Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has gone to great pains to avoid saying whether he believes “in program” advertising on SBS is in accordance with its obligations under its Act, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “Senator Conroy has become remarkably coy on this matter as Minister, given his past comments as Shadow Minister when…
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is ignoring criticism of a UK model to be applied in relation to the selection of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Board members, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. In a scheme similar to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) board appointment process, a so-called “independent panel” is planned to provide Senator…
The Rudd Labor Government is bleeding an extra $150 million from taxpayers through a rise in the cost of postage, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. A one-off “special dividend” of $150 million is being paid by Australia Post in 2008-09, which according to the Budget Papers “reflects the strong financial position of Australia…
Coalition Senators have attacked as ‘chaotic, shambolic and frantic’ the Rudd Labor Government’s approach to development of a National Broadband Network (NBN), Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Coalition Senators today lodged additional comments to the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee’s report into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network) Bill 2008.…
Melissa Parke, Member for Fremantle, and Chair of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF, and Senator Simon Birmingham, the Association’s Deputy Chair have called on concerned Australians to donate to UNICEF’s emergency appeal in order to provide life saving essentials for those affected by Cyclone Nargis. Donations can be made by visiting www.unicef.org.au or…
Coalition Senators have stated their opposition to a Bill enabling the Rudd Government to raid the $2 billion regional Communications Fund in order to fund its election promise of an ill-defined National Broadband Network, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Coalition Senators have issued a dissenting report on the inquiry by the Senate Standing…
“Labor’s secret agenda to rig the political donations and disclosure system to give them an unfair political advantage has been exposed today,” Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters which today heard evidence as part of its inquiry into Labor’s plans to…
Senator Simon Birmingham has called for the withdrawal of a promotion offending many ABC television viewers and for a review of ABC policies relating to such promotions. Last night, the ABC aired on television a promotion encouraging its audience to vote for ABC identities nominated for the TV WEEK Gold Logie for “most…
Plans to rip out an extra 75 billion litres of water a year from the Murray-Darling Basin should be abandoned in light of revelations the stressed system might already not be able to meet basic human needs, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham said it was astonishing that the Victorian and Australian…
Claims that estimated water savings underpinning a controversial planned pipeline have been inflated must be investigated, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. The claims have today been presented by the ‘Plug the Pipe’ campaign to a Senate committee inquiry into a Bill designed to prevent the Sugarloaf or ‘North-South’ pipeline from sending 75 billion…