Topics: Labor’s lies, Victorian state election, ABC called to the antisemitism Royal Commission
Chris Uhlmann: I’m joined now by Shadow Communications Minister, Sarah Henderson. Sarah Henderson, aren’t people mostly angry at you if they’re going across to One Nation?
Senator Henderson: Chris, good afternoon. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such anger towards a government as we are seeing right now. And we are really feeling it in Victoria, anger towards the Albanese government for lying, for delivering a Budget based on lies, and of course, the anger is compounded here in Victoria against Jacinta Allan. Yes, we are getting caught up in the frustration over what is happening to our country because the government, frankly, Chris, is throwing our country off a cliff. But we have delivered already a very strong set of policies, and we know we’ve got a very big job to do to win the trust and faith of Australians. But the anger, Chris, is palpable, and we have made it very clear if these laws are passed, these laws to introduce all of these taxes, we will repeal these toxic taxes.
Chris Uhlmann: The problem for you, though, is that looking at the polling in Victoria today, where you would assume that in normal times the Coalition should romp it in, but you’re still losing back to One Nation, as well as the Labor government. What matters in the end is how many seats you get in the lower house anywhere, and don’t we risk a fracturing of your vote, which sees it deliver the Labor Party another term in government?
Senator Henderson: Well Chris, we don’t understate the job that we have ahead of us. We know we have got a very big job to do and of course, One Nation is polling very strongly but I think that’s very indicative that Australians have had enough. And boy, oh boy, Chris, are they angry in Victoria. This is a state mired in crime, in corruption, in economic incompetence, and Victorians have had enough and Australians have had enough. And yes, of course, people who are angry are now saying, I will support One Nation but we are going to be working every single day very hard to win back the trust and faith and confidence of Victorians and Australians and I believe that we can do it, Chris.
Chris Uhlmann: Yeah but in order to take government or even approach government, you’re going to have to do a preference deal with One Nation and not apologise for it, aren’t you?
Senator Henderson: Of course. Absolutely, I believe that we do need to do a preference deal with One Nation and we shouldn’t apologise for it, because we are aligned on one single mission, and that is to get rid of the worst government we have ever seen in Victoria, and the worst government that we have seen in living memory in this country, which is the Albanese government. So we don’t apologise at all for working with others including, of course, One Nation, to get rid of these toxic, terrible governments.
Chris Uhlmann: Now the major media companies and social media companies are going to be called before the Royal Commission to give evidence. You’ve pushed for this. What do you hope to see?
Senator Henderson: Well Chris, I’m very pleased that the ABC and I assume SBS and other broadcasters will be called before the Royal Commission. Michaelia Cash, Angie Bell, and myself called for a dedicated block of hearings, particularly examining the public broadcasters because I think they have lost so much faith of Australians in the way that they have demonstrated anti-Israel bias over and over again. So I’m very pleased that this will be examined by the Royal Commission. I also think that the arts bodies like Creative Australia need very close attention. But time and time again, Chris, we have seen the ABC fail in its statutory obligation to report the news and current affairs and information impartially and accurately. And look what we’re now dealing with, just days after being in estimates, where Hugh Mark says oh we’re working very hard to change our direction. We now see the hiring of Grace Tame at a time when, of course, the ABC knew that she uttered those terrible words in that protest.
Chris Uhlmann: I’ll come back to that in a minute but when you look at the criticism of the state of Israel and antisemitism, you do have to separate those things, don’t you? It should be fair enough to have a fairly robust view on the way that Benjamin Netanyahu conducts his business. That’s fair enough. I think Donald Trump has a fairly robust view on the way that Benjamin Netanyahu conducts his business.
Senator Henderson: Look, that is legitimate. There’s no issue that to legitimately criticise Israel does not necessarily mean that it’s antisemitism and there’s no suggestion to the contrary. But I think the ABC has let down Australian audiences, has betrayed their trust when they have skewed very much against the reporting in the Middle East. And we’ve seen decisions time and time again where they’ve employed activists. Antoinette Lattouf is an activist, in my view, and now Grace Tame, after the terrible things that she said. I just think, Chris, that the ABC has a very important statutory obligation to be impartial, to be accurate, and they are not meeting that obligation in all respects. And I do hope that the Royal Commission shines a very big spotlight on some of these failings.
Chris Uhlmann: Do you think that you’ve given Hugh Marks enough time to make an impression on the ABC? It’s a Titanic he’s trying to turn around, it’s one of the toughest media jobs in Australia and he is making some changes at the top now. So perhaps we should wait and see as to how this all turns out.
Senator Henderson: Chris, I do think Hugh has made some good decisions. It is a tough job but there is still a lot of activism in the ABC. And last week in Senate Estimates, we heard a situation where the editorial head at the ABC said there’s no conflict of interest when a current affairs host, in Sarah Ferguson, is the executive producer of a documentary funded by an activist group, Animals Australia. So I still think the ABC has got a lot of hard work ahead of it to turn things around and to deliver the highest standards of broadcasting. And as I say, we’re seeing continuing failures and I am very disappointed that the managing director, who is also the editor-in-chief, does not seem to think there’s a problem with hiring Grace Tame, particularly after she uttered those terrible words ‘globalise the Intifada’ at that protest at the Sydney Town Hall, which of course, is a call for destruction against Jewish people, or a call for violence against Jewish people around the world. I mean, that is just not tenable and the fact that Grace Tame was hired, and there were no repercussions after she engaged in that protest activity. She also dismissed Hamas’ sexual violence against Israeli women as propaganda. It’s just not good enough, Chris. We need to see higher standards at the ABC.
Chris Uhlmann: Sarah Henderson, we’ll have to leave it there. Thank you.