Justin Milne resigns as ABC board chairman
JUSTIN Milne has revealed why he decided to quit as ABC Chairman, and denied it was an admission that he was pressured by Malcolm Turnbull to sack two journalists.
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JUSTIN Milne has revealed why he decided to quit as ABC Chairman, arguing it was to protect the broadcaster and was “absolutely 100 per cent” not an admission that he was pressured by Malcolm Turnbull to sack two journalists.
In an official statement this afternoon, Mr Milne also denied that he directed former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie to sack reporters Emma Alberici and Andrew Probyn after complaints from the then-Prime Minister.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield welcomed Milne’s resignation, describing it as
“the right decision which puts the interests of the ABC first”.
The Government would appoint an Acting Chair and will also commence the legislated process to appoint a permanent Chair, Mr Fifield said.
He also confirmed the department inquiry into the matter would continue.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Milne’s decision to quit was the “right call”.
ABC Board and Chairman have made the right call. Time for the ABC to resume normal transmission, both independently and without bias. That is what Australia’s taxpayers pay for and deserve.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 27, 2018
Labor said it would push ahead with its bid to launch a Senate inquiry into the allegations, saying “serious questions remain to be answered about political interference at the ABC”.
In his statement, Mr Milne said he had decided it was in the “best interests” of the ABC for him to resign and that he had always respected the broadcaster’s editorial independence as a “bedrock principal”.
“I have never been directed by any member of parliament to seek the sacking of an ABC staff member, nor have I ever directed ABC management to sack a staff member,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Milne told ABC’s 7.30 host Leigh Sales: “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.”
Asked whether his resignation was an admission that he failed to safeguard the ABC’s editorial independence, Mr Milne said: “Absolutely 100 per cent not.”
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“I feel that the interests of the ABC have always been uppermost in my mind and just to sort of get it on the record for you ... there is absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the government.
“Nobody from the government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC.
“Nobody ever told me to hire anybody, fire anybody or anything else.
“They absolutely didn’t. I know that’s the sort of narrative that’s been running in the papers but that absolutely never happened.”
CONFIDENCE LOST IN MILNE
Official confirmation of Mr Milne’s resignation came shortly after Labor’s Communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland this morning declared: “Labor does not have confidence in the chairman of the ABC.”
“These issues go the health of our democracy and can only be addressed through a full and public inquiry,” she said.
The government also abandoned Mr Milne this morning amid growing calls for him to resign over allegations he urged sacked managing director Michelle Guthrie to fire economics reporter Emma Alberici and politics reporter Andrew Probyn.
Earlier today, Mr Morrison said the allegations against Milne were “pretty serious”.
“They’re pretty serious allegations, I’ve got to say, and on the face of it they’re very concerning,” Mr Morrison said.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten also weighed in, saying Mr Milne’s position had become untenable.
Milne’s position was untenable after he allowed himself to be bullied by the Govt and lobby to get journalists sacked.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) September 27, 2018
The ABC Board held crisis talks — without Mr Milne — today after hundreds of ABC staff yesterday voted unanimously at protest meetings for the chairman to stand aside while an inquiry considered whether he called for Alberici and Probyn to be fired after political pressure.
ABC CRISIS DEEPENS
Mr Milne’s resignation today comes after fresh allegations emerged that he tried to stop radio station Triple J from changing the date of the Hottest 100 from Australia Day because “Malcolm will go ballistic”.
Other allegations against the ABC Chairman emerged, including that he referred to women as “chicks” and “babes” and had referred to former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie as “the missus” in front of staff.
Minister Fifield said this morning he wanted an investigation into the allegations against Mr Milne to report back in “days and not weeks” as he repeatedly denied that he or Mr Turnbull ever called for an ABC reporter to be sacked.
“I have only ever raised with the ABC matters in relation to facts in reporting. I think I’ve done so on half a dozen occasions since I’ve been the minister and those occasions are all very well-known,” Mr Fifield said today.
He rejected suggestions his complaints could be interpreted as political pressure.
“Any member of parliament and any member of the community is perfectly within their rights to raise with any media organisation when they think they’ve made an error of fact,” he said.
“I would hope that the media organisations in Australia take equally seriously questions of fact that are raised, regardless of who raises them,” he added when asked if his word as Communications Minister carried more weight than a member of the public.
Mr Fifield also noted that Mr Turnbull was a “very mellow” person after The Daily Telegraph reported that the former Prime Minister telephoned Mr Milne in a white-hot rage to complain about Alberici’s article on company tax cuts.
Mr Turnbull and Mr Fifield had reportedly also held a meeting with Mr Milne on June 15 about Probyn, who was accused of running “Labor lies” about the Super Saturday by-elections.
‘YOU HAVE TO SHOOT HIM’
During a meeting with Ms Guthrie following his talks with the Prime Minister, Mr Milne reportedly urged the then-managing director to sack the political reporter, saying: “You have to shoot him”.
Mr Fifield said today he had spoken with Mr Milne yesterday to inform him there would be a Communications Department investigation into the allegations to “establish the facts”.
“Mr Milne indicated that he would be cooperating,” the Minister said.
He also noted Ms Guthrie has been invited to give evidence to the inquiry being conducted by the department Secretary.
Mr Turnbull also defended his criticism of the ABC’s reporting overnight after reports his complaints earlier this year prompted Mr Milne to call for Alberici and Probyn to be sacked.
“That is not right. The bottom line is I have never called for anybody to be fired,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in New York.
“My concern has been on the accuracy and impartiality of reporting,” he said.
‘ACTIONS OF A TIN POT DICTATORSHIP’: WONG
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said today that Mr Turnbull’s response did not absolve Mr Milne as she called for the chairman to appear before a Senate inquiry into the matter, which Labor and the Greens intend to launch when Parliament resumes next month.
“I don’t think the public can be reassured at all about what’s been going on and, whatever Mr Turnbull says, if these allegations are true it appears after that conversation, the chairman of the ABC after meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia and the responsible Liberal Minister has sought that a journo be sacked,” Senator Wong told ABC radio this morning.
“These are the actions of a tin pot dictatorship, these are not the actions of the Australian democracy.”
She added: “This goes beyond the complaint about accuracy, this goes to the chairman of the board demanding, after this meeting, that a reporter be sacked. That is treating the public broadcaster really as a propaganda outlet.”
Senator Wong also agreed that, even if Mr Turnbull never explicitly called for a journalist to be fired, Mr Milne appeared to be interpreting the former prime minister’s anger and complaints about the ABC’s reporting as threats that government would cut the broadcaster’s funding unless reporters were reigned in.
“This demonstrates why Mr Milne must front up,” she said.
“Mr Milne can’t sit back and let these sorts of deeply serious allegations to go unanswered.”
Meanwhile, ABC News Director Gavin Morris has sent his staff a message to “get back to your desks” and “hold your heads high” today after hundreds of ABC employees yesterday voted for Mr Milne to stand aside while an independent inquiry is held into his calls for Alberici to be sacked.
To @abcnews staff asking me how to respond to these stories about the ABC, I’ve said this: hold your heads high, look everyone in the eye and get back to your desks, behind your microphones and in front of the cameras and do your jobs well. Your bosses are the Australian people.
— Gaven Morris (@gavmorris) September 26, 2018
Fairfax Media reported today that tensions between Mr Milne and Ms Guthrie, who was sacked on Monday halfway through her five year term, were exacerbated by the chairman allegedly referring to his managing director as “the missus” in front of staff.
A media executive has also claimed that Mr Milne referred to women as “chicks” and “babes”, Fairfax reports.
Sources have also told Guardian Australia and the ABC that Mr Milne strongly opposed Triple J moving the Hottest 100 from Australia Day, saying “Malcolm will go ballistic”.
The ABC radio station made the decision after a year of consultation and a listen poll which found 60 per cent of people supported the move.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield had asked the ABC to reconsider its decision because it was “making a political statement” about Australia Day.
Originally published as Justin Milne resigns as ABC board chairman