Yassmin Abdel-Magied shows what’s up with ABC

As a former Minister for Communication, a keen observer of politics and most of all as an Australian citizen, I have always been reluctant to criticise the ABC. Because of contractual arrangements with Sky News, I no longer appear on Q&A, a program which has often been attacked for the make-up of its panels, the choice of audience questions and anti-conservative bias, and wears much of the scorn of those aggrieved by the ABC.

While some of the criticisms are warranted, after many appearances on the show, many of the criticisms are either exaggerated or wrong.

It is disappointing to me then to see way too many ABC employees taking to social media to post words that are often inflammatory, offensive and worst of all, biased. Sadly, the performance of presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied demonstrates what is wrong with the ABC. Remember that the essence of the public broadcaster is Australian. If you can’t put Australia first then we, as taxpayers, should not be forking out for the salary someone who she says is “first and foremost a Muslim”.

What on earth she thought she was doing trying to hijack Anzac Day I can’t even imagine. When she posted on Facebook “Lest We Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)”, she lost all her own credibility. By refusing to even admonish her, the ABC lost much of its rapidly reducing credibility as well. The practice of circling the wagons around the latest idiot to say something which is anathema to most Australians, has become normal. The ABC takes the view that if you don’t admit to something as tasteless as this, the drama will die off. They could not be more mistaken. For those in the government yearning to reform the ABC, much extra ammunition has been provided. The ABC Board and senior management have forgotten the word “Australian”.

Seeing Aboriginal ex-servicemen and women marching under an Aboriginal flag was another sad sight for sore eyes on Tuesday morning. While discrimination against Aboriginals has existed in our armed forces for more than a century, Anzac Day commemorates Australians fighting under one flag not two. I have some sympathy with these indigenous marchers but the future requires one flag on this most solemn day.

Many people have expressed concern about the smaller attendance at the dawn service in Gallipoli.

There can be no doubt that the fear of terrorist attacks kept some people away. If ISIS wants to think of this as some kind of triumph then they should look at the pride and the courage of the thousands who did attend.

As someone who is much less mobile these days, I stayed home for the day on Tuesday. I watched the traditional Anzac Day ceremony carried out prior to the Roosters-Dragons clash at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium. While the ceremony was taking place, you could have heard a pin drop such was the reverential silence of the crowd. The Anzac Spirit is found deep at the very core of Australians.

It refuses to die and continues to really matter.

Finally, to the idiots who defaced the memorial at Warrandyte in Victoria — Anzac Day does not glorify war, it celebrates courage and gallantry. This was a disgusting act and when caught I hope they get locked away for a long, long time.