Evidence obtained by Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm (below) confirms a marked bias at the ABC, with the broadcaster's flagship news program, Radio National Breakfast, spending a grossly disproportionate amount of airtime promoting the views of the Greens.
During a recent Senate Estimates hearing, the ABC's acting general manager, David Anderson, took on notice questions put by Senator Leyonhjelm on the frequency of interviews with Greens senators on RN Breakfast.
On 11 December the ABC responded, advising that more than twice as many interviews were conducted with Greens senators (24 interviews) as Labor senators (11 interviews) over a 12-month period.
"It beggars belief that the ABC has given the Greens more than double the airtime of Labor, even though Labor is the official opposition, has nearly three times more senators (26 compared to 9) and more than four times the community support of the Greens," Senator Leyonhjelm said.
"The ABC's generosity towards the Greens knows no bounds, it seems, offering its senators half the airtime afforded to Government senators (numbering 31). And Coalition interviewees are typically Government ministers being cross-examined on government policies they are implementing."
The ABC figures also exposed the fact that the entire 10-member crossbench received just two thirds of the airtime offered to the nine-member Greens in the Senate.
"Because of their fringe views, the Greens are rarely in a position to determine parliamentary outcomes in the Senate, so the ABC's argument that
