Pauline Hanson has backed away from her party’s threat to withhold its support for the Turnbull government’s budget measures unless the ABC’s funding is cut.
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, Hanson said slashing ABC funding “will not be the most crucial component of ensuring One Nation’s support” for the government’s budget.
“The people want One Nation to deal with all legislation on its merits, and the government’s budget will be no different,” her statement said.
“Despite the ABC’s bloated budget and regular displays of bias, it would be not be in the nation’s best interests to block government supply in exchange for sweeping cuts to the national broadcaster.”
Hanson rejected the notion that One Nation’s position on ABC cuts was a consequence of the ABC’s “recent attacks on her party”.
“People know my party has always been concerned about the ABC’s budget,” she said. “Senator Burston has been fighting for cuts to the ABC from the moment he raised the issue in his maiden speech.”
Just hours earlier One Nation’s party whip, Brian Burston, complained his party had received “unfair treatment” from the ABC and planned to reject “all bills associated with the budget” in response, unless the broadcaster’s $1bn a year funding was cut by $600m over four years.
His complaint followed a decision by the ABC to broadcast a leaked recording this week of a phone conversation between Hanson and the former One Nation treasurer, Ian Nelson, in which they appear worried about allegations that a light aircraft was donated to the party by a property developer, Bill McNee.
It was the second secret recording to leak from the party in a fortnight.
Last week a recording emerged of James Ashby, Hanson’s chief adviser, suggesting to his colleagues that One Nation could “make some money” on its campaign packages for Queensland election candidates by inflating campaign expenses. Ashby said the phrase had been taken out of context.
“It’s about time we took a stand against the ABC because if it’s us and they destroy us, what is it next: the government?” Burston is reported to have said. “They’re showing total bias against One Nation.”
It is the second time One Nation has threatened to withhold its support unless the ABC received significant budget cuts.
In April, less than four weeks before the budget, Burston warned One Nation would consider withholding its support for any budget after a Four Corners special on One Nation, and after ABC 7.30’s political correspondent, Andrew Probyn, revealed on Insiders on 26 March that Hanson was due to travel with other parliamentarians to Afghanistan, which infuriated Hanson.
Hanson said on Wednesday the Coalition could still prove it was serious about media reform by “reining in” the ABC and SBS.
