Chris Lewis,
Yeah, have you ever heard me say ALL Conservatives have sense ? Don't think having insipid dills in the party is solely the left's domain !

I woke up to see the ABC's 'DRUM' a couple of days ago so, I watched for about 5 minutes & changed channel, it became unbearable to listen to these gits !
If I had my way I'd sack Leigh Sales, Patricia Caravellis & several of the pro-gay, anti-common sense activists. These people aren't even disguising the fact that they have a full-blown agenda to ruin the Coalition whilst we're paying them rather handsomely.
Btw. Chris, how much is someone like the aforementioned getting paid ? Shouldn't the Australian taxpayer know that ?

"BTW, plenty of LIberals watch and listen to the ABC".

Do they? How do you know? What is a Liberal? Is a Liberal a member of the Liberal party, or just someone who votes Liberal? Most Australians do not identify with any political party. They are not interested in politics and generally vote because it is compulsory to turn up at the polling booth.

The Liberal party is a truly 'liberal' party; it is not conservative and, if you look at its history, you will find it was started to actually escape conservatism - was always liberal, hence its name. Bob Menzies was a clever and very literate man, a lover of the English language. If he wanted a conservative party he would not have had it called the Liberal Party. Malcolm Turnbull knew this, and felt at liberty to act accordingly. He got the job because a majority of the party's politicians thought the same way. Morrison's prime ministership came about for the same reason.

Anybody thinking that the Australian Liberal Party is in any way conservative is either an extreme, raving lefty, or someone too lazy or disinterested to think for himself or herself.

There are of course people who are personally conservative, and might even vote Liberal because they believe it is a little to the right of Labor, who watch the ABC, but only so they have something to complain about. Their complaints are entirely irrelevant and boring. We will never have politicians in power who have the interest or the will to defund the ABC, and most of them fall over themselves to be interviewed by the likes of Leigh Sales.

The lack of interest - and therefore the difficulty of labelling individuals as Liberals, Laborites, Greens etc. - in politics in Australia is revealed in the paucity of party member membership.

Membership figures for political parties by voters in Australia are roughly: ALP, 53,000; Liberal, 50,000; Greens, 15,000. One Nation and other parties could share the one telephone box.

The number of eligible voters on the roll in 2019 was, 16,567,519, most of whom vote for one of the only two parties they think can do something for them - irrespective of how those parties describe (or lie about) themselves.

Given the fast-disappearing differences between these two, Australians will become even more non-political and label-free.

The key question for policy makers is whether the level
of support for the economically and social disadvantaged
is adequate. Timing the re-awakening of the Australian
economy from the prolonged state of hibernation is also
critical.

The Melbourne Institute has found that 60% of Australians
report being moderately satisfied with the government's
economic policies to support jobs and keep people at work
and more than 80% expect the impact of the pandemic to last
longer. Around 30% feel financially stressed while 40%
responded feeling financially comfortable.

It's a mixed bag. And something understandably provides
stress especially in places like Victoria where the
restrictions are only slowly being eased. However, when
you look at the alternatives being see in other countries
most Australians are happy with their government's
response to date. Hopefully this will continue into the
future.

cont'd ...

As for the question of the ABC and SBS?

According to Independent Australia news sources -
"The ABC and SBS Australia's public broadcasters
serve a vital function. Guided by charters and with
funding models not wholly reliant on high ratings and
advertising revenue, they provide something that can't
be guaranteed by the commercial broadcasters..."

Their funding models allow for innovation and risk taking
which is vital in a creative industry. As a result the ABC
and SBS have produced some of the best Australian TV
programs. Shows that would have never been created
by the commercial networks such as - Frontline, Mother and
Son, SesChange, Gruen, The Movie Show, Go Back To Where
You Came From, to name a few.

In relation to news and current affairs the ABC and SBS
provide independent, fair, and balanced reporting, analysis
and investigative journalism.

Local coverage during emergency events such as bushfires
saves lives and foreign news and foreign language bulletins
connect Australians to the world.

New polling released by the Australia Institute show that
most voters support a long term boost to ABC funding and
oppose cuts to the ABC and SBS and that the ABC remains
the most trusted news service in Australia.