Dear Spindoc,

My vote for the ABC is based on more than
"what I like to watch". The ABC is not the only
channel that I watch.

However my vote for the
ABC is based mainly on the fact that I happen to support
mainstream, non-commercial, taxpayer funded,
public broadcasting in Australia, and I would hate for it
to lose its funding (or be privatised), or have cuts made,
- which the Commission of Audit
may yet well do under this current government.
Although Malcolm Turnbull promised prior to the election
that this would not happen.

The ABC is unique - and should remain so. As for questioning
the funding for "minority interests?"
I guess we could regress back to being a cultural backwater
and cut funding to The Arts, Australian Films, Theatre, Opera,
Ballet, and so on. Cut out all the various Children's Programs
on the ABC - and invest the money elsewhere. But will our
society be any the richer for it?
Whatever rocks your boat - I guess

With a growing population there are other necessary services that must be provided.

The thinking that set up the ABC and later the SBS, pre-dated changes in travel and communication, including the widespread public access to the internet.

I to am a supporter of public broadcasting. You all can tune into 'Radio Skid Row' 88.9 on the FM dial. Based in Marrickville in Sydney it offers quality alternative radio for your ears. Our good friend Tahi presents the Maori program between 6 and 9 on a Saturday morning. So to the 'usual suspects' turn off Al (I'm a hater) Jones and listen to some good olde' quality radio.

I wonder how many people who were against the Sydney
Opera House (we didn't need it after all), would regret
it today?

In the 1950s and 1960s Australians were becoming more and more
aware of the fact that Australia was considered a cultural
"backwater". For the best in the arts one had to go
overseas. However, during the following years many plans
were made to put an end to this state of affairs.

The Australian Opera House (the first in Australia) was built in
Sydney. The architectural design made world headlines, and despite
its cost and complications in building, it has now become one of
the foremost cultural attractions of Australia.

In Melbourne, the Victorian Art Gallery was planned as the
"art gallery wonder" of Australia. The centre was to become
a spectacular architectural attraction with its watershielded
glass front, its stained glass ceiling, its fountains and
concert rooms. The art purchses of the gallery have become
matters of public debate. and with the increased interest,
more and more people have been getting experience of art than perhaps ever before.

Then of course we have the Victorian Arts Centre, where
overseas fame of Australian masterpieces like, "The Summer
of the Seventeenth Doll," and the fame of individual
performers ranging from Joan Sutherland, Sir Robert Helpmann
the Seekers, June Bronhill, Barry Humphries, and many, many
more... writers, musicians and performers in all the arts,
earned this country a place amongst the world's best.

Supporting "minority interests" be it in the arts, public
broadcasting, sport, or elsewhere is a necessity. It has
its own rewards bringing with the investment many
tourists and much pride and success.

No longer will the world think of Australia as a place
where kangaroos hop around the streets and where the
"down under" label is a label for backwardness.

Foxy, "I wonder how many people who were against the Sydney
Opera House (we didn't need it after all), would regret
it today?"
The conservative grandpas of the usual suspects on here were against the building of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Bunnerong Power Station and the awarding of 5 shillings a week widows pension by Jack Lang back in the 1930's. They also opposed The Snowy Mountain Scheme, but were all for both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Did you think they wanted to build the Sydney Opera House, if they had, had their way a "lovely" tram shed would still be sitting on Bennelong Point.Do you honestly think their grandsons would support public broadcasting, if its not a war they don't support it.
Famous words of the founder of the Liberal Party 'Pig Iron' Bob Menzies when Ben Chifly announced Australia would build an Australian motor car. "No Australian working man should own a motor car." Don't know what 'Pig Iron' thought of radios and TV's. Here's a historical joke, when Australia introduced decimal currency in 1966 Menzies wanted to call the dollar "Royals"... "Royals", what a wombat, and Menzies is Howard's great hero, and Howard is Abbott's great hero, it runs in the "family" wombatism, that is.

Dear Paul,

I found this little excerpt in one of my son's
old history text books. I wonder how true it is today?

"The heritage of every Australian: the right to be
exactly the same as everybody else...It's not easy to
win this position in a community like Hurstfield.
From time to time, you feel like speaking out about
things, saying something that's different for a change,
until you realize - sensibly - that it's a lot
easier to make yourself like something you really
hate rather than say you hate it and have everybody go
crooked on you."

Some things have changed. For example, while Australian
television shows like "Skippy"
were once popular, the character of the
Aussie housewife was mocked by the clever comedy skits of
over-the-fence-natter by the Australian actress Dawn Lake,
"You tell 'em love!" became the symbol of the
tea-sipping-hair-in-curlers-gossip-over-the-fence-brigade.

Later, this humour was turned to the "Ocker" male, in the
style of Graham Kennedy and the writing of Nino Culotta, and
the city suburbs became the backdrop of the new Aussie image.
Now the language of the pub-crawling hard-working, dry-witted
Aussie gained popularity. "You drongo", or "He's a galah",
became the accompaniment to the traditional "bloody bastard".

The suburban life and well-being of Australian society became
the butt of many jokes, and the intolerance towards
"new Australians" and "coloureds" was sent up as an
unjustifiable prejudice.

It wasn't until the 1970s that the Ocker Aussie was packaged for
world consumption in films and comics, but once done the
exaggerated image of "Bazza (Barry) MacKenzie" became one which
many Australians were no longer so proud of.

This critical self-consciousness had become more and more
apparent in the late 1960s, and forced both politicians and the
public to revise not only policies but also many of their
long-held and cherished notions about themselves and the
rest of the world.

We can only hope that in the years that lie
ahead of us plans will continue to be made that will give
Australia a reputation that will make our nation (of such a
relatively small population) proud.