Sky News host Andrew Bolt calls ABC 730 segment ‘shameless, savage and bias smear of PM’

The ABC’s 7.30 program has come under fire for what Andrew Bolt called a “shameless, savage and bias smear of the PM”.

The ABC’s 7.30program has come under fire for what has been described as a “shameless, savage and bias smear of the prime minister” on Monday night.

In the firing line is the program’s chief political correspondent Laura Tingle who narrated an eight-minute video that called into question whether Scott Morrison is the right person to lead Australia.

The segment raised issues that have “dogged” the PM — including the bushfires, Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and the government’s failure to establish an anti-corruption body.

Tingle said the issues “raised questions about the prime minister’s character” and “would leave an indelible mark on his prime ministership”.

Chief political correspondent @latingle looks back at how the past three years have set the stage for the upcoming federal election. #abc730pic.twitter.com/2RzqAOpm6B

— abc730 (@abc730) April 11, 2022

But Sky News host Andrew Bolt said taxpayers should not be paying for “bias” coverage.

“Last night the ABC ran probably the most shameless, savage and bias smear of the prime minister and his government that I have ever seen,” Bolt said.

“It ran for eight minutes claiming to be a review of the government’s last three years. And if you believe the presenter, Laura Tingle, the government in those three years has been a complete and utter failure led by a bungling fraud.”

Political commentator Gerard Henderson told Bolt that Tingle should stand aside during the campaign or be forced out.

“The problem here is, as we know, Laura Tingle not so long ago ... declared that the Morrison Government was into ‘ideological bastardry’,” Henderson told Sky News.

“That’s what she wrote in a late-night tweet. That’s what she thought at the time and I assume that’s what she still thinks.”

Laura Tingle and Scott Morrison after the PM’s National Press Club address. Picture: Rohan Thomson/Getty Images

Henderson was referring to a since-deleted tweet from 2020 that the veteran journalist later deleted and described as “a mistake”.

He said that in “view of” the Tingle tweet, “the professional thing for Ms Tingle to do was to recuse herself, step down from this campaign until the campaign is over”.

“And the professional thing for ABC Managing Director David Anderson (to do) was if Laura Tingle wouldn’t recuse herself because of her publicly-expressed views was to step her down for seven weeks until the campaign’s over.

“What went to air last night was an appalling example of propaganda.”

Writing for the Australian Financial Review in January, Tingle suggested Mr Morrison’s problem was that the public “know who he is”.

“If Anthony Albanese’s problem as 2022 begins is that voters don’t know who he is, Scott Morrison’s problem is that they do know who he is,” she wrote.

Mr Morrison last week appeared on 7.30 where he was interviewed by host Leigh Sales.

The pair traded barbs after Sales suggested the PM’s biggest problem was staring at him in the mirror.

The Prime Minister speaking with Laura Tingle at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra. Picture: NCA/ Gary Ramage

“Let me put it to you ...that there can only be one factor that’s playing into the negative sentiment towards your coalition and that without sounding rude has to be you?,’’’ Sales said.

She then read a “long list” of people who said the Prime Minister was a bully, a liar and a “horrible, horrible person”.

In response, the Prime Minister said those attacking him were simply disgruntled for their own reasons.

“People are always disappointed and they’ll have an axe to grind. That’s normal in politics, particularly when you’re going into an election,’’ he said.

The Prime Minister then insisted he had always stood against the Liberal factions, prompting Sales to interject, “come on!.”

“I’ve never had time for the factional games in the Liberal Party. You get plenty of enemies,’’ he said.

“When you don’t let people bully their way into getting the outcomes that they want.”

The 7.30 host then noted that the former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had called him a “horrible, horrible person” in a leaked text message.

“Which she denies by the way,’’ Mr Morrison interjected.

Andrew Bolt said the 7.30 segment was a “smear” on the PM.

In fact, Ms Berejiklian has never categorically denied the text message, she simply diplomatically observed she didn’t recall sending them.

“That’s a lot of smoke. No fire?’’ Sales asked.

However the interview ended on a sour note with the Prime Minister telling the veteran 7.30 host that her program didn’t run the election campaign.

“Prime Minister, every election campaign for the past 27 years that this show has been on, both leaders have done a couple of prime time interviews. I’ve already invited Mr Albanese and he agreed. Would you be happy to do a couple of interviews?,’’ she asked.

“We will appear on the ABC and everybody’s programs over the course of the campaign and we’ve always made ourselves pretty available,’’ he said.

Sales shot back: “That’s not a direct answer, actually. Will you do two interviews on 7.30?”

“It’s not about 7.30, it’s about the Australian people and we’ll make ourselves available to the ABC and all the networks,’’ the Prime Minister replied.

“I don’t think the major issue people are thinking about is the 7.30. Not at all.”

Originally published as Sky News host Andrew Bolt calls ABC 730 segment ‘shameless, savage and bias smear of PM’