Ita Buttrose opens up about decision to step down as head of the ABC

Amid swirling reports and mounting pressure on the ABC, outgoing chair Ita Buttrose has opened up about why she is leaving the national broadcaster.

Ita Buttrose is just days away from stepping down as head of the ABC, with her final day at the national broadcaster this Wednesday.

The Australian journalism icon, 82, served a five-year term after being appointed by the former Coalition government in 2019, with former News Limited CEO Kim Williams set to replace her.

Ahead of her last day on the job, questionable reports have swirled that Ms Buttrose’s departure – which was announced in August last year – was related to the December sacking of presenter Antoinette Lattouf, who was let go days into a fill-in radio gig for the national broadcaster’s Mornings show after she shared a social media post about the Israel Gaza war, in which she condemned the treatment of Palestinian civilians.

The broadcaster’s union passed a vote of no confidence in the managing director David Anderson in January, in which more than 100 of the ABC’s union staff rebuked him over his handling of the sacking after Ms Lattouf launched a wrongful termination case.

Ms Buttrose has supported Mr Anderson through the ordeal, declaring it’s “abhorrent and incorrect” that he showed a lack of support for independent journalists amid Ms Lattouf’s axing.

Speaking on Stellar’s Something To Talk About podcast published Sunday, Ms Buttrose said her previous decision to leave the broadcaster had “nothing to do with current events.”

Ita Buttrose stars on the cover of this weekend’s Stellar issue. Picture: Damian Bennett/Stellar

“I did notify the government and the minister Michelle Rowland in August last year that I was not going to seek another term,” Ms Buttrose said.

“Five years is quite a long time to serve the ABC. I know some chairs have gone on and done a second term, but I’m conscious that I’m a woman of a certain age. And despite [US president] Joe Biden thinking he should run another term – I don’t think he should – sometimes you need to examine yourself and say, ‘Well, I am a person of a certain age and everything’s fine, and cognitively I’m good’ but still, weigh it up. Another five years. What would it be like?

“You have to know in yourself when you need to step aside. I felt that. It had nothing to do with any current events.”

Ms Buttrose went on to defend questions surrounding outside influence on the national broadcaster.

“The role of independence of the national broadcaster is paramount to what we do. It’s enshrined in legislation,” she said.

“The ABC and I have never been influenced by outside lobbyists, people passionate about their particular cause as politicians, commercial interests, you name it.

“The ABC has never caved in. I’ve never caved in. Neither has the managing director nor the board.”

Read the full interview with Ita Buttrose in this week’s Stellar, inside today’s Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA)