GILMORE MP Ann Sudmalis has slammed the decision to close the Nowra office of the ABC as “deplorable”, while refuting claims of being a hypocrite.
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Ms Sudmalis has weighed into the ABC decision to close its Nowra office, saying she will fight the closure.
The MP has written an open letter to Mark Scott, ABC managing director on the matter.
However, constituents criticised Ms Sudmalis, accusing her of hypocrisy.
In a letter to the Kiama Independent, David Hunt of Gerringong blasted Ms Sudmalis.
“(She) voted to cut the funding to the ABC and SBS,’’ he said.
‘‘As a result of her treachery, the ABC office in Nowra is to close.
“She is now angry with the ABC managing director. Can anyone be a bigger hypocrite?”
Others also commented online via fellow Fairfax Media publication, the Nowra-based South Coast Register.
“Utterly disgraceful. We’ll remember, Ann ‘One Term’ Sudmalis,” one poster wrote.
“It’s disgraceful that she would vote to cut funding from the ABC and then seek to blame the ABC for cutting services,” another wrote.
With the closure of its Nowra outpost, the ABC will have no presence between Wollongong and Bega.
The cut has come after the ABC was told to trim its budget by five per cent across the board.
Ms Sudmalis denied her actions were hypocritical.
“The government didn’t make this decision,” she said.
“Once we got into government we found… We were left with fiscal bonds every time we opened up a portfolio.
“Our government gave indication to every government department to look at what you’re spending money on, and look at how you’re allocating expenditure.
“That was given over to the CEOs; it was up to them to determine the strategies to reduce their expenditure.”
Ms Sudmalis said the ABC’s charter was to represent country and regional Australia.
“You would not be cutting your regional newsrooms; you’d be looking at urban structures.
“CEOs have made this decision on where they’d make the changes to expenditure; it was their call as to where they find the savings.
“I think they could have done it a great deal differently.”
Labor candidate for Kiama Glenn Kolomeitz also condemned the cuts and the statements of Ms Sudmalis.
“ABC Nowra is a vital part of the community on the South Coast, including the electorate of Kiama,'' he said. "It’s important for local news and content, to support local community groups, and for local jobs that will now be lost. There is no other radio station which covers the entire length of the South Coast.
“Tony Abbott has broken an election promise that will mean our local community, and other parts of regional Australia, will suffer. I’m particularly concerned about the safety of our community. We are going into a long hot summer with heightened bushfire threat, and traditionally ABC Nowra has kept us informed about local threats floods and other adverse events. Who will do this now?
“Ann Sudmalis supported cuts to the ABC, and now she’s come out and said she’s against them. She can’t have it both ways. Ms Sudmalis should have fought for ABC Nowra before the cuts, not after the horse has bolted.''