Conflicting claims
Justin Milne has rejected almost every aspect of Michelle Guthrie's account of disagreements about editorial issues at the ABC.
Former ABC chairman Justin Milne.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
He says her account of a phone call they had about political editor Andrew Probyn was "not real" and simply a "script" she made up.
He has cast doubt on a conversation Ms Guthrie alleges she had with news director Gaven Morris in which Mr Morris expressed frustration about Mr Milne's attempted interventions.
He also denies meeting directly with Triple J staff to try to overturn the network's decision to move the Hottest 100 countdown away from Australia Day.
Ms Guthrie is the next to appear before the inquiry so we'll see what she has to say about those claims.
It was 'the zeitgeist'
Zeitgeist watch: former ABC chairman Justin Milne.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
Justin Milne is repeatedy asked by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young to explain how he came to understand that the Coalition government "hated" reporter Emma Alberici.
He says it was "the zeitgeist" and also the words spoken by Malcolm Turnbull on the floor of Parliament. The then prime minister had been highly critical of an "inaccurate" pair of articles Alberici wrote in February about the government's corporate tax cut policies.
Senator Hanson-Young also questioned the timing of Mr Milne's email in May urging Michelle Guthrie to "get rid of" Alberici. It was sent just a day after receiving a fresh government complaint about Alberici - regarding an article about innovation policy - and before the ABC had evaluated the government's complaints.
The ABC later declared almost all of the government's complaints about the article were spurious.
'External career development opportunities'
ABC reporter Emma Alberici.Credit:ABC
Justin Milne says after the second round of government complaints about Emma Alberici's journalism, he had an exchange with Michelle Guthrie about what to do with their chief economics correspondent.
He says he told Ms Guthrie he thought the ABC was going to suggest "external career development opportunities" - a euphemism for giving her the sack.
According to Mr Milne, Ms Guthrie replied: "We are."
Mr Milne insists the conversation around what to do with Alberici originated from ABC management, and that his views were sought by the ABC's leadership team.
It was later on May 8, in an email exchange, that he told Ms Guthrie: "Get rid of her ... we need to save the corporation, not Emma."
Trust is linked to funding: Milne
Senators are asking Justin Milne about his earlier comments, on Four Corners, that the ABC board must be mindful of the government's opinions about the ABC because it is the broadcaster's banker.
"It does matter what the government thinks," Mr Milne told the program.
Labor senator Kristina Keneally questions former ABC chairman Justin Milne at a Senate inquiry.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
He clarifies to the inquiry that this is all about journalistic accuracy and how that impacts the public's trust of the national broadcaster.
"The trust of the ABC is important to its funding," Mr Milne says.
"If the people's trust in the ABC declines, then you as elected representatives of the taxpayers who are funding the ABC will find it more difficult to fund an organisation which is not trusted.
"It's naive to think me or anyone else is running around doing the government's bidding. It's just not the case."
Milne accuses Guthrie of fabricating evidence
It's becoming very, very difficult to reconcile the conflicting accounts of conversations between Justin Milne and Michelle Guthrie.
Regarding a phone call between the two on June 15 this year, Ms Guthrie alleges Mr Milne "berated" her about how Malcolm Turnbull hated political editor Andrew Probyn and she should "shoot" him - i.e sack him.
Former ABC chairman Justin Milne appears before a Senate inquiry on Friday.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
In her submission, Ms Guthrie gave a detailed account of what she recalled of the exchange, and wrote that she was left shaking and nearly in tears.
Mr Milne says this never happened. He says they had a "robust conversation" about ABC funding but barely discussed Probyn. He categorically rejects saying Mr Turnbull hated Probyn.
"That's a script that she's written," Mr Milne says.
This is actually quite a serious charge - Mr Milne is alleging Ms Guthrie has fabricated evidence to this Senate inquiry.
Turnbull 'never suggested anything like that'
Justin Milne says Malcolm Turnbull "never" made any suggestion to him about firing Emma Alberici, Andrew Probyn or any other ABC journalist - whether explicitly or implicitly.
"He never ever required anything of me like that. He never suggested anything like that to me, by implication or anything," Mr Milne tells the Senate inquiry.
He says Mr Turnbull only ever lamented the inaccuracy of some pieces of ABC journalism, such as the notorious taxation and innovation articles by chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici.
'It's a funny old process'
Justin Milne says that during Ms Guthrie's time as managing director, the ABC was "becoming increasingly disengaged" and "increasingly uncomfortable with its leader".
He says he actually gave Ms Guthrie the highest score of any of the board directors or senior ABC leaders who participated in her performance review.
Mr Milne is also providing a bit of detail about his own appointment as chair by the Turnbull government. He says he was approached by a recruitment agency at the same time as Communications Minister Mitch Fifield called and encouraged him to apply.
"I didn't need much encouragement," Mr Milne says. He says Mr Fifield said something along the lines of: "Would you like to throw your hat in the ring? It's a funny old process."
Mr Milne says he has known Malcolm Turnbull for about 20 years and considers him a friend.
Michelle Guthrie's performance was 'shocking': Justin Milne
By Michael Koziol
Good morning. Former ABC chairman Justin Milne is appearing before a Senate inquiry into allegations of political interference at the ABC under his chairmanship and the leadership of former managing director Michelle Guthrie.
So far the hearing has focused on the board's reasons for sacking Ms Guthrie in September, halfway through her five-year contract.
Mr Milne has shared details of Ms Guthrie's "360" performance review, completed by her board directors and direct reports. He says the results were "shocking" and required the board to act.
"The results were so outside of the norm that they were incapable of being ignored," he told the inquiry.
"They were a source of enormous concern to me and also to [board director and now acting ABC chair] Kirstin Ferguson."
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