Tony Abbott's Q&A ban is aimed at ministers, not ABC, says Malcolm Turnbull
Version 0 of 1. Malcolm Turnbull says the prime minister is currently “putting pressure” on the ABC, but he argues Tony Abbott is applying behavioural direction to his ministers, not to the national broadcaster. Turnbull was scheduled to appear on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday evening but withdrew in order to comply with a ban on the show imposed by Abbott. The communications minister instead agreed to be interviewed on the 730 Report on the ABC. During that interview on Monday night, Turnbull declined to endorse the wisdom of the prime minister’s ban on the Q&A program, saying he took the view that “wherever there is an open microphone I’m happy to get on the other side of it and express my views”. But the communications minister did note that the prime minister was the CEO, “he’s the boss”. The prime minister had made a decision that his ministers would return to the Q&A program if the ABC agreed to shift Q&A into the broadcaster’s news and current affairs division. “That is the point the prime minister has decided the ban will end,” Turnbull said Monday. Turnbull said Abbott’s decision put pressure on the ABC but his specific direction was aimed at ministers, not the ABC, which has a charter that makes it clear it is independent from government. He quipped that Q&A’s ratings had gone up since ministers stopped appearing on the show, so perhaps politicians would never be invited back. He said he hoped the current stand off would be “just a little bump in the road” and everyone would take something away from the experience “to their benefit”. Turnbull expressed confidence that the ABC would shift Q&A into the news and current affairs division because that move had been under consideration by management for some time. The communications minister was also asked about a speech he made last week to the Sydney Institute in which he warned against over-hyping the risks posed by Islamic State. Turnbull’s language last week was in sharp contrast to the prime minister’s declarations about terrorists “coming for us”. Turnbull on Monday night repeated the main points of his speech last week, saying Australia needed to be very careful not to amplify the messages of Islamic State – an organisation that was intent on projecting an image of triumph or invincibility. Turnbull said it was important to avoid hyperbole and the ensure “our messages aren’t inadvertently reinforcing theirs”. |