I am utterly amazed that in today's age a politician, namely Barnaby Joyce, can force the relocation of an entire government department into his electorate costing tax payers millions of dollars and stripping it of talent, without serious challenge. Done in no small measure to shore up his vote at the next election this should be considered an out and out abuse of power for self gain. Yet I have listened to at least three ABC interviews and in each case he has not been held to account, been allowed to bluster his way out of answering direct questions, and been joked with at the conclusion. It is insane.

I full expect the conservative press, which is very much in the majority in this country, to play this story with a dead bat but I want my ABC asking hard questions and not letting acts of bastardry and pork barreling slide through to the keeper. They have well and truly lost their spine. Is it because of the impending funding and job cuts? Possibly. But righteous anger should be driving indignation in any journalist worth their salt.

Pull your finger out and do your job.

//I full expect the conservative press, which is very much in the majority in this country, to play this story with a dead bat//

When they're always banging on about the need to reduce debt and be more prudent in Government spending? You'd hope they'd be asking some tough questions about the cost of this harebrained scheme.

You'd hope the opposition would too. Anybody heard from those guys lately?

Mass migration programs of federal governments that put 'diversity' first in lieu of community good have resulted in large numbers of migrants lobbing in Sydney and other large metropolitan centres, driving up house prices and overloading available infrastructure.

Such policies were criticised by Labor and LNP premiers and particularly by Labor premiers, eg Carr, who were exasperated by the feds importing big problems for states to solve, which they couldn't.

Federal governments always claimed that migrants would move to country areas. They didn't. The truth was that in the past migrants from some countries, eg from Germany could confidently be expected to do that, but others preferred to group together and in large cities.

In addition, Canberra has grown like topsy and is way too big.

Country towns are dying.

It is a smart initiative (and because other attempts to decentralise have failed), to move some bits of government departments to the country.

It must have been a shock for the original poster of this thread when Gough Whitlam and Dick Hamer cooperated to bring Albury-Wodonga to fruition. Although Gough's population forecast was never met.

I almost agree with you Steely. They & all the ABC should be moved from their incestuous current setup.

Every ABC function should be moved to any a wide number of sites west of Dolby, & north of Lake Eyre, with no more than 10% of it in any one location.

This should be the first act of draining the swamp in Australia, & would stop the left moving it to Adelaide to prop up their support there, after their catastrophic power policy.

Dear Hasbeen,

So dead bat from you as well on Joyce's naked self interest and abuse of power. Thought so.

Hell these guys didn't even have offices ready for them. There is an initial $22 million spend that will only grow as people take payouts and leave.

There is no doubt that local businesses and real estate agents are going to be pretty chuffed in Armadale so more donations for Joyce's election coffers no doubt.

Why isn't this pure corruption? This is costing tax payers, there is no economic justification for it, and all it is is the whim of a senior government politician making sure of the next election. All you can do is trot out some anti-ABC clap trap? Well done mate. You do our country proud.

Political corruption at is best.. This lot will do anything corrupted to save their own fury back.
Has been is usual 100 percent bias. Without the ABC in this country this country would be a remote outstation nation.