The ABC chief executive chose to walk delicately on both sides of the fence when he appeared before Senate Estimates to respond to an outburst by one of his most senior political journalists directed at opposition leader Peter Dutton.
David Anderson has defended 7.30’s chief political correspondent Laura Tingle, calling her “one of the most respected and admired political journalists” in the country.
She said she “understands” the ABC’s guidelines but admitted her comments about Peter Dutton were “problematic”.
Tingle told a Sydney Writers Festival audience that he had “this sudden flash of people turning up trying to rent a property or at an auction and looking a little bit different, however you define different, than basically he (Peter Dutton ) has given them license to be abused.”
The chief executive said Tingle does “an excellent job” but when it came time for his tirade against the opposition leader, “I wish it hadn’t happened”.
ABC CEO David Anderson (pictured) is a toothless tiger in the organization he runs in name only
One of the ABC’s top political journalists, Laura Tingle (pictured), had breached ABC guidelines.
They didn’t ask him about his tirade against the entire Australian population. The 7.30am reporter declared that Australia is a “racist country”. Failure to support the claim with any evidence or analysis.
When asked if Laura Tingle should leave ABC for showing a lack of impartiality in her comments about Dutton, the CEO said “I don’t think so,” despite also saying he agreed with ABC chair Kim’s comments. Williams, who clearly said that anyone who cannot maintain impartiality should leave the ABC.
Williams said in March that anyone who wants to continue practicing activist journalism should seek employment elsewhere.
The CEO told Senate Estimates that he had “briefed the president this week” but had not “sought advice” from Kim Williams.
While David Anderson admitted Tingle’s comments were “a mistake”, he appeared to suggest the matter is over now that news director James Stevens has had a little chat with her.
This was despite Liberal senator Sarah Henderson noting that Laura Tingle’s comments at the Sydney Writers Festival were “not an isolated case”.
Henderson pointed out similar comments he made about Peter Dutton on the Insiders show. He also tweeted one afternoon about Scott Morrison’s “political bastardry” during his tenure as prime minister.
Despite these exchanges, the CEO maintained that ABC is above other media organizations.
When asked directly if he would apologize to Peter Dutton for comments Laura Tingle made, the chief executive paused for a moment to think, before declining to say he would. He expressed “regret” and said he was “sorry” about what happened, but refused to say he would say those words directly to Peter Dutton.
When asked if he would do so, having failed to adequately answer the question, David Anderson appeared to deflect blame onto Peter Dutton, saying that when political leaders put their views to the public, such debates will occur.
New ABC president Kim Williams (pictured) says there is no place for activist journalists at ABC
ABC News Director James Stevens (pictured) berated Laura Tingle with a wet lettuce
At this point, the Greens began to intervene at this point in the hearing, using the coward’s castle (where libel laws do not apply) to hurl slurs at the Liberal leader in his absence.
So where does all this leave us?
It is clear that the ABC is going in circles, proving once again that it is a bottom-up organization in which management has little control over the staff pool.
That said, what was the Liberal Party doing to get Senator Henderson cross-examined in Senate Estimates?
It dripped with hypocrisy.
Henderson is a former state anchor for 7:30 before it became a national show. That was his career before embarking on a political career for the Liberal Party.
First as a deputy of the Lower House, now as a senator. A two-sided political career for the liberal, no less.
Who do the opposition brain trust think it was a good idea to try to expose the political bias of a current ABC worker with questions from a former ABC worker now working for the Liberal Party?
There were other Coalition senators on the committee who could have asked the questions.
Henderson asking the questions exposes her to accusations of the pot calling the kettle black, should evidence emerge that she displays any political bias as a journalist prior to her current partisan political career.
If only someone could bother to review the tapes of everything she said during her employment at ABC, on and off the air.
Remembering that the criticism directed at Tingle focuses on his off-air comments.