Choose which monster, the ABC or SBS, will eat the other and bring it back to core business of improved, participatory, local services for people in remote areas. The lion's share of that money should be going to helping those people get a leg into the digital revolution. Where they have the money to get the technology locally, they can best serve themselves.

Sell whatever of the public broadcaster is not needed.

Put the money into:

- lowering hospital waiting lists;

- into public vaccination programs Professor Ian Fraser's new vaccines, by way of example, http://www.tri.edu.au/vaccine-herpes-simplex-virus

and

- redesign of cities to make them healthier and sustainable environments for all people, not just for the well-heeled that are forcing the old and lower income out. The examples are already available overseas.

Dear Shadow Minister,

Professor Graeme Turner is one of the leading figures
in cultural and media studies not only in Australia
but internationally as well. His research has covered
a wide range of forms and media - literature, film,
television, radio, new media, journalism, and popular
culture. He's published over 23 books.
Yet you brush him aside as a "Left-Winge." To me
that indicates that you are simply assuming that
someone who puts up different opinions to yours they
are automatically classified as a "Leftie."
This is not as Cossomby pointed out so eloquently on
another discussion - either debate or discussion.
It's intellectual laziness. And usually discourages any
further debate because people find that they have better
things to do with their time. Labels belong on clothes
not on people. And politically, most people I know do
change their minds on various issues.

I shall leave you with the following links:

http://theconversation.com/its-our-abc-29525

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/voters-in-blueribbon-liberal-seats-strongly-support-abc-20150705-gi5eaq.html

Foxy you just don't get it.

No one who lives in the real world is interested in the opinion of some clown who could spend their whole life in the study of some make believe discipline such as "cultural and media studies". Only a powder puff could so waste their life.

You still keep quoting these lefty propaganda rags, as if they provide some real meaning. I am still waiting to see a reference from you of some respected organisation, even if only to refute it. It would show that you do read something other than propaganda from the left.

Foxy,

There are also many on the conservative side of politics who hold opinions with which I don't agree, and I don't brand them (ie Runner etc) as lefties. GT's writings show that his opinions are a far cry from the conservative and well into the Labor/green spectrum. You also ignored the other point that I made with respect to Cultural programming that GT has personal vested interest in the ABC funding his particular interest.

That these cultural programs are not generally found in private networks is generally because their viewership is sparse and ad revenue is also nearly non-existent. So the question is again, why should all taxpayers fund programs with a deliberate political agenda that is only watched by a handful of people?

That the Australian public does not have an appetite for privatisation does not mean that it doesn't make economic and financial sense and isn't the right thing to do.

Dear Shadow Minister,

Prof Graeme Turner does not have a vested interest in the
ABC - he's no longer in Australia - he's at Stockholm University.
Also you are wrong in thinking that the ABC is supported by
only a few Australians. I gave you several links that tell us
the opposite to be true. The most recent independent Newspoll
shows an extraordinary level of support and enthusiasm for our
national broadcaster. Over 84% of Australians believe that the
national broadcaster provides a valuable service to the community.
84% believe that its reporting is accurate and fair. They think
it does a good job and is of high quality. The evidence is that
the National broadcaster is providing value for the money
invested in it.

If any other organisation had such high proportions of people
valuing it across the country it would be very happy indeed.
And this is evidence that the national broadcaster is providing
value for the money invested in it.

As for your claim that you do not always agree with the
conservative side of politics? The evidence is
to the contrary. Your usual tactic is consistently
finger-pointing
at Labor and stooping to labelling and
name calling such as "Juliar" "Left-whinge" and other such
"endearments." Your record speaks for itself.

Dear Hassie,

To me the ABC is crucial because we are poorly served by
other parts of the media. Too often problems become politicised,
the science is discarded and national debate and decision making
go out the window. I'm sorry that you feel I only read "Leftist"
propaganda. I actually read quite a vast variety of material.
Anyway, I do change my mind on various issues.
However, Thank You for your concern. I hope I haven't disappointed
you too greatly because your opinion does matter to me.

Foxy,

I find it irritating when someone misconstrues what I write and then attacks me for something I neither said nor intended, and you Foxy should really know better. That "GT has personal vested interest in the ABC funding his particular interest." ie documentaries on aboriginal culture and media should be self-evident.

Secondly, I never said "that the ABC is supported by
only a few Australians" rather that certain programming caters to only a small audience which I explained and to which even GT concurs.

Finally, your statement "you are simply assuming that
someone who puts up different opinions to yours they
are automatically classified as a "Leftie." was so general as to be complete bollocks. Here are a few topics with which I have openly disagreed with other conservatives without calling one of them a lefty:

1 I support SSM,
2 I agree that CO2 emissions by mankind are largely responsible for climate change and that steps have to be taken to address this,
3 I strongly believe that women have the right to terminate a pregnancy, etc

However, as a conservative, I find in the left whingers the motherlode of pretentious incompetence.