David Leyonhjelm voted very strongly for privatising the ABC

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 states that the “corporation or prescribed companies [are] to be the only providers of Commonwealth-funded international broadcasting services”,

(ii) the Abbott Government stripped funding for the Australia Network from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and

(iii) the Morrison Government has indicated that it plans to work “with our commercial media operators to ensure the Pacific can connect to quality Australian media content”; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to reinstate the Australia Network and award the public funding for the Australia Network broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific to the ABC.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that on 6 September, 2013, Mr Abbott promised voters "no cuts to the ABC";

(b) further notes that:

(i) the 2014-15 Budget cut the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) funding by $47 million,

(ii) the 2014-15 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook cut the ABC's funding by a further $207 million,

(iii) the 2018-19 Budget has cut the ABC by an additional $84 million,

(iv) since September 2013, the ABC has been forced to absorb 1,014 job losses as a result of budget cuts, and

(v) trust in politicians is at an all-time low, and that this is not without reason;

(c) condemns the Liberal Party's decision over the weekend to support the privatisation of the ABC, noting that no members of the Turnbull Government, including the Minister for Communications, spoke against the motion; and

(d) calls on the Turnbull Government to make amends on its broken promises by rescinding its policy to privatise the ABC and reversing its damaging cuts.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Liberal Party of Australia's Federal Council recently passed a motion stating "That federal council calls for the full privatisation of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, except for services into regional areas that are not commercially viable";

(b) further notes the comments of the Treasurer that the government has no plans to privatise the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC); and

(c) congratulates Liberal Party members for continuing to draw attention to the need for structural and budgetary reform of the ABC.