Michelle Guthrie warned a month before sacking from ABC

Former ABC managing ­director Michelle ­Guthrie was first warned of her dismissal a month before she was sacked.

Former ABC chairman Justin Milne and former managing director Michelle Guthrie. Picture: AAP

A government inquiry into the saga that crippled the ABC and claimed the scalps of Michelle ­Guthrie and Justin Milne has ­revealed the former managing ­director was first warned of her dismissal in late August, a month before she was sacked.

The nine-page report from Communications Department secretary Mike Mrdak — handed to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield last week and published yesterday — also found there was “no basis” for claims former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull or his ministers put ­“direct pressure on journalist ­employment or interference in setting editorial policies”.

The finding did not stop Labor from accusing Senator Fifield of having “direct personal involvement” in the scandal, as the opposition and the Greens push for a Senate inquiry into “political ­interference” at the public broadcaster.

The departmental inquiry looked into the reporting of prominent ABC journalists Emma ­Alberici and Andrew Probyn, and the responses to their coverage ­internally and from government, Triple J’s decision to move its Hottest 100 countdown from January 26 to the Australia Day weekend, and language used in the now-axed Tonightly program.

Mr Mrdak interviewed Ms ­Guthrie, former chairman Mr Milne and acting managing director David Anderson, but was unable to determine if Ms Guthrie’s handling of the Alberici and Probyn matters had a direct impact on the board’s decision to dismiss her.

Mr Mrdak said Ms Guthrie disputed the board provided her with “any warning of her dismissal ­before 22 August 2018” or that a performance management process was undertaken to address concerns about her.

The August date reveals Ms Guthrie became aware of moves to sack her a month before the board met and agreed to dismiss her on September 23.

Senator Fifield also revealed yesterday that he learned from Mr Milne that the ABC wanted Ms Guthrie gone on September 12, a day before the then chairman asked her to resign. But he rejected claims the government had “sought to undermine ABC independence”. Mr Turnbull and then treasurer Scott Morrison complained about Alberici’s reporting on company tax cuts, as did Qantas and the Business Council of Australia, while the former prime minister and Senator Fifield also complained about a Probyn report that “claimed that the prime minister chose the dates for the 28 July federal by-elections”.

Mr Mrdak said Ms Guthrie and Mr Milne “do consider that these concerns would affect the ABC’s standing, relationships and support within government, including for future investment and funding support”.

The inquiry confirmed Mr Milne emailed Ms Guthrie on May 8 and told her to “get rid of” chief economics correspondent Alberici because the government “hated her”. He also called Ms ­Guthrie about Probyn, the ABC’s political editor, and allegedly ­advised her to “shoot” the journalist.

Mr Milne said he had no recollection of using the term but ­acknowledged there was a “heated disagreement” with Ms Guthrie during the call.

Ms Guthrie described the call as “angry and upsetting” and said she felt “significant pressure” to terminate Probyn’s employment in order to “save the ABC”.

Labor and the Greens labelled the report a whitewash and said it left key questions unanswered.