Kieran Gilbert: I want to bring in the Shadow Communications Minister, Sarah Henderson. First of all, your thoughts on where we are internationally. There’s still a lot of uncertainty out of Iran but we see in Sydney, Melbourne, other cities, dancing in the streets among expats of Iran, welcoming the fall of that tyrannical regime. Do you welcome the fact the Australian government has been among the more forward-leaning of the US allies in backing the strikes?
Senator Henderson: Well, absolutely but I was shocked to see this morning that when we moved a motion to recognise and congratulate both Israel and the United States on their actions in Iran, that suspension of standing orders was opposed by the government. But we now have had that debate in the Senate this morning.
Let us hope Kieran, that this is, after nearly 50 years, the end of a brutal, oppressive regime. We know Iran wants nuclear weapons. It has brutally oppressed and murdered its own people for decades. And so hence the joy in the streets from the people, Iranian Australians here and around the globe.
Kieran Gilbert: We saw a very small protest in Sydney. Josh Lees, the pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protester, led a small gathering. Really, you know, tiny in comparison to the amount of the Iranian expats celebrating the decapitation of that regime. What do you make of that, given the many weeks, months, years of protests that Lees and co have done but don’t bring themselves to support the people of Iran who want freedom from the tyranny? Do you find there’s a contradiction there?
Senator Henderson:I have no words for that sort of action, knowing what the people of Iran have endured under this brutal regime. The basic denial of human rights, the murder of tens of thousands of Iranians just in recent weeks. How can anyone stand with that regime in this country after what we have seen in recent times and for decades.
Kieran Gilbert: On the Australian government response, I want to get to some of the media coverage in a second but Prime Minister Albanese, as I say, among the most forward-leaning and supporting the US strikes but he only mentioned the US element of it, not the Israel component in his initial statement released over the weekend. Were you aware of that or surprised by that? There was a focus on the US strikes but equally to this has been the Israeli contribution which they say the IDF, their largest air force operation in their history?
Senator Henderson: Well that was a little surprising but I do note that particular point was picked up this morning in an interview with Richard Marles and he made it clear the government stands both with the United States and Israel. So I’m very pleased to see that strong clarification.
Kieran Gilbert: Maybe it was an oversight or something?
Senator Henderson: I’m not sure but we certainly did see that clarified and in fact, and going to the media coverage, Kieran, the Prime Minister and Ministers Wong and Marles put out a joint statement. And I’m just reading from this, ‘Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in this struggle against oppression.’
Now what I’m wanting to raise in my capacity as the Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety, having obviously a very close eye on the ABC, is that the ABC’s Americas Editor, John Lyons, did an interview and ran some pretty, I would say, unsavoury commentary. And he said, and again, I’m reading this, ‘To me, that is political propaganda.’ Mr Lyons has also said in his commentary that ‘This is not about the nuclear program in my assessment …’ So I would say in this very perilous time, it is very concerning that the ABC is delivering this sort of commentary. And I would draw Hugh Marks’ attention to this, he is the editor-in-chief.
I don’t think the ABC, any person from the ABC, should be making any commentary like that. We just need the facts impartially and accurately, complying with the ABC statutory obligations. And I do want to raise and I’m literally looking at my phone at the moment because the group, Stand for Palestine Aus on its Instagram page, has actually reposted these comments of John Lyons – and of course, there is some suggestion that this group is a front for Hizb ut-Tahrir. So I am really concerned about the tenor of this commentary and I would call on Hugh Marks as the editor-in-chief to shut down this sort of commentary and just stick with the facts.
Kieran Gilbert: Okay so in terms of the ABC charter, isn’t there room though, for an expert to give their opinion? And Lyons has spent a fair bit of time in Iran? He was there from memory during that strike last year. So he’s well-versed on that country in the region as an expert as opposed to a reporter. Is there scope there for him to make those comments?
Senator Henderson: I think at this point in time, and seeing the nature of this commentary – I mean, where is the minister for communications, Anika Wells? Why am I defending the Prime Minister and Mr Marles and Minister Wong, because he’s claimed that this is political propaganda. Now that is just a step too far. But why am I out here as the shadow minister defending the government on these comments and not the minister for communications?
Kieran Gilbert: Does he have more leeway though, as an expert as opposed to say, the reporter there?
Senator Henderson: There is a role, of course, for commentary. But firstly it’s got to be clear it’s commentary. And secondly, all news and information disseminated by the ABC must be impartial and accurate – and I would raise questions and concerns about that. Is Mr Lyons suggesting that there is no nuclear threat when clearly there is? And so I would just raise some pretty big concerns about the flavour of this commentary, reminding the ABC that unlike other media organisations, it has a statutory responsibility to disseminate news and information impartially and accurately.
Kieran Gilbert: It’s interesting the line that was chosen to suggest was political propaganda, it doesn’t sound like it’s that controversial to say that you stand in solidarity with the people of Iran?
Senator Henderson: No, I mean, this is what is quite extraordinary about those comments. And I am being fairly careful in what I say because I haven’t seen everything that the ABC has reported. But I am concerned about what I have seen so far, and I hope and trust that Mr Marks is able to address this properly so that all Australians can have full trust in the ABC’s coverage.
Kieran Gilbert: Communications spokesperson for the Liberal Party, Shadow Minister, Sarah Henderson. Thanks.
Senator Henderson: Thanks Kieran.