ABC apologises for JobKeeper error

The second correction the broadcaster has been forced to make in a week relates to failures relating to wage subsidy cheats.

In the ABC’s correction issued on Tuesday, it conceded the JobKeeper reports were not accurate.

The ABC has been forced to correct reports it aired relating to JobKeeper claims made on behalf of fictitious employees.

The public broadcaster said reports that were published across its radio, television and online channels failed to make clear issues relating to JobKeeper payments made by employers trying to cheat the system.

The reports were aired and published on January 29 and have now been updated this week.

The correction said the reports, “did not make clear the ATO’s investigations into employers’ JobKeeper claims for potentially fictitious employees including prisoners and the dead were occurring at the application stage, prior to JobKeeper payments being made”.

The JobKeeper wage subsidy program was rolled out in April last year and ended in March, to assist businesses to continue to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and pay their employees.

In the ABC’s correction issued on Tuesday, it conceded the reports were not accurate.

“The ATO has stated that it is not aware of any ultimately successful JobKeeper claim for deceased or other fictitious employees,” the correction said.

“The ABC’s online report has been corrected.

“Content which was originally broadcast on radio and television has been removed.”

The online version of the story now includes a statement from the ATO that clearly explains it is not aware of any successful JobKeeper claims being made for deceased or other fictitious employees.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg slammed the ABC, posting on Twitter, “it’s inexplicable @abcnews took nearly 3 months to correct the record after inaccurate claims about JobKeeper published on all platforms.

“These claims were immediately rejected by the ATO on 30 Jan. Australians expect a higher standard of reporting.”

It’s inexplicable @abcnews took nearly 3 months to correct the record after inaccurate claims about JobKeeper published on all platforms.

These claims were immediately rejected by the ATO on 30 Jan. Australians expect a higher standard of reporting.https://t.co/1H1ToEvKur

— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) April 21, 2021

He also attacked shadow federal treasurer Jim Chalmers who picked up on the stories the ABC published.

“In search of a cheap headline, @JEChalmers repeated the ABC’s false report and made other unsubstantiated claims, in the process humiliating himself,” Frydenberg wrote on Twitter.

“He has yet to correct the record and after today’s admission by the ABC, he’s out of excuses.”

It’s the second correction the ABC has made in the past week – last Wednesday they apologised after publishing a video of a dance performance at a commissioning ceremony for the HMAS Supply in Sydney.

The video included vision of the Governor-General David Hurley and Chief of the Navy Michael Noonan, but the ABC confirmed both men did not arrive at the ceremony until after the dance performance had ended.

The video was updated to remove the vision in dispute.