Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) has denied that LGBT advocacy group ACON, with which it is affiliated, has any influence over its editorial content.
The issue was raised by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson during a Senate Estimates hearing, where she noted that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) had ended its association with the advocacy group amid concerns about whether the relationship could compromise its editorial impartiality.
In April, the ABC, which is publicly funded, announced plans to end its paid memberships with three diversity and inclusion organisations: ACON Health’s Pride in Diversity program, the Australian Disability Network, and the Diversity Council of Australia.
Reports at the time suggested the ABC stated it had done so because the groups were “no longer providing sufficient value.”
Henderson questioned the cost of SBS’s partnership with ACON, given that the broadcaster is largely taxpayer-funded, and asked why it could not run its own internal diversity initiatives.
“The point that I’m making is why is it necessary to enter into third-party partnerships with organisations that have a particular agenda, rather than manage these matters yourselves internally?” she said.
SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said the organisation often looked to partner groups to understand best practice.
“Being diverse in our workforce is something we actively work on,” she said.
“We know it drives better business decisions.”
Henderson asked to be provided with records of correspondence between SBS and ACON since January 2025, including details of guidance provided by the LGBT group.
“Has there ever been any suggestion … like what happened with the ABC about … the SBS’s editorial program?” she said.
“What should or should not be included as best practice in programming?”
Palfreyman said the partnership had not influenced the broadcaster’s content decisions.
“I can assure you, it has no bearing on editorial,” she said.
“It’s owned by the people and culture division, quite separate to our content divisions, designed to give us data and inform our approach around … our workplace experience.”
Earlier this year, the Queensland LNP government cut ties with ACON, which provided education on the LGBT movement via its Pride in Diversity program.
The Queensland Department of Education had participated in ACON’s workplace inclusion program since 2018.
“Following a recent review of external memberships, the department determined that continued participation does not align with its current requirements and has commenced the process to end its membership,” a Queensland Department of Education spokesperson told The Epoch Times in September.
