ABC disowns questions to Peter Dutton over Hezbollah’s status as a terrorist organisation

The ABC said a tense exchange between a female reporter and Peter Dutton was ‘not a piece of reporting’ or a position taken by the public broadcaster.

Peter Dutton at a press conference in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Sky News.

The ABC said an exchange between a female reporter and Peter Dutton was “not a piece of reporting” or a position taken by the ABC after she asked him to explain why Hezbollah was a terrorist organisation and Israeli flags were not banned.

At a tense lunchtime press conference on Tuesday, ABC reporter Anushri Sood asked the Opposition Leader why particular groups were listed as terrorist organisations and to respond to claims of hypocrisy in Australia over the treatment of Hezbollah supporters. “Just on that point with Hezbollah, you’re saying being responsible for the deaths of women and children,” Sood said.

“Groups have commented on the hypocrisy of that situation because there are no bans currently on Israeli flags being raised, despite 45,000 people dying at the hands of the Israeli government.”

A visibly frustrated Mr Dutton replied: “Well, Israel is a democracy. It’s not run by a terrorist organisation. Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation.”

He asked the reporter to repeat her questions and to name the media outlet she was from.

Sood replied: “ABC.”

The Australian contacted ABC news director Justin Stevens but he did not comment directly; instead, a statement was issued by a spokeswoman. “Questions at a press conference today were not a piece of reporting nor a position being taken by the ABC,” she said.

“Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian government and the ABC recog­nises that in its coverage.”

ABC news director Justin Stevens. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Mr Dutton also explained to the reporter during the tense exchange: “Hezbollah under Australian law is a listed terrorist organisation. Now if the ABC doesn’t support that, they should be very clear about it because I think that’s quite a departure …”

Sood replied: “That’s not what I’m saying.”

Mr Dutton said during the press conference – which was broadcast live on TV, including on Sky News Australia – that he was concerned by the ABC’s line of questioning.

“You asked me why our country has listed Hezbollah,” he said.

“They’re a terrorist organisation, they organise terrorist attacks and if that is not clear to the ABC, then I think the ABC is in greater trouble than even I first imagined.”

He also asked the reporter if her questions were “from Canberra” before he criticised the public broadcaster.

“Well, I had presumed, up until this point at least, that the ABC supported the government’s laws and the government has passed laws – supported on a bipartisan basis, but not by the ABC it seems – in relation to the prescribing or the listing of a terrorist organisation,” he said.

Originally published as ABC disowns questions to Peter Dutton over Hezbollah’s status as a terrorist organisation