ABC Funding
Senator VAN: I think the minister alluded to this just before the break, but can the department confirm for us what budget paper or budget related paper is the correct source if we're looking for ABC funding?
Mr Atkinson: The portfolio budget statement 2020-21, Budget Related Paper No. 1.10, which is our agency portfolio budget statement, contains the figure that is the correct figure that is in the appropriation bills that are put before the parliament.
Senator VAN: So, just to confirm, it is Budget Paper No. 1?
Mr Atkinson: No, that's not the appropriation; that's the functional expense summary.
Senator VAN: Looking at how much revenue the ABC gets from government, how much did the ABC receive in the 2018-19 financial year?
Mr Atkinson: I don't have that one, because my budgeted statements only start in 2019-20, which is $1.062 billion. Someone else may have the 2018-19 figure.
Senator VAN: Could they pull that up? My next question was about 2020-21.
Mr Atkinson: As I said previously, 2020-21 is $1.065 billion.
Senator VAN: And 2021-22? Mr Atkinson: $1.070 billion.
Senator VAN: Looking at those figures, it's accurate to say that funding is rising each and every year of the current planning—correct?
Mr Atkinson: Certainly the government appropriation is increasing each year.
Senator Hume: Senator Van, I have answers to your questions here on 2018-19—the portfolio budget statement. In 2018-19 the funding was $1.046 billion. The following year it was $1.062 billion and then—Mr Atkinson is right—$1.065 billion in 2019-20 and $1.070 billion in 2020-21.
Senator VAN: Thank you, Minister. You might need to check this. Do you know what the inflation rate over the 12 months to June 2020 was?
Mr Atkinson: I don't know off the top of my head what CPI was. I think it's close to zero though.
Senator Hume: It's less than zero, Senator Van. I do know that. That is my portfolio.
Mr Atkinson: I used to know when I was doing Treasury.
Senator VAN: The number I got from those accounts was negative 0.3.
Mr Atkinson: That sounds about right to me. I didn't prep for Treasury estimates.
Senator VAN: That's OK. I did preface that you may not have that at your fingertips. So what was the nominal increase in ABC's funding over that same period?
Mr Atkinson: So the nominal increase—sorry, you said from 2018-29 to 2019-20?
Senator VAN: Correct—July 2019 and 2020.
Senator Hume: It's 1,046, 1,062, 1,065, 107—
Mr Atkinson: The first number was 1,045—
Senator Hume: You're not going to ask poor Mr Atkinson to do maths, Senator Van?
Mr Atkinson: Sorry, it was just—what was the reference figure again, Senator? It was 1,045—
Senator Hume: It was 1,046.
Mr Atkinson: So the nominal increase appears to be about 16 million.
Senator VAN: $16 million. So therefore the real change in—there was a very real change in real terms to the ABC's funding over that period, correct? I won't ask you to do the maths.
Mr Atkinson: I could do the maths. The real will come out at slightly over 16 million based on negative 0.3.
Senator VAN: Sure.
Mr Atkinson: So it increased in real and nominal terms.
Senator VAN: Thank you.
CHAIR: Thank you, Senator Van. Don't ask the chair to repeat those kinds of mathematical gymnastics. We are now going to move on to Outcome 5.
