An Open Letter on the ABC
Supporting the ABC
ABR shares many Australians’ concerns about the health and viability of the ABC. The threats are myriad and sustained. Funding cuts, political interference, and frequent taunts from News Corp have weakened the organisation. Recently, the Liberal Party’s Federal Council voted to privatise the organisation. This would surely spell the beginning of the end for the national broadcaster. We take things for granted in the Lucky Country, but can we really be sure that the ABC will be around in 2028 to celebrate its centenary – searching, unfettered, well resourced? More and more people think not and have begun to lobby government. ABR supports them wholeheartedly. Meanwhile, one hundred writers, artists, commentators, and public figures have signed our open letter in support of the ABC.
Peter Rose, Editor and CEO, Australian Book Review
Open Letter
We strongly support the ABC and oppose any measures – privatisation, political interference, funding cuts – that would undermine the national broadcaster.
Phillip Adams AO
Louise Adler AM
Dennis Altman AM
Brook Andrew 
Robyn Archer AO
Neil Armfield AO
Alan Atkinson 
Amy Baillieu 
Kate Baillieu 
John Bell AO
Neal Blewett AC
Frank Bongiorno 
Helen Brack 
Katharine Brisbane AM
Peter Burch AM 
Julian Burnside AO QC
Roger Butler
David Carment AM
Steven Carroll 
J.M. Coetzee 
Paul Collins 
Peter Craven 
Jim Davidson AM
Glyn Davis AC
Sarah Day
Michelle de Kretser 
Brett Dean 
Robert Dessaix 
Ian Dickson 
Ian Donaldson 
Helen Ennis
Gareth Evans AC QC
Ronald Farren-Price AM
Sheila Fitzpatrick 
Tim Flannery 
Rae Frances 
Morag Fraser AM
Anna Funder 
Helen Garner 
Michael Gawenda AM
Max Gillies AM
Andrea Goldsmith 
Anna Goldsworthy 
Kerryn Goldsworthy 
Colin Golvan AM QC
Lisa Gorton 
Jonathan Green 
Kate Grenville AO
Gavan Griffith AO QC
Tom Griffiths AO
Gideon Haigh 
Fiona Hall AO
Rodney Hall AM
Marieke Hardy 
Margaret Harris 
Lindy Hume 
Frank Jackson AO
Mary Lou Jelbart 
Gail Jones 
Barry Jones AC
John Kinsella 
Ellen Koshland 
Mike Ladd 
Marilyn Lake AO
Sam Lake AO
Susan Lever 
Ranald Macdonald 
Stuart Macintyre AO
Kim Mahood 
Robert Manne 
Christopher Menz 
Alex Miller 
Frank Moorhouse AM
Michael Morley 
Brenda Niall AO
Kerry O’Brien 
Geoff Page
Judith Pugh
Ron Radford AM
Henry Reynolds 
Judith Rodriguez AM
Peter Rose 
Mark Rubbo OAM
Leo Schofield AM
Julianne Schultz AM
Kim Scott 
Robert Sessions AM
Thomas Shapcott AO
Michael Shmith 
Beejay Silcox 
Peter Singer AC
Fiona Stanley AC
Richard Tognetti AO
Peter Tregear 
Susan Varga 
Richard Walsh 
Elizabeth Webby AM
Kim Williams AM
Kip Williams
Lyn Williams AM
Michael Williams
Robyn Williams AM 
Jacinda Woodhead 
Susan Wyndham 
William Yang
 
 
						







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Alan Brissenden AM
Peter McPhee AM
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