ABC skit hurtful to families, says Julie Bishop

THE grieving families of those who died on flight MH17 would have been “devastated’’ by the ABC’s Chaser-style skit, Julie Bishop says.

THE grieving families of those who died when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July would have been “devastated’’ by the ABC’s Chaser-style skit ridiculing Tony Abbott’s efforts to press Vladimir Putin over the tragedy, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.

Ms Bishop, who said world leaders had put the Russian President under pressure at the weekend’s G20 summit in Brisbane over flight MH17 and also over increased Russian aggression, has added her voice to the criticism of the national broadcaster’s decision to air the segment last week on the 7.30 program.

“I was very sad to think that the ABC thought it was approp­riate to make fun of what is a very serious issue that the Prime Minister is taking very seriously, and that is holding Russia to account for the shooting down of a Malay­sian airline that killed, amongst others, 38 Australian citizens and residents,’’ she told the Ten Network’s The Bolt ­Report yesterday.

“The families of those killed on that plane are still grieving deeply. I’m in touch with a number of them. Their anguish, their heartbreak, is almost too much to bear. And if any of them had been watching that ABC program, I think they would’ve been devastated.

“And to think that taxpayers’ funds went towards making it, I really think the ABC should have a long, hard think about what is appropriate in these circumstances when you’re talking about the deaths of so many Australians.’’

The Prime Minister urged the Russian President last week during a 15-minute bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC leaders meeting to apologise and make appropriate restitution after telling him Australia had information that the missile that shot down MH17 was linked to his country. The downing of flight MH17 by Russian-backed separatists killed all 298 people on board.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull attacked the ABC’s decision to air the segment on its flagship current affai­rs program as “baffling and disappointing’’, while host Leigh Sales distanced herself from the skit, revealing in a tweet that she had argued against it.

The skit was delivered by 7.30 recruit Kirsten Drysdale, from The Checkout and Hungry Beast, in her first package for the program.

The ABC has defended the segment as a “lighthearted” skit, which previewed the “showdown of the century” between Tony “Tough Talk” Abbott and Vladimir “Virility” Putin.

Ms Bishop said yesterday that world leaders had put Mr Putin under pressure at the G20.