Bluey or Masterchef? New ABC boss wants global hits from the broadcaster
Presenting his vision for the organisation on Wednesday, Marks said the ABC needed to make global hit shows while maintaining its local radio and news services.
'I mean, I always think of MasterChef. It came from a UK format, but the real derivation was in Australia, and it makes a billion dollars in revenue a year. If we had one of those successes, and we're able to participate in that success, that will be a revolution in funding.'
While the ABC missed out on the commercial revenue benefits of Bluey – which are owned by the BBC – creating its own version of a global franchise like MasterChef could become a funding revolution for the ABC, Marks added.
'If we're able to create two more Bluey in the next five years, our children's content and our children's services will have strong foundations for a long period of time.'
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Marks added the investment needed to make 'premium' content could be clawed back by chopping underperforming programs, a process that has already started since he joined the ABC five months ago. On Wednesday, Marks said he had already freed up $25 to $30 million to reinvest into original podcasts, new screen content and a new documentary unit.
'If there are things that we think the money is not wisely spent on, then we need to be prepared to make those hard decisions. I've said that in every staff meeting I've done, and I think that we will continue down that path.'
One of those decisions was cutting Q+A has, bringing an end to one of the ABC's most transformative formats of the past two decades, which had recently strayed into obscurity, both with its weekly audience and cultural and political influence.
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7NEWS
16 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Electric vehicle tax: Road user charge to offset fuel excise losses could be coming soon
Rarely do Australians collectively put up their hands to volunteer for a new tax. But it appears to be happening in the automotive industry, with disparate groups calling for the introduction of a road-user charge for electric vehicles to support the nation's future transport needs. It is a proposal likely to be debated this week at the federal government's productivity roundtable after Treasurer Jim Chalmers signalled his support for future changes. But while infrastructure and transport groups agree on a road-user charge as a concept, they disagree on when it should be introduced, who should pay and whether petrol and diesel vehicle drivers should be charged more. While some argue the fee should only apply to electric vehicles not subject to fuel excise, others say a road-user charge would be more effective if applied to every vehicle. The debate over transport taxes follows record EV sales. Australians purchased more than 29,000 of them in the three months to June, according to the Australian Automobile Association, representing nine per cent of all car sales. It also comes amid falling fuel excise collection, which raised $15.71 billion in the 2024 financial year but could fall to zero by 2050 as electric vehicles replace fuel-powered cars, the Parliamentary Budget Office warns. Urgent changes are needed to address Australia's dwindling tax revenue for roads, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief executive Adrian Dwyer says. Groups attending a roundtable on the issue last Monday widely agreed the current system for charging motorists was 'unfair, unsustainable and inefficient,' he said. 'A distance-based charge on light EVs is the logical starting point. 'Heavy EVs can be included but starting there alone won't address the issues structural to this debate, namely the core issue of fairness as more light EVs join the fleet.' But making electric vehicle drivers pay for all lost tax revenue would also be unjust, according to Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard. Fuel excise collection has been dropping for many reasons, he says, including more efficient internal combustion engines. 'Petrol cars ... have come down and down in their usage of fuel; their economy has improved and it would be unfair to try and recoup all of the targeted fuel excise revenue strictly from electric vehicle drivers,' Maynard said. 'To simply, in a really ham-fisted way, nail an addition cost to electric vehicles only at a transitional point where we're trying to get people to consider them as a true alternative to traditionally powered vehicles that pollute our air, is not the way to do it.' Adding an ongoing charge to electric cars at early stage in their adoption could make potential buyers reconsider or delay purchases, Maynard said. It is a concern shared by the Electric Vehicle Council, legal and policy head Aman Gaur says, which supports the introduction of a road-user charge but at a suitable time and if introduced for all vehicles. 'We support fair funding of our roads but I think there's been really important considerations that have been left out of what I would call a pretty shallow debate about fuel excise at the moment,' he says. 'We would only support a road-user charge if it's universal; universal and focused on emissions intensity.' Any road-user charge should apply to all light vehicles, Mr Gaur says, and should only be introduced to electric cars when their adoption hits 30 per cent. Several state governments have floated plans to introduce a road-user charge for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles from 2027, including NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. However the legality of state-based charges is in question after the High Court found Victoria's Zero and Low Emission Vehicles charge unconstitutional in October 2023. The states' timeline for introducing a charge could be appropriate, Australian Electric Vehicle Association national president Chris Jones concedes, as the nation's electric fleet is likely to reach 30 per cent of new car sales by that date. A road-user charge should be based on a vehicle's mass and how many kilometres it travels each year, he says, and should apply to all vehicles regardless of their fuel source. 'The average person drives 12,000km a year so it would work out to cost about $380 to $400 a year.' The government should also leave existing fuel excise charges in place, as they would act as an incentive for motorists to purchase low-emission vehicles. 'It's directly proportionate to how much pollution you cause,' Dr Jones said. 'It's an effective pollution tax and we want to discourage people from buying vehicles that run on petrol.' While a road-user charge is likely to be discussed at the Economic Reform Roundtable from Tuesday, Chalmers said the government will 'take the time to get this right'. In the meantime, Gaur said he hoped the road tax reform debate could be tackled sensibly and suggestions EV drivers do not pay to use roads can be discredited as fees include registration, stamp duty, luxury car and fringe benefits taxes, and taxes on electricity. 'EV drivers do pay tax,' he said. 'That is a really pernicious and completely untrue part of this conversation.'
Perth Now
16 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘Nothing we can do': RBA's grim admission
Australians' living standards will fall and there's very little the central bank can do about it. According to the Reserve Bank's statement on monetary policy, there will be lower pay rises, weak consumer spending, falling business profits and an overall drop in living standards over the medium term. The central bank put the issue squarely on Australia's lack of productivity and points out it is powerless to stop it. 'Lower productivity growth means slower growth in business revenues, household incomes and ultimately demand,' the RBA's quarterly statement on monetary policy said. Despite the grim outlook, the RBA boss Michele Bullock was quick to point out there was little the central bank could do to fix these issues, even as she announced last Tuesday that the board was cutting interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.60 per cent. RBA governor Michele Bullock explains why the RBA can't help with productivity. Christian Gilles / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia '(The) productivity slowdown is a matter for the government that they are taking on,' Ms Bullock said. 'They're looking at what they can do.' Ms Bullock said businesses were also looking at the issue. 'There's nothing the Reserve Bank can do,' she continued. 'All the Reserve Bank can do is make sure we have low and stable inflation, and if we have full employment, both of those things are very stable environments for businesses to think about how they might improve productivity, how they might produce more for the same amount of labour and capital input.' The RBA's call comes just days ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' much-hyped economic roundtable Economists, unions, business people and politicians will all head to Canberra next week for a three-day discussion aimed at lifting Australia's falling productivity. Australia's Cash Rate 2022 Why does it matter? Simply put, productivity matters because it improves living standards, leads to economic growth and a greater economy. Productivity is the measure of how efficiently resources such as time, effort and materials are used to produce a given output. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's long-term productivity has slumped. In 2003-2004, productivity grew at 1.8 per cent a year; in 2022-2023, it was down to just 0.9 per cent a year. Australians will be thousands of dollars worse off if productivity continues to slump. NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire Under this grim reality, Australians' living standards are falling. To put a dollar figure on it, the Productivity Commission estimated that full-time workers would be $14,000 a year worse off by 2035 if Australia couldn't rediscover its previous growth and continued on its current trend. Separate RBA research found the slump in productivity came at the same time as a lack of competition in business, costing every Aussie about $3000 in today's dollars. Australians remain in the dark Despite having a wide-ranging impact on their lives, most Australians are unaware of what the government is doing or trying to achieve with its productivity roundtable. According to Amplify and YouGov polling, three in four Aussies haven't heard of the roundtable and a further 60 per cent are not confident it would lead to meaningful change. Amplify chief executive Georgina Harrisson said this issue hits every Australian household, but too often governments propose solutions that pit different parts of the community against each other. 'This roundtable can't just be a talkfest limited to the Canberra bubble – not when the issue is being felt in every Australian home,' she said. 'Australians are doing it tough, with rising bills, higher housing costs and lower productivity. NED-9175-Australia's GDP 'The government can't afford to waste this moment on words alone; we need action that delivers real wins in people's pockets.' Ms Harrisson said the government needed to do far more to bring the voices of everyday Australians into the discussion. 'When the community don't trust or feel understood by their political representatives, it is more important than ever to be reaching out and letting them in to the conversations that affect them most,' she said. Most Australians are unaware of the productivity roundtable despite it impacting all of them. Credit: News Corp Australia, NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Four things to lift productivity Meanwhile, AMP chief economist Shane Oliver says there are four key ways the government can lift productivity. He believes too much regulation, the current tax system, a lack of competition and government overspending is all holding Australia back. Dr Oliver said productivity is the 'secret sauce' that enables strong growth in real wages, living standards and profits while, at the same time, keeping inflation low. 'So hopefully, the Roundtable will kick off a process of economic reform that will boost the ability of the economy to produce goods and services with the aim of boosting long-term living standards,' he said. Dr Oliver said the government should lift productivity through removing red tape, tax reform, increasing competition and having government spending capped at 25 per cent of GDP. It is currently 28 per cent. 'Combined it should free up the supply side of the economy to make it easier for the economy to supply goods and services for any given level of hours worked by Australian workers,' he told NewsWire. 'For example, it should enable us to build more homes and allow businesses to produce more.' As part of the roundtable, the economist said there needs to be a rebalance away from income taxes to a broader GST, while compensating those on a lower income, and removing nuisance taxes like stamp duty, would be key to getting Australia's productivity back on track. Dr Oliver said an uplift in productivity was key to living standards. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'This sounds politically difficult but if combined with an adjustment to income tax scales to offset the regressive nature of the GST, some measures to cap property tax concessions (like cutting the overly generous capital gains tax discount) and better tax gas exports a broad consensus could be reached,' he said. Dr Oliver also proposed keeping government spending below 25 per cent of GDP as it would ensure budget stability and boost productivity by not having the government taking more than required when it comes to workers. 'The reality of course is that everyone has their wish list and expectations running into the Roundtable appear to be running too high. It's likely just the start of long process through which (hopefully) the government will pick the best options and make some compromises,' he said. NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine said stronger business investment and less regulation was required to help lift Australia's ailing productivity. 'The vast amount of job growth in our country in the last 10 years has been in the public sector, not the private sector,' he said at the Australian Banking Association annual conference in Sydney. 'When I speak to our business customers, they say it's just too hard to start, scale and grow a business. We need to fix that and reduce red tape to create more jobs in the private sector.'
ABC News
16 minutes ago
- ABC News
A young skater caught in a police crackdown is back in the spotlight, 50 years later
For Jean Hopcraft, this was all quite familiar. The interview, the camera crew and the questions about the rollerskates. The 69-year-old has been living a quiet and hidden life in Melbourne's inner suburbs. But in the late 1970s, she was turning heads. Almost 50 years later, her dormant fame has returned after an old video of her went viral. Loading Instagram content The ABC republishes archival stories on social media to revisit the best stories about Australians from the past. Over the past few weeks, more than a million people have watched a social media post showing a young Jean rollerskating through Melbourne. While many dream of having the kind of fame brought on by the likes of TikTok and Instagram, Jean was not after that at all. "It's bizarre that they've clicked on it," she said. "Who would have thought anybody would be interested in somebody on rollerskates from all those years ago?" Rolling to fame In 1977, ABC reporter Terry McMahon interviewed a young woman who was quite popular on the city streets of Melbourne. She travelled around on rollerskates despite an active police crackdown that saw officers confiscating them from those they caught. Skateboards and rollerskates were regarded as a public nuisance at that time. Jean was 21 when she was interviewed about her rollerskating by the ABC in the late 1970s. ( ABC archive ) Jean was a 21-year-old college student whose studies and work revolved around the CBD, and a pair of rollerskates was her chosen mode of transport for 14 years. With worn-out skates strapped onto the feet and her best outfit on, she zoomed past pedestrians, catching attention as she glided. McMahon: What about when you're out on the street? Do people stare? Jean Hopcraft: Yeah, they stare most of the time, but I don't take any notice of them. McMahon: What about police? Jean Hopcraft: No problems. Few years ago, with the skateboards, they clamped down, told me to take them off. But I put them on when I got around the corner … I won't give them away yet. Looking back, she never expected her playful antics to turn her into a public figure. "There was quite a bit of press because I [skated] for a long time, so they were very familiar with this girl just skating around the city," Jean said. "Little snippets in the paper … newspapers reaching out to me. "I just became part of the fabric of Melbourne." This was the first time Jean watched the TV story produced by the ABC in 1977. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) About the same time, Jean also featured on a daytime current affairs television program presented by Mickie de Stoop, which featured stories of pioneering women. Yet underneath the energetic but nonchalant persona portrayed in printed columns and black-and-white photographs, Jean faced significant societal drawbacks. Not fitting the mould The 1970s were a very different time for women. It was a period when career options were slim and freedom of expression, especially by clothing, could be frowned upon. "I actually wanted to be a painter, a decorator like my dad but, in those days, women weren't allowed to do those sorts of jobs," Jean said. "It was deemed not suitable for women." Roller skating was a cheap and easy mode of transport for young Jean Hopcroft. ( Supplied ) Rollerskating was a cheap and easy mode of transport for a young Jean Hopcraft. (Supplied) Despite a police crackdown, Jean was spotted roller skating in popular spots in Melbourne's CBD. ( Supplied/ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Despite a police crackdown, Jean was spotted rollerskating in popular spots in Melbourne's CBD. (Supplied/ABC News: Danielle Bonica) The local newspaper writes about Jean travelling through the city on a pair of roller skates. ( Supplied ) The local newspaper writes about Jean travelling through the city on her rollerskates. (Supplied) Instead, she studied fashion and textile at the Emily McPherson College, which was known for its cookery and dressmaking courses. Even within university walls, Jean didn't always stick to the status quo. The queer community was her clique, and she wasn't afraid to break a few college rules — including the skating. "I guess you'd call me a freak … because I didn't fit the mould," Jean said. "Women couldn't wear trousers way back then. We had to get a petition together to see if women could wear pants and trousers. "I got pulled over at school and almost expelled because they didn't like the idea of a woman skating. "I stood up for what I believed." 'Classic Jean' Over the phone from New York, Jean and her husband Peter Hoyland's daughter, Eliza Hoyland, wasn't surprised about her mother's sudden return to stardom back home. "She's a very interesting person, my mum," Eliza said. The ABC post was the first time Eliza found out her mother had ever been interviewed by the news outlet. "I'm watching and I'm like, 'What in the world is this?'" "I think I watched it like 20 times in a row." Eliza Hoyland said she is in awe of Jean, who she thinks is the "best mum ever". ( Supplied: Eliza Hoyland ) For Eliza, a huge chunk of her mum's youth has been like scattered puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. She said Jean had always assured the family that "there'll be nothing about her" on the internet. "I googled her and this photo of her came up in her rollerblading look, and she's in this leopard skin suit," she said. "My mum is very private and very timid, but then she has this huge life that [Dad and I] are always trying to creep in [on]." One of Eliza's absolute joys was watching Jean rollerskate during a birthday celebration in 2023. In 2023, Jean put her rollerskates back on in a rink in New York. ( Supplied: Eliza Hoyland ) At the Rockefeller Center, the rollerskater flaunted her self-taught skills like she never left the rink. For Jean, it was all muscle memory. "She was zooming around the rink and doing laps on my friends and like, 'Get out of the way!'" Eliza recalled. "It's classic Jean. She's an icon." Peter Hoyland said he's met strangers who recognise Jean from the viral clip. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Peter Hoyland, whose career in the music industry has introduced him to several notable artists, said it had been "fun" and "fantastic" to meet people buzzing about his wife's renewed popularity. "I said, "Now you're the most famous person that I know,'" Peter said. A friend even warned the couple about the possibility of Jean becoming an internet meme. "Yes, I'm waiting for that," Peter said. Jean Hopcraft enjoys reading books and gardening in her inner Melbourne home. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Jean will soon turn 70 and is now living a quieter life, enjoying her retirement. She gardens, travels to the US to visit her daughter, and reminisces about her earlier days on her trusty skates. "I didn't care," she said. "I couldn't afford a car. I had my own ideas of what was right and wrong." Always in awe of her mother and the hidden stories of her past, Eliza described Jean as a "wonderful human" with an amazing story waiting to be told. "She's always going to be standing up for herself and the people around her," she said. "I was just like, 'You haven't changed a bit. Yes, you might only wear black now, but you really are exactly the same.'"
