ABC board members hold emergency discussions over Laura Tingle outburst

ABC board members have had emergency discussions over their board colleague and star reporter Laura Tingle’s claim that Australia is racist.

ABC 7.30 political correspondent Laura Tingle speaking at the Sydney Writers Festival on Sunday.

ABC board members have had emergency discussions over their board colleague and high-profile political reporter Laura Tingle’s claims that Australia is racist and Peter Dutton is encouraging the abuse of migrants, as the public broadcaster faces a parliamentary barrage on both Tingle and on its coverage of Israel in the Gaza war.

The Coalition on Monday demanded the ABC explain Tingle’s weekend claims at the Sydney Writers’ Festival against the Opposition Leader, and how the 7.30 chief political correspondent can stay impartial in the lead-up to the election due next year.

The Australian understands Tingle, who is also a staff-elected board member at the ABC, has displeased some board colleagues and they have been discussing the controversy in the past 48 hours.

While the public broadcaster’s board, led by Kim Williams, is not scheduled to meet until June, some sources close to the ABC said it was possible that the board might bring the matter forward because of perceived damage that Tingle’s comments may have caused, and that she would have to recuse herself from those talks.

The Tingle situation came as the ABC was rocked by the latest controversy over its coverage of the Israel-Gaza war, with a social media post claiming that terror group Hamas had made a “show of resilience” against Israel condemned by Australia’s Jewish leaders on Monday.

At the writers’ festival event on Sunday moderated by former ABC Insiders host and Labor staffer Barrie Cassidy, Tingle told the audience: “We are a racist country, let’s face it.

“We always have been, and it’s very depressing.”

She then aired extensive criticism of Mr Dutton including his migration, housing and nuclear policies, while also praising the government led by Anthony ­Albanese.

Tingle told the panel she didn’t recall another leader of a major political party “saying … everything that is going wrong in this country is because of migrants”.

She said after she listened to Mr Dutton’s budget reply speech earlier this month, in which he discussed migration and housing ­issues, she “had this sudden flash of people turning up to try and rent a property or at an auction, and they look a bit different – whatever you define different as – (and) that basically he (Mr Dutton) has given them licence to be abused, and in any circumstance where people feel like they’re missing out”.

Tingle praised the Labor government, saying: “It’s not just about whether they got rid of Scott Morrison, they are actually trying to govern, they are trying to run a government, they are actually trying to do policy.

“Whether you think the policy is shit or not, that’s another issue.”

She said the former Coalition government used to run “absolute crap … on a day-to-day basis”.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, right. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Tingle also said Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil “had started work on actually overhauling the migration system, fixing up the visas” and this and other ­actions by the government were “positive to the electorate and running the country”.

The panel also featured former Liberal staffer and Sydney Morning Herald columnist Niki Savva, Guardian Australia political reporter Amy Remeikis and the ABC’s Indigenous affairs reporter Brid­get Brennan.

ABC managing director David Anderson will be questioned about Tingle’s comments at Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Thursday.

Neither Mr Williams nor the ABC would comment about the matter on Monday.

In March, Mr Williams said in a podcast: “If you don’t want to reflect a view that aspires to impartiality, don’t work at the ABC.”

Tingle was appointed last year to the ABC board, chaired by Mr Williams, and began her position last May. Under the ABC board’s obligations, it states: “Directors must act in good faith at all times and in the best interests of the ABC.” Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman attacked Tingle’s festival comments, posting on X that “Ms Tingle’s reported comments about Mr Dutton are extraordinary and completely indefensible”.

He added: “Ms Tingle has made further statements about her views on the Albanese government and the Coalition.”

The ABC was also criticised by Jewish leaders on Monday for an “activist-like” Instagram post, that called the terror group’s rocket launch towards Tel Aviv a “show of resilience”. That has led to formal complaints by leading Jewish organisations, who have said it appeared that the ABC was placing “activism over journalism”.

Mr Anderson will also be quizzed at the estimates hearing about the taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war on Thursday.

The ABC was contacted about the “resilience” post but did not provide comment.