CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
More than 100 MPs and members are in Sydney for the Liberal Party’s annual federal council which is expected to be the last before the next federal election. The right-wing political classes have already announced several new positions aimed at dealing with any detractors or commentators who might bring their ruling party into disrepute.
Liberal Party members have called on the Turnbull Government to privatise the ABC, after years of having their policies discussed and at times even criticised.
While the public broadcaster continues to restructure itself to provide more bang for tax payer buck, the currents heads of the chopping block continue to be regional outposts that don’t make any sense to anyone living in Balmain or Brunswick.
ABC Landline, rural radio stations and any form of programming that doesn’t involve white inner-city men sitting behind a desk, has been looking like an easy target for the Ultimo head offices to slash for many years now.
However, the 567 social media strategists and deep bureacratic-types hired at the Ultimo head office (colloquially known as The Kremlin) say that they are feeling rather confident in their importance.
Local ABC middle-manager, Sal Shallist, says she’s confident that a sell-off of the ABC would not result in a forced redundancy package for her or her peers.
“There’s literally no more fat to cut” she says.
“The ABC has plenty of random people reporting on bull sales in Longreach and Mt Isa that probably aren’t integral to the national conversation”
Sal says while she admits there is some dead wood within the public broadcaster, her role as Stan Grant’s personal assistant’s assistant definitely isn’t as expendable as other people from other departments.
“Stan Grant’s assistant is stretched thin, that’s why they hired me for $75k per year. To help her out”
“It’s not much when you think about it, especially when there’s entire segments dedicated to providing content for sport and stuff like that”
