned out on a colour printer, others were drawn by hand, they couldn't even get real Australian flags organised.
Maybe we should just sell the ABC to Indonesia at a reasonable price - that should appease both them and us.
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