Thread by @KKeneally

Today we heard in #estimates that Minister Fifield has lodged 1 complaint/month so far this year:
January: Date of the Hottest 100
February: Alberici Corporate tax articles
March: Tonightly sketch
April: Black Comedy sketch ABC Indigenous FB
May: Alberici Innovation story.

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @billshortenmp view original on Twitter

We also heard in #estimates that Minister Fifield has been the first Communications Minister since Richard Alston to complain to ACMA (or its predecessor) about the ABC.

Alston complained about war coverage.

Fifield complained about a comedy sketch, and a comedy FB video.

Furthermore, Fifield complaint to ACMA about a FB video was rather pointless. ACMA has no jurisdiction over video content on Facebook. #estimates

Nonetheless Fifield says he complained ‘to make a point’ that ACMA has no jurisdiction over FB.

I asked Minister Fifield if he, as Communications Minister, had plans to expand ACMA’s remit to cover social media video content.

He said no.

So what was the point of ‘making the point’?

Just to complain?

#estimates

It’s hard to take seriously Minister Fifield’s insistence that the ABC is independent when he is writing or calling them once a month to complain to them about their content. #estimates

Given that Minister Fifield is a regular complainant to the ABC, tells the ABC how to find its own budget efficiencies, intervenes on the ABC’s enterprise agreement, and what ABC staff should be paid, maybe he should just apply for the job of Managing Director. #estimates