The ABC has been a vitally important part of our democracy for more than 90 years.
In this era of fake news, the need for a fearless public broadcaster has never been greater. But to be effective, the ABC must be independent, free from commercial interests and immune from political interference.
In 2013, arm’s length, merit based reforms were legislated to depoliticise the ABC appointment process. But in the years that followed, coalition government Ministers breached those rules repeatedly.
The Albanese government reinstated an arms-length process to select the ABC Chair and board members, and in 2023 conducted a review of options aimed at supporting the independence of the two national media organisations, ABC and SBS. It is now time to implement the review’s findings.
We call on all parties and candidates for office to commit to specific legislative and other measures to protect the ABC's independence.