One Nation's threat to blackmail the Australian people by demanding cuts to ABC funding was a disgrace. The ultimatum stood for almost a day before its stupidity dawned on party leader Pauline Hanson and she backed off.

The damage had been done. Any political threat to hold the public broadcaster to ransom and threaten its independence undermines confidence in the parliament and democracy. It is especially hypocritical when One Nation was behaving in a manner not unlike the apocryphal swamp-inhabiting political insiders the party claims to despise.

Pauline Hanson has backed off a stupid threat to the ABC. Credit:Andrew Meares

Senator Hanson and her colleagues need to stop treating voters as idiots. Australians trust the ABC. Citizens may not agree with or support everything the public broadcaster does, but opinion polls regularly show about 85 per cent of them want – need – it to be there providing an important community service. And that must be free of political games and agendas.

Of course the ABC makes mistakes. All media organisations do. The ABC falls short of some expectations by focusing on boutique issues and productions. The Herald has questioned some of its decisions regarding where it spends funds. Money should go less towards chasing clicks for its current affairs or opinion pieces, for instance, and more on investing in news services.