ABC political interference fallout
SYDNEY: The chairman of Australia’s public broadcaster resigned yesterday after allegations he appeared to bow to government pressure when he called for the removal of a senior journalist.
Justin Milne, chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), said he would resign after widespread anger from staff, labour unions and lawmakers.
Milne faced allegations he ordered former managing director Michelle Guthrie to fire political journalist Andrew Probyn by telling her to ‘‘shoot him’’.
The revelation came as former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull denied demanding Guthrie sack chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici over supposed impartiality.
An email has shown Milne told Guthrie to fire Alberici in May.
‘‘They [the Government] hate her,’’ he wrote in an email to Guthrie obtained by Fairfax Media.
Milne is also said to have ordered Guthrie sack the broadcaster’s political editor Probyn, telling her ‘‘you just have to shoot him’’ because Turnbull hated the journalist.
Speaking in New York where he was due to address a United Nations general assembly side event, Turnbull denied he had asked for specific ABC reporters to be axed.
Milne told the ABC: ‘‘My aim, has been to look after the interests of the corporation. It’s clearly not a good thing for everyone to be trying to do their job with this kind of firestorm going on so I wanted to provide a release valve.’’
The ABC said Guthrie was dismissed amid concerns about her leadership style.
The ABC is funded by the Government but is an independent body.
Leaked emails from Milne appeared to suggest funding could be jeopardised if the ABC did not remove a senior journalist who had angered the Government through her coverage of its corporate tax policy.
‘‘I think it’s simple. Get rid of her,’’ Milne allegedly wrote in the email published by The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday. — Reuters/AAP