David Anderson, ABC CEO, stands by Laura Tingle’s remarks at writers’ festival

The ABC’s managing director David Anderson has found himself in the midst of controversy after defending comments made by chief political correspondent Laura Tingle, who openly criticised Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s budget reply address.

During a panel at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Ms Tingle expressed disapproval with Mr Dutton’s speech, where he proposed cutting the permanent migration intake to address the housing crisis. She remarked that she could not recall a time when a political leader had blamed migrants for everything wrong in the country, and went as far as to label Australia as “a racist country”.

These comments sparked accusations of bias at the national broadcaster, with Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce accusing the ABC of being “mad left wing”. However, Mr Anderson stood by Ms Tingle, praising her professionalism and reputation as a respected journalist and political commentator.

In response to questions about editorial standards, Mr Anderson acknowledged that the comments made by Ms Tingle at the Sydney Writers’ Festival did not provide the necessary context to support her analysis of the opposition’s immigration policy. He also noted that Ms Tingle had expressed regret for the way her comments were summarised and truncated.

When asked if Ms Tingle should leave the ABC, Mr Anderson firmly stated that he believed she should not. He emphasized that the conversation at the Sydney Writers’ Festival was off the cuff and lacked context, and that Ms Tingle had acknowledged her mistake.

The controversy did not end there, as Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi questioned Mr Anderson about the lack of diversity on the ABC board, specifically the representation of LGBT+ individuals, people with disabilities, people of color, and Indigenous Australians. Mr Anderson admitted that none of these groups were currently represented on the board, but defended the board’s commitment to reflecting the diversity of the Australian population.

Despite the backlash and questions surrounding impartiality and diversity, Mr Anderson remained steadfast in his support for Ms Tingle and the ABC’s commitment to serving the Australian people. The controversy serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by public broadcasters in maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly polarized media landscape.