Labor to push ahead with a separate investigation into claims Justin
Milne tried to pressure Michelle Guthrie into sacking Emma Alberici
The Morrison government has sought to head off Labor and the Greens
establishing a potentially damaging parliamentary inquiry into alleged
political interference at the ABC by establishing one of its own.
But the opposition plans on pushing ahead with a separate investigation into allegations the ABC board’s chairman, Justin Milne, attempted to pressure the former managing director Michelle Guthrie into sacking a journalist, claiming the government “hated” her in an email, first published by Fairfax.
The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, announced he had met with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, and tasked his departmental head to “undertake an inquiry to establish the facts in relation to today’s media reports surrounding the ABC”, with the findings to be reported “as soon as possible”.
“It is important for the community to have confidence in the independence of the ABC,” he said in a statement.
Fifield’s statement, sent late on Wednesday, was a marked turnaround from his first comment on the matter, less than five hours before, in which he said he had “never involved myself in staffing matters” and was not “aware of any member of the government who has sought to do so”.
“Questions about the ABC’s board and management are matters for the ABC.”
Fifield announced the inquiry shortly after Labor and the Greens joined forces to call for a parliamentary inquiry into potential political interference at the national broadcaster, which had in-principle backing from key crossbenchers including Centre Alliance and Tim Storer.
The calls came after Fairfax published emails from Milne, who was appointed to the ABC board last year, demanding Guthrie, the then ABC managing director, “get rid of” journalist Emma Alberici as the government “hates her”, following a complaint from the then prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
Milne, a former business partner of Turnbull, sacked Guthrie on Monday. Guthrie has reserved her legal rights over the dismissal, which came just halfway through her five-year term.
Following the publication of Milne’s email to Guthrie, hundreds of ABC staff unanimously called on Milne to step down from his board role, while an independent inquiry into the incident was carried out.
The ABC Radio Melbourne host Rafael Epstein reported Milne had answered “yes” to the question of whether he intended to stay on, in a text message exchange.
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, Milne did not address the Fairfax report, instead saying it was the job of the board to “independently govern the corporation, protect its best interests, ensure that it is well funded, well managed and that our content is of the highest standards”.
“That is precisely what the board has done and will continue to do,” Milne said. “I do not propose to provide a running commentary on the day-to-day issues which arise as we carry out our duties.”
Labor called for an inquiry after its shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, said she was left dissatisfied by Milne’s response to the Fairfax report, after phoning him directly.
Calling the allegations “astonishing”, Rowland said a Senate inquiry into “the Liberal government’s political interference at the ABC” was crucial, accusing the government of having “launched the biggest attack on the independence of the ABC in a generation”.
Labor still intends to establish a separate parliamentary inquiry, despite Fifield’s announcement, citing concerns the government review would not “provide the proper scrutiny of political interference needed in the wake of these very serious alleged events”.
The Greens have also called for an inquiry, with Sarah Hanson-Young saying the allegations the ABC chairman wanted a journalist sacked to “appease the government must be investigated as a matter of urgency”.
The Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick said he and his colleague Stirling Griff had not seen any terms of reference as yet but gave in-principle support to the inquiry, while Storer told Guardian Australia that he also supported an inquiry, giving the opposition the numbers it needs to establish the investigation.
The government had announced more than $360m in funding cuts to the national broadcaster since 2014, which Labor reports has resulted in the ABC shedding 800 jobs.
But the opposition plans on pushing ahead with a separate investigation into allegations the ABC board’s chairman, Justin Milne, attempted to pressure the former managing director Michelle Guthrie into sacking a journalist, claiming the government “hated” her in an email, first published by Fairfax.
The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, announced he had met with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, and tasked his departmental head to “undertake an inquiry to establish the facts in relation to today’s media reports surrounding the ABC”, with the findings to be reported “as soon as possible”.
“It is important for the community to have confidence in the independence of the ABC,” he said in a statement.
Fifield’s statement, sent late on Wednesday, was a marked turnaround from his first comment on the matter, less than five hours before, in which he said he had “never involved myself in staffing matters” and was not “aware of any member of the government who has sought to do so”.
“Questions about the ABC’s board and management are matters for the ABC.”
Fifield announced the inquiry shortly after Labor and the Greens joined forces to call for a parliamentary inquiry into potential political interference at the national broadcaster, which had in-principle backing from key crossbenchers including Centre Alliance and Tim Storer.
The calls came after Fairfax published emails from Milne, who was appointed to the ABC board last year, demanding Guthrie, the then ABC managing director, “get rid of” journalist Emma Alberici as the government “hates her”, following a complaint from the then prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
Milne, a former business partner of Turnbull, sacked Guthrie on Monday. Guthrie has reserved her legal rights over the dismissal, which came just halfway through her five-year term.
Following the publication of Milne’s email to Guthrie, hundreds of ABC staff unanimously called on Milne to step down from his board role, while an independent inquiry into the incident was carried out.
The ABC Radio Melbourne host Rafael Epstein reported Milne had answered “yes” to the question of whether he intended to stay on, in a text message exchange.
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, Milne did not address the Fairfax report, instead saying it was the job of the board to “independently govern the corporation, protect its best interests, ensure that it is well funded, well managed and that our content is of the highest standards”.
“That is precisely what the board has done and will continue to do,” Milne said. “I do not propose to provide a running commentary on the day-to-day issues which arise as we carry out our duties.”
Labor called for an inquiry after its shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, said she was left dissatisfied by Milne’s response to the Fairfax report, after phoning him directly.
Calling the allegations “astonishing”, Rowland said a Senate inquiry into “the Liberal government’s political interference at the ABC” was crucial, accusing the government of having “launched the biggest attack on the independence of the ABC in a generation”.
Labor still intends to establish a separate parliamentary inquiry, despite Fifield’s announcement, citing concerns the government review would not “provide the proper scrutiny of political interference needed in the wake of these very serious alleged events”.
The Greens have also called for an inquiry, with Sarah Hanson-Young saying the allegations the ABC chairman wanted a journalist sacked to “appease the government must be investigated as a matter of urgency”.
The Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick said he and his colleague Stirling Griff had not seen any terms of reference as yet but gave in-principle support to the inquiry, while Storer told Guardian Australia that he also supported an inquiry, giving the opposition the numbers it needs to establish the investigation.
The government had announced more than $360m in funding cuts to the national broadcaster since 2014, which Labor reports has resulted in the ABC shedding 800 jobs.
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