OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten has written to the Prime Minister demanding Labor be consulted on all future appointments to the ABC board, including the next chair of the public broadcaster.
In the letter sent to Scott Morrison on Sunday, Mr Shorten called for a meeting to discuss reforms aimed at restoring confidence in the independence of the ABC.
His intervention follows a torrid week at the taxpayer-funded institution that claimed the scalps of managing director Michelle Guthrie and chairman Justin Milne.
Mr Milne, a decades-long friend and former business associate of Malcolm Turnbull, was forced to resign over allegations he demanded several journalists be sacked to appease the Government.
The accusations raised concerns about political interference and cast a dark cloud over the remainder of the ABC board members.
Mr Shorten said the Coalition Government had “demonstrably failed” to follow the merit-based, arms-length independent nominations panel process for appointments to the board which can have up to seven members.
“There should be no partisanship in the appointment of ABC board members, particularly given the proximity to the next federal election,” he wrote.
“The ABC does not belong to any political party, it belongs to all Australians.”
Mr Shorten said Communications Minister Mitch Fifield had rejected the panel’s recommendations or bypassed it entirely several times.
“This approach cannot continue. The Government’s partisan approach to the ABC is putting its independence and integrity at risk,” he wrote.
He said given Mr Fifield’s “blatant record of attempted political interference” the Australian people had lost confidence in him.
“Business as usual is simply not an option,” the Opposition Leader wrote.
“You keep stating people do not care about the problems of governance and political interference in the ABC. Prime Minister, you underestimate the Australian people.”
South Australian senator Tim Storer wants candidates for positions on the ABC board subjected to US-style confirmation hearings to stamp out political interference.
“The steps I am taking … would help enhance the autonomy and integrity of this profoundly important institution,” he said today.
“The position of chairman and managing director should not be filled permanently unless and until new legislative arrangements are in place.”
Mr Storer shares Labor’s concerns the Coalition Government has ignored the advice of an independent nomination panel in appointing several directors. He wants the panel to publish its recommendations and the Government to publicly explain its reasoning.
If the major parties disagree on an appointment, the nominee would be subjected to a public Senate committee inquiry.
However, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is not enamoured with the idea.
“We have a comprehensive process in place and I haven’t heard a powerful reason to change that,” he told Sky News.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned the acting ABC chairman Dr Kirstin Ferguson to “settle the ship”.
“I expect the ABC board to do better. And if they don’t, well they can expect a bit more attention from me,” he told Insiders on Sunday.
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