Ita Buttrose takes stand after ABC lawyers backflip on race defence

Former ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose has described presenter Antoinette Lattouf as an “activist” who should never have been hired by the national broadcaster.

Ita Buttrose, left, is taking the stand in the battle between Antoinette Lattouf, right, and the ABC. Pictures: News Corp

Former ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose has described presenter Antoinette Lattouf as an “activist” who should never have been hired by the national broadcaster.

She also said she suggested Ms Lattouf should get “Covid or the flu” to help her “save face” because her prospects of staying on air did not look very good.

Ms Buttrose was giving evidence in Ms Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case against the ABC in the Federal Court on Tuesday after the latter was sacked three days into a five-day on-air radio presenting gig.

Ms Buttrose, who attended court in a wheelchair following a back operation in 2023, said the ABC had received a number of complaints about Ms Lattouf after she went on air in December 2023.

“She had obviously upset the listeners of the ABC and we were looking into it,” Ms Buttrose said.

Antoinette Lattouf arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

She said her policy over five years at the ABC was to respond to every complaint.

However, she said the number of complaints received about the Lebanese Australian presenter was small in comparison to other issues.

“Compared to our complaints we got about King Charles III’s coronation, this is a small matter,” she said.

Ms Buttrose said it was unusual for the contract of a five-day casual to cross the desk of the chair but she was concerned Ms Lattouf was not impartial and that could harm the reputation of the ABC.

“She was a controversial broadcaster, and I think – in relation to the Gaza-Israel conflict – she was an activist, that was quite apparent,” she said.

“I drew the conclusion, and I don’t think we should have hired an activist of any kind, regardless of whatever view they held.”

Ita Buttrose gave evidence on TUesday.

Ms Buttrose wrote to ABC managing director David Anderson, suggesting Ms Lattouf should “come down with flu or Covid or a stomach upset” to get her off the air.

Asked about that in court, Ms Buttrose laughed.

“That was just a face saving idea … It didn’t look like her prospects were very good,” Ms Buttrose said.

“I think it was an idea for Antoinette to save face. It would give her an easy exit, that’s all.”

Ms Lattouf shot the former chair a look as black as thunder across the court as she continued: “It was up to her if she wanted to take it or not.”

During a series of spiky exchanges Ms Lattouf’s lawyer, Philip Boncardo, put to her that “you wanted her to be fired” and made that clear in her emails to Mr Anderson.

“If I wanted somebody removed I would be franker than that,” Ms Buttrose said.

“I wasn’t happy. I didn’t wish her to be removed, I didn’t put pressure on anybody. It is a fantasy of your imagination.”

Earlier, the ABC lawyers were forced into an embarrassing backflip on its defence that Middle Eastern, Arab or Lebanese races do not exist.

ABC barrister Ian Neil SC said the broadcaster would change its opening submissions to reflect its view that it did not “dispute or contest” that the Middle Eastern, Arab or Lebanese races existed and that Ms Lattouf was one or more of those races.

It comes after outraged ABC staff protested at the line of defence in the case that said Ms Lattouf had not demonstrated those races existed and demanded the ABC acknowledge those people can be subject to racial discrimination.

Justice Darryl Rangiah also took the ABC lawyers to task for filing an unredacted affidavit from ABC’s chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor last Thursday night that revealed the identity of the people who complained about Ms Lattouf’s appearance.

The mistake was not picked up until lunchtime on Monday.

Justice Rangiah told the ABC lawyers he was “deeply unhappy” the suppression order on their identities had been breached.

Mr Neil offered his “personal apology” for the “human error” that had occurred.

The hearing continues.

Originally published as Ita Buttrose takes stand after ABC lawyers backflip on race defence