ABC News Director Justin Stevens has admitted Laura Tingle’s remarks at the Sydney Writer’s Festival lacked “context, balance and supporting information”, after Nationals leader David Littleproud criticised her “frontal attack” as undermining “the very heart of what the ABC should be”.
Ms Tingle, the chief political correspondent of ABC’s 7.30 current affairs program, labelled Opposition Leader Peter Dutton “dangerous” and called Australia a racist country during a panel discussion at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on Sunday.
In Ms Tingle’s attack, she delivered stinging criticism of Mr Dutton in reference to his budget reply speech less than two weeks ago, accusing him of handing Australians a free pass to abuse migrants looking to buy or rent in the country.
“We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing,” she said.
She said after listening to the budget reply, she “had this sudden flash of people turning up to try and rent a property or at an auction and they look a bit different – whatever you define different as – (and) that basically (Dutton) has given them licence to be abused, and in any circumstance where people feel like they’re missing out”.
Under the ABC charter, journalists are prohibited from taking sides on political issues and must strive for impartiality.
In statement issued to ABC’s website on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Stevens said his employee’s controversial remarks “lacked the context, balance and supporting information of her work for the ABC” and they would “not have met the ABC’s editorial standards”.
“Although the remarks were conversational, and not made in her work capacity, the ABC and its employees have unique obligations in the Australian media,” he said.
“The ABC’s editorial standards serve a vital role. Laura has been reminded of their application at external events as well as in her work and I have counselled her over the remarks.”
One week prior to the festival incident, Ms Tingle fronted political show Insiders on the ABC which broadcast a similar rant, accusing Mr Dutton of spreading “dangerous” ideas surrounding immigration.
“I think what was concerning is for a political leader to come out and say not only is housing the fault of migrants, but you can’t get a childcare space, you can’t get through the traffic on the roads, you can’t get in to see the doctor because of migration – that is lighting this thing up in a really disturbing way,” she said.
“Regardless of whether (Peter Dutton’s) policies make sense, and I would say they don’t make coherent sense in what he has put out in this Budget Reply, the hot buttons he is pressing there are very dangerous for our community,” she told ABC audiences.
The ABC attempted to downplay the comments, claiming they were not made in her official work capacity.
However, the ABC heavily promotes the event on its taxpayer funded website and also hosted shows at the festival.
Mr Stevens statement came after Mr Littleproud told Sky News on Wednesday afternoon Ms Tingle’s remarks opposed “the very heart of what the ABC should be.”
“It should be more news and less views at the ABC. And I think this is a test for ABC leadership.” he said.
“Now I get journalists are able to have their own views, their own beliefs. When you come to forums like that, you’ve got to show your professionalism and keep professional,” he said.
He said Ms Tingle “cannot” be employed at the national broadcaster as a “political leader” and at the same time “show such strong, personal views” against a political side.
“If a board member of the ABC stood up and made those statements…then there would be serious questions about any other board member. Now it’s up to the ABC, but I think the ABC’s losing anyway, you only need to look at their ratings.”
He said it was “quite clear” Ms Tingle’s “behaviour” had been a “frontal attack” as he backed his claim with assertion the ABC journalist showed “complete bias” toward former prime minister Scott Morrison at the press club during the start of the last election.
The ABC journalist was appointed to the ABC board as a staff-elected director in May 2023 and has worked for the public broadcaster since 2018.
During the writers’ festival on Sunday, May 26, Ms Tingle labelled Australia racist, while explaining that Mr Dutton’s Budget Reply speech sent a “terrible chill” through her body.
“I’m sitting there with this terrible chill running through me thinking well we are back into this territory,” she said.
In a statement on ABC’s website published on Wednesday, Ms Tingle doubled down on her remarks, saying Mr Dutton’s budget reply comments deserved “rigorous scrutiny and examination” at the Writer’s Festival where she claimed discussion was “much less formal and free flowing”.
“In my commentary at the ABC, and at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, I expressed my concern at the risks involved in Peter Dutton pressing the hot button of housing and linking it to migration for these reasons,” she said.
“Political leaders, by their comments, give licence to others to express opinions they may not otherwise express.
“That does not make them racist.
“But it has real world implications for many Australians.”
Ms Tingle said she was “proud” of her work as a journalist at the ABC.
“I let that work speak for itself,” she said.