To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

The Petition of the undersigned shows that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will be forced to significantly reduce its services in Tasmania in order to meet the Budget cut of $65 million as announced by the Government.

Your Petitioners request the Senate to oppose the funding cuts proposed by the Government and to ensure that:

(a) the ABC can maintain its valuable communication and education services to Tasmania;

(b) ABC Launceston—the ABC's largest regional operation in Australia—can maintain its range of programming;

(c) the Launceston television crew—one of only three in regional Australia—is maintained;

(d) the future of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is maintained; and

(e) the Coalition's pre-election promise of maintaining existing levels of Commonwealth funding to the ABC is upheld.