January 30, 2013
Jonathan Swan and Matthew Knott
The Abbott government has launched an "efficiency study" into the ABC (click here) – a move that will exacerbate the already extraordinary pressure on the national broadcaster.
As revealed by Fairfax Media, the government's review into ABC spending and work practices will begin in February....
..."It is not a study of the quality of the national broadcaster's programs, products and services, or the responsibilities set out in their charters but of the efficiency of the delivery of those services to the Australian public.''...
Of course, since the Murdoch papers back government without question it doesn't apply to them.
January 30, 2014 - 11:18AM
Jonathan Swan
Tanya Plibersek has defended the ABC (click here) against Tony Abbott's attacks and the speculated termination of the broadcaster's $223 million Australia Network contract.
The Prime Minister's attacks on the ABC, in which he accused the broadcaster of lacking sufficient patriotism in its journalism, were now escalating into a "petty tit-for-tat exchange" which threatened the ABC's soft diplomacy arm, Ms Plibersek said.
"Before the election, the government were very clear that they wouldn't be cutting funding to the ABC.
"And today we read in the newspapers that they're proposing to cut almost a quarter of a billion dollars from the ABC at what seems to be a very petty tit-for-tat exchange with our national broadcaster."...
Patriotism, huh? Perhaps Mr. Abbott means nationalism. Very different. This was reporting by ABC to the citizens of Australia because they didn't know their government was conducting these strikes. I suppose it isn't patriotic to squeal on the government in Australia.
Updated
A senior Australian Defence Force officer has revealed details of how the Royal Australian Air Force deploys Israeli-owned drones for battlefield surveillance and to target anti-government Islamic fighters in Afghanistan.
Wing Commander Jonathan McMullan says Australia is "just buying hours" on the Heron drones from a Canadian company that in turn "leases them from IAI" (Israel Aerospace Industries), which is wholly owned by the Israeli government.
While enthusiastically endorsing the Heron's capabilities, Wing Commander McMullan was highly critical of the quality of training provided by Israeli and Canadian instructors to Australian drone crews.
Citizens are killed in Afghanistan on a regular basis. I see.
The unarmed Israeli Herons first entered RAAF service in Afghanistan in December 2009.
They are the centrepiece of the ADF's rapidly expanding drone warfare capability that has so far cost an estimated $550 million.
Australian Defence Force chief General David Hurley told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra late last month: "I wouldn't discount the fact that we might have armed UAVs thinking through our force structure review into the future."...
A senior Australian Defence Force officer has revealed details of how the Royal Australian Air Force deploys Israeli-owned drones for battlefield surveillance and to target anti-government Islamic fighters in Afghanistan.
Wing Commander Jonathan McMullan says Australia is "just buying hours" on the Heron drones from a Canadian company that in turn "leases them from IAI" (Israel Aerospace Industries), which is wholly owned by the Israeli government.
While enthusiastically endorsing the Heron's capabilities, Wing Commander McMullan was highly critical of the quality of training provided by Israeli and Canadian instructors to Australian drone crews.
Citizens are killed in Afghanistan on a regular basis. I see.
The unarmed Israeli Herons first entered RAAF service in Afghanistan in December 2009.
They are the centrepiece of the ADF's rapidly expanding drone warfare capability that has so far cost an estimated $550 million.
Australian Defence Force chief General David Hurley told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra late last month: "I wouldn't discount the fact that we might have armed UAVs thinking through our force structure review into the future."...
