ABC host apologises for slur on Jacinta Price’s mother, Bess

ABC Radio Darwin’s Adam Steer wrongly broadcast that Jacinta Price’s mother was accused of a taxpayer rort.

CLP candidate Jacinta Price. Picture: Glenn Campbell

An ABC presenter has apologised to Country Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Lingiari Jacinta Price after wrongly broadcasting that her mother, Bess Price, a former member of the NT parliament, was accused of a taxpayer rort.

ABC Radio Darwin breakfast co-host Adam Steer was live to air on Monday when he appeared to confuse Jacinta Price’s mother with another Aboriginal woman who was a member of the NT parliament, Larissa Lee.

Ms Lee faced a series of controversies during her time in politics, and at one point her parliamentary car entitlement was suspended by the Speaker.

Jacinta Price said she was “gobsmacked” and did not know what Steer was talking about when he cut in as she spoke about the need for the NT government to spend money wisely.

“But isn’t that, I mean with all due respect, Jacinta, isn’t it a little funny that’s coming from you when at the same time your mother allegedly misspent money, misused cars when she was in, when she was in government,” he said.

Ms Price was in the middle of her reply, telling Steer “That’s quite a defamatory comment” when he interrupted. He said: “There was a Four Corners expose on it.”

Ms Price said: “No there wasn’t. That’s a very defamatory comment and I would like you to retract that comment.” Steer replied: “OK, well I will retract that comment at this stage then.”

Ms Price said it was not until she got off air and spoke about the allegation with her parents that she realised how Steer made the mistake. “That’s when my father said ‘They have got your mother confused with another Aboriginal woman’,” she said.

Bess Price said she was hurt and upset when she heard what had been said about her on radio. She told The Australian she wanted Steer to apologise to her in writing.

Yesterday, Steer read an apology live to air.