Barnaby: There must be accountability for ABC’s Last Post edit

Four Corners is facing heat – including from Barnaby Joyce and David Elliott – over claims it ‘deliberately misled’ viewers by editing construction noise over the Last Post Ceremony. Watch the footage and take our poll.

The ABC has been the subject of heavy criticism on Tuesday over allegations it edited the sound of noisy construction over the Last Post Ceremony.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed the Australian War Memorial had sent a complaint about Four Corners on March 10, alleging the episode may have “deliberately misled” viewers.

The scene in question on the ABC begins with The Last Post Ceremony, where the voiceover says: “this place of commemoration is also a construction site.” Cranes and machinery are then suddenly cut into the frame – somewhat drowning out the conclusion of the sacred bugle call.

Former NSW Veterans Minister David Elliott accused the public broadcaster of “manipulating footage to create a sense of drama using innuendo.”

Former NSW Veterans Minister David Elliott has accused ABC’s Four Corners of “manipulating footage to create a sense of drama using innuendo” in relation to the Last Post.

“In my mind the ABC has now forfeited the right to cover the Anzac Day March” Mr Elliott said.

In a statement – the Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans’ Association said: “is the ABC more interested in causing moral injury to veterans and their families than producing journalistic quality?

“Instead of these questionable editorial choices that risk causing moral injury to our veteran community, we urge the ABC to investigate the truly pressing issues affecting veterans” they said.

A furious Mark Levy told his listeners on 2GB that he believed Four Corners was “taking potshots” at the country’s veteran community.

“This just highlights to me that there is some sort of vendetta over at the ABC against our soldiers” Mr Levy said.

2GB Morning Show host Mark Levy slammed the ABC for “taking potshots” at Australia’s veteran community. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The ABC program last month focused on the War Memorial’s $500 million redevelopment – interviewing a number of people who opposed the giant expansion – which includes the building of a new Anzac Hall.

On Monday – War Memorial Director Matt Anderson told this masthead he was “disappointed to see the ABC’s Four Corners broadcast footage which added construction noise over the sounding of The Last Post.”

“It gave a false impression that construction noise occurred simultaneously to the sounding of The Last Post. The Australian War Memorial has had a stop work order since 2020 to prevent construction noise from disrupting commemorative ceremonies including the daily Last Post Ceremony.

“At best, it was remarkably insensitive to all for whom the sounding of The Last Post is a most solemn act and tribute. At worst, it appears it was a deliberate edit to mislead the audience” Mr Anderson claimed.

Watch the footage under fire:

The Australian War Memorial claims this scene “gave a false impression that construction noise occurred simultaneously to the sounding of The Last Post”, when in fact they have had “a stop work order since 2020 to prevent construction noise from disrupting commemorative ceremonies …”

The ABC insists there was “no implication in the program that the ceremony and the construction are occurring simultaneously. There is a clear break in scene between the ceremony and the footage of the construction site.”

Have your say:

It comes just months after the public broadcaster was forced to apologise for adding extra gunshots to footage of a helicopter mission in Afghanistan, during a segment which alleged possible war crimes by Australian troops. An independent investigation ruled there was “no evidence that anybody, at any stage, made a conscious or deliberate decision to introduce additional gunshots.”

The ABC also had to remove several other stories from online after being successfully sued by retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell in 2023.

When approached for comment on the War Memorial’s complaint – the ABC insisted there was “no implication in the program that the ceremony and the construction are occurring simultaneously.

“There is a clear break in scene between the ceremony and the footage of the construction site.

“Both the ceremony and the Last Post are presented respectfully and in context. The ABC stands by this important piece of public interest reporting …” the ABC spokeswoman said.

The war Memorial has raised their concerns with the public broadcaster’s Chairman Kim Williams and also the independent Ombudsman.

Shadow Veteran Affairs Minister Barnaby Joyce said the ABC had “first misled viewers on Mr Russell’s Afghanistan footage. Now, they’ve falsely shown construction during the Last Post Ceremony, which never happened. This repeated behaviour demands accountability.”

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