Government appoints Albrechtsen and Brown to ABC/SBS nomination panel
The federal government has this evening announced conservative commentator Janet Albrechtsen and former deputy leader of the Liberal Party Neil Brown have been appointed to the nomination panel for board members of the ABC and SBS.
Mumbrella revealed this morning that Albrechtsen, who has been as an ardent critic of the ABC and managing director Mark Scott, was in line for the position on the panel which was created in 2007 in an attempt to depoliticise the appointment of board members to the public broadcasters.
This evening’s announcement has already drawn criticism from the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents many ABC staff, which accused the government of attempting to return to an era when board appointments were made based on the political alignment of the candidate.
“Once again this Government is attempting to wind back the clock to an era when government think it is acceptable to appoint your mates and cheerleaders to plum positions in the public sector. Appointing Janet Albrechtsen and Neil Brown as gatekeepers for board positions on the ABC and SBS is a prime example of this Government’s modus operandi,” said Michael Tull, President of the CPSU.
The panel still has gonski, a patron of Mark Scott.
These appointments are ridiculous. This government feels the need to politicise things that don’t need politicising. We really need a federal ICAC to stop this sort of “jobs for the boys/girls” appointments.
Ah so science denialism will be getting a big run…and some islamaphobia too.
As someone who has been bored stiff by her far right droning for decades, i can’t wait to see how entertaining and unpredictable the ABC will be with her influence.
Tony Abbott, has he got any more toes to shoot off?
Disgusting.
Imagine the hue and cry if a Labor government appointed Bob Ellis to the same position.
The LNP does this every time they’re in. Windschuttle. Tim Wilson on the Human Rights Commission.
Yes, both parties dish out key appointments to apparatchiks, but the LNP takes particular pleasure in shipping in bomb-chuckers to their pet hate bodies. It’s pathetic and cynical.
OK, apologists. Time to crank up your IPA samizdat talking points. Go for it.
It is reasonable for governments to appoint people who have a sympathetic approach to their own views. However when dealing with public assets those people should be experts in the field and not just high profile members of the government’s cheer squad. Albrechtsen does appear to only offer shout approval to Abbott and his associates.
Difficult to imagine that anyone with a working IQ could support these appointments. It will be interesting to see who does.
So what does Janet Albrechsen bring to this panel? She writes an opinion column for News Corp, has no background as a journalist, no experience in TV or radio and no commercial experience other than a brief period as an employed solicitor. Putting her beside David Gonski, who is one of Australia’s finest minds and a man with breath taking commercial experience is insulting. Appoint a conservative by all means but one with the appropriate skills. But this is not how Abbott works and it will all end up in tears sooner rather than later.
Say goodbye to the ABC/SBS, now that the right wing has taken over, Janet will make sure the budget cuts to the news will mean the end of great shows like Insiders and Q & A….. they may even outsource the news to SKY…..
No Richard outsourcing news to Sky News will never happen. After the budget cuts ABC news will be restricted to passers by reading stories out aloud from The Australian.
Albrechtsen to the ABC!?
Abbott, minister for women!?
Arts: Brandis!?
Lets just start appointing animals. Why not? Lets choose feral animals, there is a problem with wild donkeys out in the bush and if we already have donkeys appointed, then a few more won’t hurt will they?
This appointment is about as credible as a News Corp so called ‘Newspaper’… Currently pens an opinion piece in a Murdoch rag ffs? It makes no sense, apart from, sadly, highly oppressive reasons, to further smear the right wing agenda for the pitch forker brigade.
Is it any wonder every time the Libs are in power in Australia I feel incredibly depressed. I’m not an apologist for Labor, they stuffed up we all know that, but I cannot stand the way the Libs meddle in things that don’t need fixing because they cannot stand the ABC. Grow up, Tony Abbott!
Neutral Mind, much as I agree with you on the appointment of Janet being a travesty, when it comes to her column.. it is an opinion piece ffs…don’t read it ffs, it’s not hard news ffs etc etc etc
Her glasses are falling off her face.
Fantastic! Awesome!
Time to rid the ABC of its self indulgent, bourgeois leftists and their rancid hypocrisy.
Finally the people can reclaim the ABC that the people pay for, and free it from the clutches of the Church of Climate Change and their anti-Abbott jihadists.
Go get ’em Janet!
“the panel which was created in 2007 in an attempt to depoliticise the appointment of board members to the public broadcasters”
Sure it was. By Kevin Rudd, no less.
Pull the other one, it’s got bells on!