Press Council to remove GetUp! deputy chair Carla McGrath

Left-wing activist Carla McGrath is set to be removed from the Australian Press Council board.

Carla McGrath

Left-wing activist Carla McGrath is likely to be removed from the Australian Press Council board after questions were raised about the GetUp! deputy chair’s ability to act impartially.

The board voted at its quarterly meeting yesterday to take steps to remove Ms McGrath, as foreshadowed by The Australian’s Media Diary on Monday.

The Press Council said in a statement that it had found Ms McGrath’s involvement with the activist group to be “incompatible with her continued role” on the board. Board members voted in favour of a resolution to ask Ms McGrath to resign, but she refused on the grounds that she did not ­believe it was necessary.

The council will seek formally to remove her from the board at its next meeting in August.

“Public members need to not only reflect the community, they must also be independent and be seen as independent,” Press Council chairman Neville Stevens said.

“The council noted that GetUp! has taken a public position on a range of issues and takes action on these, including raising funds for and actively campaigning against some sitting politicians.

“The council considered that the nature and extent of these ­activities result in a conflict between Carla McGrath’s interest as deputy chair of GetUp! and her duties as a public member of the council, which is irreconcilable and likely to continue.”

The editor-in-chief of The Australian, Paul Whittaker, yesterday welcomed the council’s decision to seek to remove Ms McGrath.

“I applaud the new Australian Press Council chairman Neville Stevens on what is a sensible and long overdue decision,’’ Mr Whittaker said. “How his predecessor and other council members could have thought this appointment was appropriate in any circumstance is beyond me.

“Appointing the deputy chair of a left-wing activist group like GetUp! with overt political agendas undermined the integrity and credibility of the APC, which is why The Australian refused to co-operate with the council in any deliberation or finding that Ms McGrath participated in.’’

Ms McGrath’s appointment in June last year was panned by senior journalists and editors across the political spectrum, and was variously described as “curious”, “weird”, “not good” and “disastrous”. Former Press Council chairman David Weisbrot quit after questions were raised about her appointment, while other News Corp publications joined The Australian’s boycott threat.

Ms McGrath did not adjudicate any Press Council decisions, having deferred such action in the wake of the controversy, but she dug in against calls for her to resign.

Council members are now required to disclose any possible conflicts of interest and the council considered these at yesterday’s meeting. After examining written declarations by all council members as to their external ­affiliations, it decided Ms McGrath’s impartiality was com­pro­mised.

Liberal senator Eric Abetz said the development was “overdue but nonetheless welcome”.

“The fact it has taken a year, a new conflicts policy and legal advice for the Press Council to figure out what many knew straight away is concerning,” he said.

Yesterday’s decision came after the board commissioned an independent report into the effect of Ms McGrath’s appointment on the Press Council’s independence.