“Save our ABC!” We’ve all heard the cry since the Federal Budget announced ABC funding would be cut by more than $80 million.
Remember when Pauline Hanson said she wanted the Turnbull Govt to cut to the ABC, well last night the Prime Minister delivered just that. The Budget last night includes a whopping $83m cut to ABC funding #SaveOurABC
— Sarah Hanson-Young? (@sarahinthesen8) May 9, 2018
But that hasn’t stopped the national broadcaster from handing out millions in tax-payer funded bonuses to more than 200 staff members. Some employees are receiving as much as $70,000, according to the Herald Sun.
It was reported that 189 staff members on executive pay were granted pay grades of more than $2.2 million, as about 200 non-executives received a collective bonus of $384,989.
According to the Daily Mail, in October 2017, the ABC refused a government request to disclose the salaries of its 150 highest paid employees, but revealed 20 of its top stars earn between $225,000 and $460,000.
The ABC receives more than a billion dollars in public money every year. This needs to end now. If it’s a service people want, privatise it and let it fund itself. But of course they won’t do that, because it’s likely not a service most people want.
This is a sick joke. @SenatorFifield ought to be sacked. #theirABC out of control RT ABC forks out $3m in staff bonuses https://t.co/lFE7bly7H0
— Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) May 15, 2018
In the private sector bonuses are paid for meeting revenue and/profit targets, of which the ABC has none, so why were bonuses paid at all. ABC/SBS should be subscription services and ALL gov funding removed. YESTERDAY
— Tom Mende (@tom_mende) May 15, 2018
So the ABC says further cuts to funding will “cut into the muscle of the organisation," yet it has forked out almost $2.6 million on taxpayer-funded bonuses — some as much as $70,000 — to some of its highest-paid employees last year.
Disgraceful.https://t.co/4UYIEcKv3z
— AusTaxpayers (@AusTaxpayers) May 15, 2018
Defund or privatize. Simple.
How much more evidence is needed?https://t.co/mhTbKVLQ49— Verum Media (@Verum_media) May 15, 2018