Peter Dutton has not ruled out cuts to the ABC and remains unwilling to specify which public servants will be cut as part of his plan to slash 41,000 jobs, despite expressing concerns about Australians struggling with paying bills. He sidestepped questions about where and how he would trim “waste” in the federal government but committed to revealing costings before the election on May 3. This seems to contradict Bridget McKenzie, a senior shadow minister, who stated the Coalition won’t detail which government employees would be sacked until after the election. It is unclear whether ABC staff would be among those affected by the job cuts. Meanwhile, ABC Chair Kim Williams’ attempts to arrange a meeting with Dutton have been rebuffed, despite Williams meeting with other National party members with constituents reliant on the public broadcaster. Dutton stated that if the ABC is being run efficiently, funding should remain, but inefficient practices and waste should not be supported by taxpayers. Details about the cuts remain unclear, with Dutton previously suggesting staff at health and education departments might be affected, and often framing the cuts as a support for Australian families. The opposition has provided contradictory answers regarding the number of jobs to be cut and the methods of reduction. Some shadow ministers suggest few jobs will be lost, while others imply many could be eliminated. Dutton has committed to making the public service more “efficient” and living within budget limits but notably refused to rule out cuts to the ABC, which he says needs to demonstrate excellence. Dutton has also been pressed to disclose whether a Dutton-led government would defund the ABC and SBS before voters cast their ballots.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/02/australia-election-peter-dutton-abc-cuts-kim-williams-meeting