Morrison government suggests ABC chairman Justin Milne should consider his position
ABC wars
By Michael Koziol
September 27, 2018 — 9.50am
The Morrison government has stopped short of calling for Justin Milne to resign but is preparing for the embattled ABC chairman to bow to pressure and stand down from the public broadcaster.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield declined to back Mr Milne on Thursday morning when asked if the chairman should remain in the role, suggesting he should consider his position.
"It's a matter for every high office holder to continually assess whether they retain the capacity to effectively discharge the duties of their office," Mr Fifield said.
Fairfax Media understands the government hopes Mr Milne will resign on Thursday or Friday to end a week of turmoil at the top of the national broadcaster.
Fairfax Media has confirmed the ABC board will gather on Thursday for another crisis meeting.
Mr Fifield has asked his departmental secretary to investigate the claims of political interference made against Mr Milne, to be completed "as soon as possible".
The ABC chairman has been under extreme pressure after Fairfax Media revealed he told former managing director Michelle Guthrie to "get rid of" high-profile presenter Emma Alberici to appease the government.
ABC chairman Justin Milne sent former managing director Michelle Guthrie an email telling her to "get rid of" chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici. Credit:AAP
On Thursday, it was also revealed he asked Ms Guthrie to sack the public broadcaster's political editor Andrew Probyn, saying "you have to shoot him", due to government complaints about the reporter.
The ABC board sacked Ms Guthrie on Monday, triggering a week of damaging fallout.
Days after ABC staff celebrated the sacking of Ms Guthrie, they turned their ire on the chairman who made that decision. Journalists gathered in record numbers at lunchtime on Wednesday and unanimously voted for their chairman to stand aside, while being assured by their bosses that the ABC would not bow to political pressure.
The journalists' union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, has called for Mr Milne to quit.
He is now under pressure from all corners of the political spectrum, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten interrupting his leave to declare the chairman's position was now "untenable", and Labor moving to establish a Senate inquiry into the alleged political interference.
Mr Fifield said he has always respected the ABC's independence and had never sought to involve himself in staffing matters.
"I have only ever raised with the ABC matters in relation to facts in reporting. I've done so on half a dozen occasions," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"I have never called for or sought the end of the employment of anyone at the ABC.
"The independence of the ABC is something that this government is deeply committed to."
Mr Fifield dismissed suggestions his complaints carried significantly more weight given they came from the minister responsible for the ABC.
"I would hope that media organisations in Australia take equally seriously questions of fact that are raised regardless of who raises them," he said.
Justin Milne
Michelle Guthrie
Michael Koziol is a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.