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Protesting ABC staff vote for Justin Milne to stand down, Fifield rejects interference

Protesting ABC staff unanimously demand chairman Justin Milne step down as Mitch Fifield rejects suggestions of political interference.

Will Glasgow and Deborah Cornwall
10 min read
2:10PMSeptember 26, 2018.
Updated 3:53PMSeptember 26, 2018
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ABC staff at a meeting outside the broadcaster’s Sydney offices. Picture: John Feder
ABC staff at a meeting outside the broadcaster’s Sydney offices. Picture: John Feder

Just two days after the sacking of the ABC’s managing director Michelle Guthrie the knives are now out for the chairman who got rid of her with protesting staff demanding Justin Milne stand aside.

An estimated 350 ABC journalists in Sydney today backed a resolution, demanding their chairman Milne stand aside immediately, pending an independent investigation into an explosive email which appears to have left his position untenable.

The leaked email revealed Mr Milne had ordered the sacking of journalist Emma Alberici on May 8 because the government wanted her gone.

The motion was unanimously backed by staff.

“We know that neither the chairman or the board has denied an email saying a journalist should be got rid of because Canberra hates her,” Stephen Long, the ABC house representative for the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance told gathered ABC reporters outside the ABC’s Ultimo building.

“Whatever the merits or otherwise of the reporting we cannot stand for that.

“We need to be able to report without fear and favour and that means that the board and the executive need to protect us from political interference from Canberra, not be a conduit for it.

“That is why we have passed the resolution we did today calling for the chairman to stand aside while this matter is investigated. It is absolutely critical to our jobs that we have the confidence we can do our jobs backed by the ABC.

“It is critical for free press for a free media in this country. This goes beyond any individual any story

“Imagine at Fairfax or News Ltd if they were sacking media journalists because they weren’t liked by the government”

Things are moving very fast at Ultimo, with Mr Milne’s boardmates now co-ordinating diaries for yet another crisis meeting. Meanwhile, their former managing director turned nemesis Ms Guthrie was lunching at Sydney’s Rockpool restaurant with a friend, Melanie Brock. Ms Brock, an Australian executive based in Japan, has acted as a consultant for Crown Resorts via her own business Melanie Brock Advisory.

Communicatons Minister Mitch Fifield has distanced himself and the government from any suggestion of political interference in ABC staffing.

The impending meeting of the ABC board — which The Australian understands will be their sixth in the last eight days — follows revelations today Mr Milne had written an email to Ms Guthrie in May that ordered the sacking of ABC journalist Emma Alberici.

“Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC — not Emma,” Mr Milne wrote to Ms Guthrie.

The Australian understands extracts from the email were circulated by Ms Guthrie to Mr Milne’s board members on Friday in what appeared to be a last-ditch attempt to extend her career at the broadcaster .

After considering Ms Guthrie’s Friday dossier over the weekend, Mr Milne’s board met on Sunday where they resolved to sack the former Google executive because of what they had long determined to be her ineffective leadership style.

The top of the agenda for the ABC board’s upcoming meeting: what other damaging information in Ms Guthrie’s dossier could leak? And can Mr Milne, a former business partner of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, survive today’s stunning attack?

Journalist Emma Alberici.
Journalist Emma Alberici.

The email — sent on May 8 — followed intense political pressure on the ABC over a contentious article by Ms Alberici on February 14 which identified 400 Australian companies which had not paid tax for three years. “They (the government) hate her,’’ Mr Milne wrote in the email, leaked to Fairfax Media. “I think its simple. We need to get rid of her.’’

Speculation over who leaked the email, and to what end, had senior ABC insiders this morning pointing the finger at Ms Guthrie’s camp. “She’s leaked the email to bring him (Milne) down,” said one ABC executive. “It’s revenge.” Another senior ABC source told The Australian: “It’s a total disaster for Milne and it seems to be an attempt to change the narrative’’.

Milne, PM, Shorten, Fifield comment

In a statement released this morning Mr Milne said his actions were part of the role of ABC chairman. “The job of the ABC Board is to independently govern the Corporation, protect its best interests, ensure that it is well funded, well managed and that our content is of the highest standards,’’ Mr Milne said. “That is precisely what the Board has done and will continue to do. I do not propose to provide a running commentary on day to day issues which arise in pursuit of our duties.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison weighed in, reminding the national broadcaster to behave professionally. “I expect the ABC to act in a professional way, I expect everyone who works there to respect the fact that it’s funded by Australian taxpayers,” he said. “And it should conduct itself in an independent and unbiased way, that’s what I expect of the ABC, that’s what all Australians expect of the ABC.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the government had made its position untenable in its dealings with the ABC.

“No political party has the right to interfere like this with the ABC,” Mr Shorten said, as his communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland announced her party would seek a senate inquiry into Liberal Party interference with the broadcaster.

“No journalist should be sacked at the request of a political party.

“It’s time for the Liberal Party to back off.

“The ABC is owned by Australians, not the Liberal Party.

“I’ll always fight for its independence.”

Senator Fifield rejected that he or his office had any role in ABC staffing matters. “From time to time, I have raised factual errors in ABC reporting, but have always respected the legislated operational and editorial independence of the ABC,’’ the minister said in a statement.

“I have never involved myself in staffing matters, nor am I aware of any member of the Government who has sought to do so. The operations of the ABC are entirely matters for the board and management of the ABC which, by law, the Minister does not have a role in.

Questions about the ABC’s board and management are matters for the ABC.’’

Hill: Milne has to go

David Hill, former chairman of the ABC.
David Hill, former chairman of the ABC.

Former ABC chairman David Hill, who served as ABC chairman for one year before becoming managing director in 1987 — a position he held until 1995 — said Mr Milne should resign.

When asked by ABC news if he believed Mr Milne’s position was tenable, Mr Hill replied: “Sadly I think not.”

“I think he has to consider his position and he has to go,” Mr Hill said “I think the chairman put himself in a totally untenable position.”

Mr Hill said there was a clear separation of powers within the organisation and it was not up to the board to be hiring and firing staff. He said the role of the chairman was to uphold the independence and impartiality of the broadcaster.

“And here we have reports that the chairman, to handle political pressure from Canberra, is suggesting that the managing director dismiss, offer as a sacrificial lamb one of the ABC’s top journalist, it’s quite extraordinary.” Mr Hill said he had never heard of anything like it before.

The Community and Public Sector Union, which represents ABC staff, said Mr Milne and Ms Guthrie have both “failed” the ABC, and their behaviour is further damaging the national broadcaster.

“We’ve had devastating funding cuts to our ABC. Our members don’t want to talk about who emailed what to who: they want to talk about the empty desks, the regional stories going untold, their workloads and services not being provided,” CPSU ABC section secretary Sinddy Ealy said in a statement. “The media circus will move on but our ABC will still be underfunded and under attack. We need executive leaders and a board who will rebuild and re-fund our ABC,” Ms Ealy said.

Australia’s media union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, said the report Mr Milne sought to interfere in editorial and staffing decisions at the ABC was “deeply disturbing.”

“They would indicate Mr Milne has no understanding of editorial independence, proper complaints handling processes, or the appropriate distance a board chair needs to keep from staffing matters,’’ the MEAA said in a statement. “If true, Mr Milne should resign immediately.”

Former ABC chairman James Spigelman said he wouldn’t have pressured Ms Guthrie like Mr Milne is reported to have. “I wouldn’t have thought so, well I wouldn’t have done it.” he told Radio National. “I was surprised, and I wouldn’t have done it.”

Federal Opposition, Greens reaction

Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek called for Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to reveal what he knows about the extent to which the Turnbull government put pressure on the ABC to sack Alberici.

Ms Plibersek said Labor’s communications spokeswoman had been in contact with Mr Milne today to ask whether the “reports of political pressure to get rid of journalists” were true.

“She’s not satisfied with the answer that she’s been given,” Ms Plibersek said. “I’m not going to go into details of the conversation, but if it is true that the government or the Prime Minister himself has pressured the ABC to get rid of reporters they don’t like, that is a shocking abuse of power.”

Ms Plibersek said Australians valued the ABC’s integrity and independence. “It is the most respected news organisation in Australia and it can only maintain the integrity and independence with the support of its board and an absolute refusal to buckle to political interference,” she said.

Ms Rowland said Mr Milne’s interference had created “an extraordinary situation” which compromised the integrity of the ABC. “The independence and integrity of the ABC is paramount. It must remain free from political interference and withstand criticism even if, and particularly if, that criticism comes from the Prime Minister of the day. The ABC cannot allow itself to be bullied by this Liberal Government, which has form when it comes to the politicisation of some of Australia’s key institutions,’’ she said.

“Mitch Fifield has spent more time complaining to the ABC on behalf of the Liberal Party and his old employer the IPA than he has doing his day job.”

Greens media spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said Mr Milne could not be trusted as chair of the public broadcaster and must stand down. “Mr Milne’s position is untenable. As the chair of an organisation that is supposed to be independent of Government, Milne has shown he can’t be trusted with the ABC,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Protecting the ABC from political interference is the most important responsibility of the chair. There can be no more serious breach than the apparent demand that a journalist be sacked at the behest of the prime minister of the day.

“The board’s responsibility is to uphold the ABC Charter and ensure that the broadcaster is independent at all times and that its journalists and staff can do their jobs without fear or favour. Mr Milne must go.”

Senator Hanson Young tweeted that the ABC belongs to the Australian people, not the Liberal government.

“The ABC must be fiercely independent, prepared to call out politicians whatever their political persuasion. It’s not ABC journalists who have a problem it’s the glass jaw of the

Journalist Mike Carlton said Mr Milne had “no place in making editorial decisions, nor to hire or fire staff’’.

“An ABC chairman has NO place in making editorial decisions, nor to hire or fire staff. Milne has behaved disgracefully in attempting to axe Alberici to appease Turnbull and Fifield. ABC staff should pass a motion of no-confidence in him. Pronto,’’ he tweeted.

ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy, the host of Insiders, said today’s revelations went to the heart of the broadcaster’s independence.

“Justin Milne’s exposed rationale behind his stance on a govt complaint goes to the heart of the ABCs independence. And he’s the chairman!”

ABC journalist Quentin Dempster said Mr Milne’s email to Ms Guthrie “indicates Mr Milne does not understand that his primary function is to protect ABC independence. The fact that he is a friend of Malcolm Turnbull makes this Alberici intervention inappropriate’’.

ABC’s Melbourne radio host Jon Faine described Mr Milne’s intervention as “a massive overreach and abuse of power … at every level.”

Mr Faine also said Mr Milne should have stood aside from the fall out over Ms Alberici’s February 14 article on companies avoiding tax because it included references to software company MYOB, which Mr Milne also chairs.

In an interview with Ms Alberici on Faine’s Melbourne radio program, she agreed the chairman had a case to answer, as did Mr Turnbull, a close friend and former business partner of Mr Milne’s from Ozemail days.

Ms Alberici said: “In business … normally people recuse themselves, even if there is an appearance of conflict of interest’’

A spokeswoman for MYOB said: “We don’t have anything to add at this point.”

The Australian understands Ms Guthrie and Ms Alberici had been on very friendly terms, and would meet occasionally for a drink and at other social functions, right up until the political furore over Ms Alberici’s article.

“Guthrie hung her out to dry,” a senior ABC journalist told The Australian. “When she (Guthrie) was asked by Senator Kristina Keneally at Senate Estimates whether she had confidence in Emma, Guthrie had nothing to say in her defence. Appalling.”

Ms Guthrie also wasn’t present when Ms Alberici called in her high-profile employment lawyer, Chris McArdle, for a meeting on February 19 with Mr Milne, the ABC’s legal counsel and the HR chief.

“Emma hasn’t heard a word from Guthrie since the article, she just ghosted her. Not an email, not a phone call, not even a text, nothing,’ the senior ABC journalist said.

Ms Alberici, speaking to the ABC from Italy, told Faine she had been completely blindsided by Mr Milne’s email which she had first seen in the newspapers this morning.

Ms Alberici, who is attending a women in media conference, said it had been “upsetting” to have been the target of such sustained attacks, including by Mr Turnbull, who, she said, had “got up in parliament and basically hurled abuse at me and my journalism”.

Additional reporting: Remy Varga, Lilly Vitorovich, Rachel Baxendale

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ABC chairman Justin Milne and former managing director Michelle Guthrie. Picture: John Feder
ABC chairman Justin Milne and former managing director Michelle Guthrie. Picture: John Feder

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-chairman-justin-milne-under-pressure-as-board-sets-emergency-meeting/news-story/e0458bc565bb8a9d5252bd1374b64530