Joe Hockey reveals complaint phone calls to ABC managing director Mark Scott, who says complaints from politicians aren't rare

Updated

Treasurer Joe Hockey has admitted to phoning the ABC's managing director to complain about coverage, but Mark Scott says politicians phoning in complaints are far from rare.

Mr Hockey says the ABC's coverage of news stories has at times left him exasperated.

"There have been moments when I have changed channel because I have been frustrated at the ABC," he said.

"There have been moments when I have clicked on other websites because I have been upset with the ABC.

"There have been moments where I have phoned Mark Scott to say, 'This is outrageous'."

He said he had made the complaints to Mr Scott before the federal election and on one occasion after the September poll.

But Mr Hockey said he recognised that politicians do not and should not control the ABC's editorial direction.

"I think the editorial independence of all the media, including the ABC, is something for those organisations," he said.

In an interview with PM, Mr Scott said he had received numerous personal complaints from politicians over the years.

"It happens from time to time and it happens from both sides of politics," he told ABC Radio.

"In fact, the politician I think who's been most outspoken to me in person around criticism of the ABC performance was Bob Brown, the former leader of the Greens."

'I love my ABC local radio': Hockey

The Treasurer also had praise for the ABC, while warning staff to expect some belt-tightening.

"I love my ABC local radio," he told listeners of 612 Brisbane, but said the national broadcaster should not expect to be exempted from the search from budget savings.

The Government has commissioned an efficiency review into the ABC and SBS, which is due back to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in April.

It has stressed the review is not about reprisal for political coverage but something mooted more than a year ago to help address the budget deficit.

"It is not about running a jihad against any particular part of the organisation or any policies of the organisation, it is about how can we get the best value for taxpayers' money whilst the ABC retains its editorial independence," Mr Hockey said.

Uncertain future for Australia Network

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also refused to rule out speculation that the Australia Network could be abolished in the May budget.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: ABC managing director Mark Scott defends editorial independence and integrity (ABC News)

The efficiency review and speculation about the Australia Network, which is run by the ABC, both came the day after Mr Abbott complained about the ABC's coverage of asylum seekers' claims that Australian Navy personnel caused them to suffer burns to their hands during a boat turn-back operation.

Mr Abbott said the ABC lacked "affection for the home team" and said there was a "feeling" that the ABC "instinctively takes everyone's side but Australia's".

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has repeatedly voiced concerns about the ABC's management of the $223 million Australia Network contract and says she is considering whether the it is fulfilling its obligations.

Mr Scott says abolishing the Australia Network or removing it from the ABC could lead to cuts in foreign bureaus.

"It would take some millions out of our budget, particularly around news," he said.

"It would affect the extent to which we can resource some of our foreign bureaus, so it would not be an insignificant cut," he said.

Scott defends decision to report asylum abuse claims

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is demanding the ABC apologise, not to the Government but to the Navy over its reporting of the asylum seekers' claims of abuse, and said he was surprised the ABC had not issued one to date.

"This is about a slur against the Navy, a report that said it backed up claims of these sorts of outrageous torture allegations, and that is simply not the case as their stories have changed I don't know how many times since then and they should just apologise and move on," Mr Morrison told Macquarie Radio.

But Mr Scott defended the ABC's decision to cover the story, saying it had never sought to be "judge and jury" on the asylum seekers claims.

"The ABC did not say that these allegations had been proved. The ABC said that they were important allegations and we went pursuing the truth," he said.

"We're not perfect. We've never said we are perfect, but our test is not are politicians happy with our content."

Topics: abc, broadcasting, government-and-politics, federal-government, hockey-joe, australia

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