Government should strike out its ability to hand-pick ABC board members, critics argue

Ita Buttrose was hand-picked to chair the ABC. That should not be allowed to happen again, submissions to a government review argue.

ABC chair Ita Buttrose was a ‘captain’s pick’’ for the role.

Captain’s picks for the role of ABC chair and other board positions should be ruled out to strengthen the independence and integrity of the organisation, several submissions to a government review argue.

Outgoing chair Ita Buttrose was a well-publicised “captain’s pick’’ by the former Coalition government for the chair role back in 2019, following the resignation of Justin Milne.

And while there is already an independent, merit-based process in place to recommend candidates for board roles, both the communications minister, in the case of directors, and the prime minister, in the case of the chair, can bypass the process as long as they explain their reasons to parliament in writing.

Think-tank The Australia Institute argues this process is flawed, and suggests the establishment of a cross-party committee to oversee appointments to the board.

It made the suggestion in response to a call earlier in the year for public submissions on how to best support the independence of the ABC and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), with a focus on funding and governance. The Institute’s submission argues that “greater public participation in the appointments process should be encouraged’’ and recommends a tightening of the governance arrangements around how the chair and directors are appointed.

“The process of consultation on the appointment of the chair should be formalised and expanded to include genuine consultation with a cross-party committee, in addition to the leader of the opposition,’’ the Institute says.

“A cross-party committee should be given responsibility for overseeing the ABC board appointment process, either replacing the current nomination panel, or overseeing it.’’

Under current arrangements an independent nomination panel, members of which are appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, advertises board vacancies and conducts a merit-based selection.

However that process is easily bypassed, and the Australia Institute says that at times, as many as four or five of the maximum six “independent’’ directors have been “effectively government appointments’’.

Submissions from the ABC Alumni group of former staffers and supporters and ABC Friends also support removing the ability for the minister and prime minister to bypass the nomination process, and the ABC itself, in its submission, says the appointment of any non short-listed people to the board should be “exceptional’’.

The Institute says both public broadcasters are critical to maintaining “strong, public interest journalism’’, but it is vital they operate independently.

The consultation paper for the review also looks at funding, pointing out that the funding rounds announced by governments in the federal budget are “not protected by legislation or any other framework’’.

“Successive governments have relied on convention to maintain funding at the level announced over the course of the funding period, whether for three-year terms or five-year terms,’’ the consultation paper says.

The ABC Alumni submission argues that five-year funding rounds should be legislated, and the funding should be seen as a base rather than a ceiling.

The ABC argues that its funding should be “at a minimum maintained in real terms’’ and recommends it being enshrined in legislation.

Originally published as Government should strike out its ability to hand-pick ABC board members, critics argue