ABC political correspondent Laura Tingle reprimanded by ABC for her controversial comments labelling Australia ‘racist’

The Opposition Leader has taken aim at the ABC’s most senior reporter after she was disciplined and publicly lambasted by her news boss for her comments at the Sydney Writers Festival.

ABC political journalist and board member Laura Tingle has been blasted by news director Justin Stevens, inset.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has taken aim at ABC reporter Laura Tingle, labelling her a “Greens/Labor supporter” whose “credibility as a journalist is really shot.”

Speaking on 2GB’s Ray Hadley show on Thursday, Mr Dutton hit back at her claims made at the Sydney Writers Festival last weekend where she declared Australia is a “racist country” and accused him of encouraging migrants to be abused at open home inspections.

“Laura Tingle’s outed herself now as somebody who is a partisan, she’s a Greens/Labor supporter,” Mr Dutton said.

“I mean, she’s just now completely destroyed her credibility – but they’ll keep her on because that’s what happens at the ABC.

“But, as I say, I think it’s comical, and you just let them play their games.”

Dutton’s comments come after Tingle was publicly lambasted by the public broadcaster’s news boss, who said the veteran reporter’s fierce criticism of Mr Dutton’s policies on migration on housing, and her assertion that Australia is a racist country, failed to meet the organisation’s editorial standards.

News director Justin Stevens on Wednesday afternoon issued his stinging rebuke of Tingle’s public comments, describing them as “lacking context, balance and supporting information”.

Mr Stevens also revealed that Tingle, who is one of the broadcaster’s most senior journalists and is the staff-elected director on the ABC board had been “counselled over her remarks”, which were made during a panel discussion at the Sydney Writers Festival on Sunday.

Earlier this week, The Australian exclusively revealed that Tingle told the event: “We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing.”

In his brutal take-down of Tingle, Mr Stevens said on Wednesday: “Although the remarks were conversational, and not made in her work capacity, the ABC and its employees have unique obligations in the Australian media,” he said.

Mr Stevens also said Tingle had been warned of her conduct at “external events” to ensure she does not bring the ABC into disrepute.

“Laura has been reminded of their application at external events as well as in her work and I have counselled her over the remarks,” he said.

The ABC – including chair Kim Williams and managing director David Anderson – were repeatedly asked this week whether Tingle’s comments were appropriate, but neither responded.

Mr Williams – who was appointed as the ABC chair in March – said in a podcast after he began his role: “If you don’t want to reflect a view that aspires to impartiality, don’t work at the ABC.”

“I really think this is a very serious issue,” he said.

“This is a publicly-funded organisation, it is a publicly accountable organisation, it is a respondent to legislation to the national parliament and it must always aspire to be as fair minded in its work as it possibly can be.”

Mr Anderson will be questioned about Tingle’s comments at a Senate Estimates hearing in Canberra on Thursday.

Sources also told The Australian that board members at the ABC held discussions among themselves earlier this week after learning of Tingle’s remarks, such was their level of concern over her provocative statements.

It’s understood Tingle’s public comments will be one of the subjects of the national broadcaster’s next board meeting in June.

Tingle will be required to recuse herself from the meeting when the matter is discussed.

Tingle has recently spoken at multiple writers festivals including Melbourne and Sorrento, and spoke critically of the Coalition including under former prime minister John Howard.

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

Despite being counselled by her employer over her rhetoric at the SWF, Tingle defended her conduct in a 1380-word statement on Wednesday, saying reporting of the event had “created the opportunity for yet another anti-ABC pile-on.”

“This is not helpful to me or to the ABC. Or to the national debate,” she said.

“I am proud of my work as a journalist at the ABC, on all its platforms, and I let that work speak for itself.”

Tingle also sought to downplay her comment that “Australia is a racist country”.

“I did indeed make the observation on Sunday that we are a racist country, in the context of a discussion about the political prospects ahead,” she said in her statement.

“I wasn’t saying every Australian is a racist. But we clearly have an issue with racism.”

At the SWF on Sunday, Tingle accused Mr Dutton of encouraging people to abuse migrants who turn up to open homes available to rent or to buy.

She also heaped praise on the Labor government.

“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,” she said.

The ABC’s editorial policy – which also covers the external activities of staff – states that public comments can “affect the perception of impartiality of staff and the ABC”.

Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman said Mr Anderson and the ABC needed to clearly explain whether Tingle’s comments met the broadcaster’s impartiality requirements.

“Plainly Ms Tingle’s comments are totally inconsistent with the ABC’s obligations,” he said.