Chairman of the ABC Justin Milne resigns

Justin Milne hits back at claims he became too involved in ABC managerial operations. denies anyone from government interfered in its running.

Justin Milne leaves his home this morning. Picture: John Grainger

Justin Milne has resigned as ABC chairman after days of controversy over political interference precipitated by the board’s sacking of Michelle Guthrie on Monday.

The ABC board met this morning without Mr Milne and asked him to step aside. The board was to meet at noon to elect an acting chairman. Former Seven West Media executive Peter Lewis, who has been on the board for four years, is a leading contender.

‘Chair’s job is to be involved’

Mr Milne has criticised as “naive” claims that the ABC’s editorial independence is not reliant on the government.

“I think it would be naive not to understand that the relationship between the government and the ABC is a difficult one because on the one hand the Government provides the funding. On the other hand the ABC is supposed to be independent of the guy who is providing the funding.

“But you can’t... go around irritating the person who is going to give you funding again and again and again if it’s over matters of accuracy and impartiality. What happened in that particular area was that we, the ABC, found that we were not accurate nor impartial,” he said, referring to the response to an article by economic journalist Emma Alberici which Malcolm Turnbull had allegedly expressed complaint to him over.

Speaking about that article, Mr Milne hit back at claims that he became too involved in the organisation’s managerial operations.

“When there is an issue of editorial independence, and accuracy, it’s appropriate for the chair to be involved. That’s the chair’s job.”

Mr Milne also said he had “zero recollection” of claims that he had referred to Ms Guthrie as “missus”.

“I really don’t think I did. I don’t call people ‘missus’ and I have zero recollection of ever doing that. I don’t know why I would. I don’t think of her as the missus at all.”

He then admitted to referring to some women he knew as “chicks”.

I’ve used the word ‘chicks’ in relation to not female staff, but to friends and people I know. I think do that with people that I like. I don’t do it all the time. I think I do it to try to relax people. I try to be friendly with people but I certainly don’t use that word in a derisive or denigrating way. And if it causes, if it’s caused offence to people, then I do apologise for that, because that’s not my intention at all.

“It’s colloquial, it’s kind of matey,” he said.

Here’s what’s due to happen next

• Report due within days by Communications Department secretary Mike Mrdak into veracity of media reports about ex-chairman’s complaints against ABC reporters.

• Chairman nomination panel appointed by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary.

• Panel assesses nominees and the Prime Minister advises Governor-General, who signs off on new chairman.

• Board appoints new managing director for five-year term.

• Senate inquiry expected to be set up looking at political interference in the ABC, with a view to taking evidence from the ex-chairman, ex-managing director and former PM Malcolm Turnbull.

• Senate estimates committee to hear from acting chairman, acting managing director and senior management from ABC.

—AAP

Events ‘a firestorm

Mr Milne, a former Telstra executive and friend of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, told ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales that the week’s events were a “firestorm” and that he “wanted to provide a release valve”.

“Clearly there is a lot of pressure on the organisation, and as always, my interests have been to look after the interests of the corporation,” Mr Milne said. “It’s clearly not a good thing for everybody to be trying to do their job with this kind of firestorm going on.”

 

But Mr Milne denied the government had interfered in the running of the ABC and said that he had always tried to safeguard the ABC’s editorial independence.

“There was absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the Government,” he told Sales. “Nobody from the Government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC. Nobody ever told me to hire anybody, fire anybody or anything else. I know that’s the narrative running in the papers but that absolutely never happened.’’

“Nobody from the Government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC.” Justin Milne, who has just resigned as #ABC chairman, talks to #abc730’s @leighsales in an exclusive interview. More tonight on 7.30. #auspol pic.twitter.com/gu0zDVWkwz

— abc730 (@abc730) September 27, 2018

Mr Milne has been caught up in accusations he asked Ms Guthrie to “get rid of” chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici and “shoot” political editor Andrew Probyn after they ran stories the government objected to.

Mr Milne also wanted to reverse a decision to move the Triple J Hottest 100 away from Australian Day and apologise for swearing on Tonightly, an incident cleared by internal ABC processes and the regulator ACMA.

On Monday The Australian reported that a rift had developed between Mr Milne and Ms Guthrie and then reported that the ABC board had sacked Ms Guthrie due to her management style and for not having a high enough profile in Canberra. Yesterday the paper reported that Ms Guthrie had defended ABC journalists from attacks by Mr Milne.

The board convened for its seventh meeting in the last nine days today to consider what was in the best interests of the ABC which has become engulfed in the greatest management crises of its turbulent history.

The board asked Mr Milne, a former business partner of Mr Turnbull, to at least step down while a government inquiry considers his handling of government complaints over a news report by Alberici. But Mr Milne decided to resign.

The chaos at the ABC follows the sacking on Monday of Ms Guthrie who the board determined over many months had incurable leadership problems.

It is understood the board — while unhappy about explosive comments Mr Milne put in correspondence to Ms Guthrie — continues to support their decision to sack Ms Guthrie, a former Google executive and current Rockpool Bar & Grill luncher.

The ABC board comprises a managing director, a chairperson, a staff elected director and between four to six board members. With Mr Milne gone, the remaining members are Mr Lewis; Dr Kirstin Ferguson: Donny Walford; Dr Vanessa Guthrie; Georgie Somerset; Joseph Gersh and Jane Conners (the staff pick). The managing director is elected by the board.

PM Scott Morrison will get to choose Mr Milne’s successor. All members of the board, while formally appointed by the Governor-General, are selected by the Cabinet.

Following Mr Milne’s announcement, Mr Morrison said the board and Mr Milne had made “the right call’’.

“Time for the ABC to resume normal transmission, both independently and without bias. That is what Australia’s taxpayers pay for and deserve,’’ he tweeted.

ABC Board and Chairman have made the right call. Time for the ABC to resume normal transmission, both independently and without bias. That is what Australia’s taxpayers pay for and deserve.

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 27, 2018

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also weighed in. “Milne’s position was untenable after he allowed himself to be bullied by the Govt and lobby to get journalists sacked,” Mr Shorten tweeted.

Milne’s position was untenable after he allowed himself to be bullied by the Govt and lobby to get journalists sacked.

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) September 27, 2018

“More concerning for the nation is how the Liberal Party seeks to interfere with the ABC’s independence, cut its funding and eventually look to sell it off. “This is the real issue.”

More concerning for the nation is how the Liberal Party seeks to interfere with the ABC’s independence, cut its funding and eventually look to sell it off.

This is the real issue.

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) September 27, 2018

Yesterday, Mr Milne vowed to stay on as ABC chair despite staff calling for him to step aside until the independent inquiry is held.

The government announced yesterday that a departmental inquiry will be held into his direction to Ms Guthrie to sack Alberici because the government “hated’’ her.

The crisis engulfing the nat­ional broadcaster’s leadership deepened further today, with fresh allegations emerging that Mr Milne also directed Ms Guthrie to “shoot” the ABC’s political editor Andrew Probyn after a meeting with Mr Turnbull.

Speaking in New York, Mr Turnbull said he never called for any ABC journalists to be sacked and the complaints he made about the ABC were vented publicly and related only to the accuracy of its journalism. Mr Turnbull refused to say whether Mr Milne should resign but said the independence of the ABC was more important than ever.

Speaking this morning, Senator Fifield said the departmental inquiry will seek answers from all relevant parties, including Mr Milne, acting managing director David Anderson, Ms Guthrie and members of the government.

Justin Milne outside his Sydney home this morning. Picture: John Grainger

Senator Fifield said it had been a difficult week for the ABC, but it was important the national broadcaster’s work continued. “The independence of the ABC is something that this government is deeply committed to,” he said.

“The ABC has legislated independence in relation to operational programming, editorial and staffing matters and, as the Minister for Communications, I have always respected the independence of the ABC.

“Like most members of parliament, I have, on occasion, raised with the ABC issues of facts in reporting, as indeed I’ve done with commercial media organisations.

“But, at no stage, and in no way, shape or form, have I ever sought to involve myself in staffing matters in the ABC, nor, for that matter, am I aware of any member of the government who has sought to do so and that includes the former Prime Minister who has spoken to these matters overnight.”

Senator Fifield said the government took issues of ABC independence which had been raised in recent days very seriously. “Which is why, following discussions with the Prime Minister yesterday, I asked the secretary of my department, the Department of Communications and the Arts, to undertake an inquiry to establish the facts in these matters,” he said.

“I’ve done so because it’s important for the community to have confidence in the ABC and its independence.”

With Rachel Baxendale, Lilly Vitorovich