ABC potplant puzzle: ‘presenters should not be part of commentary’

Former leaders have lashed out at the ABC for “covering up’’ whether its top political editor posed as a bullying MP.

Nine News political editor Chris Uhlmann joins the potplant debate on Twitter.

A former ABC chairman has questioned why the national broadcaster would “cover up” whether its top political editor posed as a bullying MP in a staged re-enactment as management continues to ­refuse to answer queries.

Three days after The Australian questioned the ABC, mystery surrounds the identity of the person — possibly ABC political editor Andrew Probyn — who appears in the scene with his face obscured by objects including a pot plant.

A dramatisation based on allegations about the treatment of ­female Liberal MPs during the lead­er­ship turmoil in Canberra has aired during ABC news bulletins. Former ABC chairman ­Maurice Newman said: “I don’t understand why you have to have this cover-up — what are they covering up?”

Mr Newman, who chaired the ABC from 2007 to 2012, said he did not consider it appropriate for an ABC journalist to take part in a re-­enactment and questioned the ABC’s editorial standards.

“Is that appropriate for someone at the ABC? Obviously the ­answer is no,” he said.

“If it is him, then there is the question of his balance and as to why he would volunteer for that, and surely under the editorial policies there should be some sort of sanction for somebody who goes out of their way to take a political line, which is obviously a criticism of the government.”

ABC News director Gaven Morris refused again yesterday to say whether Probyn appeared in the segment. Instead, he made light of the story. “I admit I have previously been the translated voice of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein in television news reports,” Morris wrote.

The ABC’s managing ­director, Michelle Guthrie, did not respond to a request for comment, while ABC ­Insiders presenter Barrie Cassidy yesterday tweeted: “What if a Senate inquiry finds it’s true?”

That prompted Probyn, who has refused to say whether he was in the re-enactment, to reply with a picture of himself behind a pot plant. An image of the pot plant-­obscured actor from the sketch was on a computer monitor behind him.

Former Australian Broadcasting Authority chairman David Flint said the ABC should answer questions about Probyn’s involvement, adding that as a public broadcaster, the ABC should strive to the highest standard.

“A public broadcaster is also under a duty to be as open with the facts as they expect everybody else to be, particularly those in the ­public sector. Public broadcasters have to set a very high level because they are public (and) have a charter.”

He said it would be inappropriate for Probyn to have participated in a re-enactment of a political issue.

Mr Newman said the ABC had shifted downmarket in a battle for ratings with commercial broad­casters, a war that a publicly funded body should not be waging.

“The ABC is becoming increasingly tabloid, it seems to be an inevitable conclusion to reach.

“I don’t watch the ABC … very often. You’re seeing this with the way in which they’re moving away from good news and current ­affairs, which are properly researched, and on to essentially what I call tabloid stuff — it’s just rehashing points of view to fit a certain narrative,” he said.

Some Canberra press gallery journalists, including Nine News political editor Chris Uhlmann and The Australian Financial Review’s Phil Coorey, have tweeted pictures of themselves behind pot plants in support of the ABC.

Probyn and ABC spokeswoman Sally Jackson have refused to identify actors in the re-enactment, with the latter yesterday re­tweeting comments and pictures of supporters holding pot plants.