NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price claims the ABC will only give a “one-sided view” of the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum, saying she finds it “deeply troubling” as a First Nations person.
The Country Liberal Party senator was speaking in favour of a motion at the Nationals’ federal council meeting that called for the federal government to ensure the public broadcaster adhered to its editorial standards and charter.
“Particularly in our current climate, we don’t need any more ideology being peddled nationally,” she told the gathering in Canberra on Saturday.
“We need a fair broadcaster, particularly as it is a taxpayer-funded broadcaster.
“As a person of Indigenous heritage, I find it deeply troubling, particularly with the referendum case before us as a nation, that the ABC will only put forward a one-sided view on this.”
Senator Price said she had the “unfortunate but also satisfying opportunity to successfully sue the ABC”.
The Albanese government has said it remains committed to delivering on its election pledge to take a Voice to a referendum in its first term.
The Nationals motion was successful. Another one that called for bigger regional ABC newsrooms, an investigation into further decentralisation of ABC headquarters, and an increase in local radio output was also carried.
The motion that garnered the most debate opposed attempts to further expand the powers of the Australian Communications and Media Authority to combat misinformation and disinformation.
Senator Bridget McKenzie spoke against the unsuccessful motion, saying the ABC was not subject to the ACMA when it came to the “disinformation they put about”.
Senator McKenzie referenced a case where a complaint had been lodged against the ABC over the broadcast of a program called Fight for Planet A, where it was alleged the program unfairly and inaccurately depicted Australian cattle producers and the beef industry.
ACMA found the public broadcaster did not breach standards under the ABC code.
By Tess Ikonomou in Canberra
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