Political storm ignited by ABC investigation into parliament’s ‘toxic culture’
The boss of the ABC has warned of a threat to the broadcaster’s independence after Morrison government officials challenged the public interest of a story on whether ministers breached Canberra’s “bonk ban”.
Victoria
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A political storm has ignited between the ABC and the Morrison government over an investigation into ministers allegedly breaching the “bonk ban” on sexual relationships with staffers.
Government officials fired off emails and called ABC bosses about the Four Corners report, prior to it airing on Monday night, prompting ABC chief David Anderson to warn of a threat to the broadcaster’s independence.
On Monday morning, Scott Morrison said he did not know what was in the program, but that he expected the ABC to uphold its charter.
“If they’re going to make enquiries, I would think they’d want to do them across the political spectrum,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Anderson, who appeared at a Senate hearing before the program aired, confirmed it focused on the conduct of two government ministers and the “toxic culture” in parliament.
“Part of this story goes to the ministerial code of conduct,” he said.
“The story goes into what is otherwise a power imbalance and a potential abuse of power.”
Malcolm Turnbull instituted the bonk ban in the wake of Barnaby Joyce’s affair with an adviser that tore apart his marriage and caused political chaos in 2018.
Mr Turnbull, who was interviewed by Four Corners, wrote in his book that he “had to speak to several ministers” about their behaviour during his time as prime minister, suggesting they were drinking in bars with “much younger women”.
He said “too many of them regarded it as acceptable to sleep with their staff”, and that there was “strong opposition from the leadership group” to the bonk ban.
Mr Morrison maintained Mr Turnbull’s changes to the code of conduct, which states that his ministers “must not engage in sexual relations with their staff”.
On Monday, Mr Morrison said he was one of the “strongest supporters” of that rule to deliver “cultural change within the parliament”, and that the standards were “very clear”.
Prior to the program airing, Four Corners executive producer Sally Neighbour said there had been “extreme and unrelenting” political pressure on the ABC.
Mr Anderson said he received “half a dozen” emails from staff working for the ministers at the centre of the investigation, as well as phone calls, which questioned whether the story was in the public interest.
An ABC board member was also phoned by a government staffer.
Mr Anderson said he was not asked to scrap the story, but he warned it was “problematic” for him to be contacted by the government about the ABC’s stories.
“Respect for the ABC’s independence is incredibly important,” Mr Anderson said.
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