In these difficult budgetary times, a succession of Liberal treasurers has reminded the nation the federal government is not in the habit of handing out cheques. The age of entitlement is over, we were famously told. Unless you happen to be a company part-owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Tucked away in the fine print of the May budget was a $30 million payment to pay-TV operator Foxtel, ostensibly to support "unrepresented sports". Communications Minister Mitch Fifield later clarified that the payment to Foxtel was designed to help female and niche sports gain greater access to TV coverage in Australia over the next four years.

Pay-TV operator Foxtel was given $30 million in the May budget.

That may well be a creditable goal, but Senator Fifield has since ducked questions as to why the money is being given to a niche television provider in itself, which barely hits 25 per cent of the TV screens in the country, rather than the ABC, which has borne significant budget cuts in recent years.

Instead of providing funding to the national broadcaster, the federal government has given $30 million to a company nominated by the Australian Tax Office as one that pays little or no tax. Foxtel Cable Television Pty Ltd, co-owned by News and Telstra, reported $1.9 billion in revenue in 2015 but no tax was paid.