GetUp campaign calls out PM for potentially breaking pre-election promise on cuts to the ABC
Activist group GetUp has launched a campaign to protect funding for the ABC, taking aim at Tony Abbott after reports he is set to break his pre-election promise.
A TV ad calling out the Prime Minister over any potential changes has been created for the campaign and members of the group are fundraising to screen the ad in primetime slots in regional and marginal electorates over the next three weeks.
Erin McCallum, GetUp’s campaigns chief of staff, said the ad will be the first step in a strategic campaign to remind the Prime Minister to keep his election promises.
In the ad Abbott is shown stating on the night before the 2013 Federal election there would be “no cuts to the ABC or SBS” alongside news reports he was now considering ways to trim the ABC’s budget.
McCallum said the GetUp campaign launched in response gathered the support of 215,000 people who signed a petition within 72 hours.
“That makes it our fastest growing petition ever – underlining the community’s strong support for the national broadcaster,” McCallum said.
It follows the outdoor campaign to save the ABC with billboards strategically situated in the constituencies of the Prime Minister and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
“We know the majority of Australians don’t want these funding cuts to go ahead,” McCallum said.
“It’s one of the nation’s most trusted institutions. Together, we’ll throw everything we’ve got at protecting our ABC.”
Here we go – the middle class neo-socialist collective, Getup, fabricating history as only they know how to. Abbott made no such definitive promise, and who would care if he did? Indeed he was elected by the people on their passionate hope that he will crucify the squalid and utterly contemptible ABC. They deserve to be punished for their unethical and illegal (under the Act) behaviours, and now is the time for them to face the consequences of their actions.
We, the people, demand a minimum $400M cut to the ABC’s obscene budget, with that saving going towards the NDIS. We demand they be prohibited from paying “jobs for life” public servants up to $800K a year for working 5 hours a week and poncing about the rest of the time. Sharpen the axe, swing the cleaver, bring it on!
User ID not verified.
“We know the majority of Australians don’t want these funding cuts to go ahead…”
Speak for yourself, mate.
If only GetUp had monitored its beloved Labor Party similarly closely over the past six years, it would actually be relevant.
User ID not verified.
He shouldn’t cut the budget…he should axe it completely.
User ID not verified.
Of course Tony is going to cut through the ABC, it is important for the survival for the coalition government that balanced news and opinion is put to rest.
Even worse, they continually denounce their biggest supporter, Andrew Bolt.
It’s about time we succumb to the thought police and their leader, Rupert.
User ID not verified.
Internet petitions mean diddly squat. It’s the lowest common denominator of political contribution. Hell, a million keyboard warriors couldn’t get Kyle Sandilands off the air, how do you think less than a quarter of that will fare against the government?
If the government is reducing spend across board, the ABC (and SBS) should be in line for cuts just like everyone else. Personally, if that means less money wasted on things like cartoons of people making love to dogs, the better.
User ID not verified.
@Mike: get help.
User ID not verified.
Mike says: “Indeed he was elected by the people on their passionate hope that he will crucify the squalid and utterly contemptible ABC”. What utter nonsense, and you know it! Poll after poll finds ABC the most-trusted and respected organisation in the country. So you are in the minority my friend.
And his lie about the ABC is right there for all to see! Same with pensions. Just like Julia Gillard’s televised ‘no carbon tax’ remark which Abbott never let go. This is NO different.
User ID not verified.
Strange how GetUp! is so vocal about cuts to its beloved socialist propaganda apparatus yet we have not heard a peep out of them regarding cuts to the Aged and Disability Support Pensions. It just goes to show the hypocrisy and strange priorities of hard-line left wing activists.
User ID not verified.
@Mike: Keep wearing the tin foil hat.
User ID not verified.
Those making comments should check how efficent the ABC is in terms of its productions. If you compare the cost of programs versus the cost of productions in the private sector the ABC is more efficient. If you compare it to cost per ratings point it’s more efficient. The arguments to cut costs at the ABC are more about dislike or clearly from the above comments – hatred by some people of the ABC and not a question of efficiency.
User ID not verified.
Can’t wait to see the lefty bulldust which is the ABC finally get put to bed… its budget should be completely axed, not just cut!
User ID not verified.
Could Mr Squiggle do the 7.30 Report to save us some money?
User ID not verified.
I love the ABC and will lie under a bulldozer to save it
User ID not verified.
Fascinating and a bit sad how “Groucho” and “Blutack”, bereft of counter arguments on this topic, resort to insults. Your concession is accepted. Game, set and match fellas. Thankyou and goodnight!
User ID not verified.
Why is anyone surprised that ANY pollie has broken a pre-election promise? C’mon people – are you serious? Pork. Barrel. Stunt.
User ID not verified.
@Mike it wasn’t an insult it was advice. Your post was the clue about needing some help.
User ID not verified.
Don’t fret about poor folk like Mike, Groucho. He relies on Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt to tell him how to think on any given day. Didn’t you get the memo that he was the appointed spokesman for all Australians? Never mind the surveys highlighting the ABCs rankings in integrity, if Mike says so it must be right so sit down and shush please, Mike’s trying to polish a turd.
User ID not verified.
@Marto thanks for your reassurance. I do worry though that he might be out there mixing with humans unsupervised.
User ID not verified.
Hey folks, go easy on poor old Mike.
Anyone who says “Abbott made no such definitive promise”, is clearly hearing impaired, visually impaired and/or deluded (or all three). Mike replay the video … was it a VO or real.
Who would have thought that there were that many right-wing nutbags in our country.
User ID not verified.
@JG – xenophobes are aplenty in society. You can normally identify them by the combination of poor syntax/grammar and a complete inability to hold an adult conversation. Conservatism is where the low IQ meets misinformation. There is a reason why the Tele is written to a year 9 reading level, so the perennially stupid mouth-breathers can be told how to think. The irony is they are literally too stupid to understand they are the thinking mans idiot.
User ID not verified.
I’m over anyone with a modicum of common sense being labelled as hard-left, middle class neo-socialist, or ‘soft’ just because others won’t engage with them beyond labelling and name-calling. When they try, it falls apart – eg Mike carries on with the anti-socialist name calling, then says “We, the people, demand…”. I’m sure he doesn’t see the irony.
Probably believes what he reads in the paper too 🙂
And yeah, I’d much rather have the ABC than Abbott’s Butcher Collective (see, I can make up labels too). I think it’s great the Govt is scared of Aunty; the truth must hurt.
User ID not verified.