Communications minister blasts ABC for repeating ‘Labor lies’
Communications minister Mitch Fifield has again complained about the ABC’s reporting, this time accusing the broadcaster of reporting “Labor’s partisan rhetoric” as fact.
Fifield’s latest complaint is around the reporting of the ‘Super Saturday’ of by-elections due in July, which was reported by a number of ABC journalists and guest commentators as a deliberate act by the government to unsettle the opposition Labor party.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield: ‘It is totally unacceptable for the national broadcaster to report this Labor lie as fact’
The latest letter to ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie is the sixth complaint by the minister against the broadcaster this year, having previously complained about articles by economics correspondent Emma Alberici, Triple J’s decision to move the Hottest 100 from Australia Day and two comedic sketches produced by the ABC.
In May, the Australian Communication and Media Authority upheld a public complaint against the ABC’s political editor, Andrew Probyn, for describing former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the “most destructive politician of his generation”. Probyn is one of the ABC reporters cited in the minister’s latest grievance along with Laura Tingle and Barrie Cassidy.
Commenting on the latest complaints, former ABC staffer and board director, Quentin Dempster told Mumbrella: “Either the ABC is consistently wrong or the minister is making the complaints as a tactic of political intimidation.”
However, Dempster was clear Fifield was within his rights to complain about incorrect coverage, saying: “The minister is entitled to complain, as is anyone. Journalists have to be accountable for their stories.”
In a statement, the minister said: “I have written to the ABC asking that factual errors in their reporting regarding the date chosen by the Speaker for Federal by-elections be corrected.
“The ABC’s legislation requires its news to be accurate and impartial. As the responsible minister it is my duty to hold the ABC accountable in meeting the high standards taxpayers expect.”
The Guardian has reported the minister’s latest letter complained about a number of the broadcaster’s journalists repeating a ‘Labor lie’.
“Since the announcement of the decision, the Labor party has falsely claimed that the selection of the date of 28 July was a political decision of the government and the prime minister.
“It is totally unacceptable for the national broadcaster to report this Labor lie as fact.
“These claims are false. The prime minister did not decide the date for the byelections. The date for the byelections was set by the Speaker, in accordance with the constitution, and acting on the advice of the independent AEC [Australian Electoral Commission].”
An ABC spokesperson said in a statement: “As with any complaint it will be treated according to ABC complaints processes and we will respond in due course.”
Jeepers.
Mitch and his cronies can dish it out but they can’t take it.
Or do they nowadays just copy everything Trump does?
And silly Andrew Probyn describing Abbott the Mad Monk as the most destructive politician. That’s debatable. Most destructive Prime Minister, now THAT’S more accurate.
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What a brazen buffoon is Senator Fifield … so his Government has never lied? It might take the entire compliment of fingers and toes of this nation to deal with the lies, deceptions and deliberately misleading activities of this Federal Government. Politics has become the art of distortion on all sides.
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“Since the announcement of the decision, the Labor party has falsely claimed that the selection of the date of 28 July was a political decision of the government and the prime minister.
“It is totally unacceptable for the national broadcaster to report this Labor lie as fact.
“These claims are false. The prime minister did not decide the date for the byelections. The date for the byelections was set by the Speaker, in accordance with the constitution, and acting on the advice of the independent AEC [Australian Electoral Commission].”
Mitch.
The reporting is correct
Thats exactly what the Labor party claimed. Its either what they cried or not.
Its a story Mitch whether you like it or not.
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Clearly the ABC can only report on the LNP lies.
And they’d better not cover the Banking Royal Commission as our esteemed leader assured us that there was nothing to be found there (despite the looming court cases etc.). Anything to the contrary is clearly a lie.
Oh, and I seem to recall the promise that there would be no cuts to the ABC.
I’d believe the ABC ahead of the government by many, many light years
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Like Bill Shorten and the citizenship assurances! If you believe him you believe in fairytales. Lets get real and balanced. And beware of trashing the banks. Look forward to the ABC and others reporting on all the good things our world leading banks have done and not just focusing on some hard luck stories.
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Wouldn’t the LNP want Labour to go ahead with its conference given the potential for ‘election winning’ issues to be aired and Labour policy to change? Thinking stop the boats u turn etc…
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A cogent and persuasive riposte Leigh.
Equating paperwork stuff-ups with systemic financial corruption resulting in fines that will exceed $1b.
Good to see where your priorities lie.
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