'We don't need it': Pauline Hanson takes aim at SBS

Pauline Hanson says taxpayers' money could be better spent on things other than 'leftist propaganda'.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson Source: AAP

During a Facebook live video, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said that multicultural broadcaster SBS should be privatised, declaring "we don't need it".

"Defund the ABC and SBS, I'm tired of their propaganda," one person commented.

"Totally agree," Hanson replied. "You know, I think everyone is sick and tired of it. That's why, you know - okay, at the ABC, I'm sick and tired of them with their leftist attitude. They are so left.

"And the SBS, it's costing the taxpayer close to $400 million a year to fund the SBS. Sell it. Privatise it. Let them run it themselves and we can better use that money elsewhere."

For the 2016-17 financial year, SBS was allocated $282 million, a decrease of almost $6 million from the previous year, with almost $98 million in funding sourced elsewhere, including from private advertising.

"Get rid of the SBS, we don't need it. People can hook in via their iPads or whatever and they can look at it from their country of origin. Why we are funding that? I don't think we need to," she said.



Hanson also suggested that the ABC be overhauled to save costs.

"I think the ABC...should be actually be overhauled, that's at $1.2 billion a year," she said.

The ABC for the 2016-17 financial year - roughly $48 million less than for 2015-16 financial year.

Hanson also suggested that the national broadcaster should focus more energy on producing local content for rural and regional areas.

"The ABC should be concentrating more on rural and regional areas for the people out there to make sure that they have local content and these highly paid salaries is just over-the-top, what they get paid is just ridiculous and I think it just needs a complete overhaul."

Managing Director of the ABC Michelle Guthrie that would see the savings funnelled into content.

Earlier in the year, the broadcaster also faced scrutiny for its decision to end its short-wave radio service in the Northern Territory in a bid to save millions.
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3 min read
Published 20 March 2017 4:06pm
Updated 21 March 2017 11:06am
By Georgina Cooke


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