ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large |Contact
Taxpayers have given Foxtel $19m in government grants this month – and the process in which these types of funds are allocated was expedited and circumvented the Federal Cabinet.
This morning, the government is set to give the failing subscription television service a further $19m just to see if anybody actually gives a fuck.
The story was uncovered via a freedom-of-information request by the ABC and since the story was broken today, the Government has remained tight-lipped over the first payment to Foxtel but was more than happy to discuss the first.
Speaking to this masthead this morning via telephone, Scott Morrison said the payments sent this morning were a sort of “litmus test” for how engaged the public actually is in this type of thing.
“Look,” he said with a wry smirk.
“We decided to see if anybody actually give a fuck whether we, the government, gave Foxtel a further injection of taxpayer funds,”
“And by the looks of things, it looks like nobody does. I mean, what’s a lazy $19m to the government? It’s like 300 Javelin rockets, which is what 2ND CDO would use on a long weekend at the range. It’s nothing,”
“So get back to your home office and keep at it. We need you to keep paying tax.”
The Advocate reached out to Foxtel for comment but were told they’re only open Thursday through Sunday.
More to come.
