Push or no push, Costello’s exit from Nine ‘had to happen’
Peter Costello sealed his own fate after last week’s incident at Canberra airport, but his role as the chair of Nine was already in peril.
On a new episode of the Mumbrellacast, editor Neil Griffiths and Adam Lang discussed the fallout from Costello’s resignation this past weekend, which came just days after the now-former chairman allegedly assaulted a reporter while walking through Canberra airport.
This incident came as Nine was already dealing with a number of controversies, including numerous reports of alleged sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct across the business.
“The conversation and the reporting was around the fact that [CEO Mike Sneesby] is the one in the hot seat and it’s Costello that’s keeping him there. Then the push happens, and now the roles are flipped,” Griffiths said.
The suspicious thing in all of this is that, normally, the CCTV would have been released immediately and this would have been an open ad shut case. Either he did or didn’t push the guy. And for some reason, it wasn’t. And most news reports didn’t even ponder the lack of CCTV. It makes you wonder whether it is known to exist, but has been withheld for some reason. Perhaps a deal to step down if it was withheld? Pure speculation on my part.
Its sad that he went , that Hugh Marks went and that Christian Porter, Gladys, Greiner and O’Farrell et al, all went. . Most if not all for trivial reasons as far as their outstanding performance in Commerce and administration.
Maybe these hit jobs is what it is all about as News Corporation is a great hit job machine. Maybe it should teach its journalists more about civil behavior in public spaces , as they did after privacy beaches in the UK.
Costello has an outstanding career record few other fellow citizens could match. And now News/ABC et al, are seeking to decapitate Mike Sneesby. Also, after Hugh, a tough, very competent operator leading an outstanding team.
Thank you. Not one single journalist asked this question. Weird.