"What I can say to you is we don't have any plans to cut the funding to the ABC. - shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull, interviewed by Lateline's Tony Jones on February 14, 2013. Middleton: The commitment to maintain funding in real terms over the term of the coming parliament … does that stand? Alston: Absolutely. - exchange between Jim Middleton, ABC TV News chief political correspondent, and Senator Richard Alston on federal election night, March 2, 1996. It is hard to forget.
Within a year of the change of government in 1996, the ABC Board ordered the industrial 'execution' of 1,000 staff as the Howard government dishonoured its election commitment and cut $11 million to operational base funding immediately and $55 million for the triennium starting 97-98."
