Elements within the Abbott Government are at war with the ABC, as evidenced by the current stouch over the Q&A program. Staunch allies include the Murdoch Press and shock jocks of the Alan Jones and Ray Hadley ilk. They believe they are on the right side (pardon the pun).
One wonders though where the ‘silent majority’ stand or whether they are even interested. Recent polls in the seats of Joe Hockey (North Sydney) Christopher Pyne (Sturt) and Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth) might provide some clues.
In response to the question ‘Would you support or oppose including the functions of the ABC in the Constitution to protect it from political interference?’ a majority of voters in each electorate was either supportive or strongly supportive – 60.7 per cent in Wentworth, 57.4 in Sturt and 59.7 in North Sydney.
When asked ‘Do you support or oppose the government’s decision to reduce funding to the ABC in last year’s budget?’ 53.7 per cent of Wentworth voters were opposed or strongly opposed, as were 54.2 in Sturt and 59.0 in North Sydney.
Moderate elements within the Coalition must be apprehensive about the electoral implications of the culture war skirmishes its more rabid right wing elements are engaging it in, the attack on the ABC being just one of a list including the ‘wind turbines’ farce and the strident jingoism apparent in the ‘war on terrorism’
If it is still conventional wisdom that Australians will not elect a government that is too far left or right it would not come as a surprise if the culture war became a civil war within the Coalition. Malcolm Turnbull’s distancing himself from Tony Abbott’s ‘captain’s picks’ and accompanying rhetoric suggests he does not want to be caught on the losing side.