As the fallout continues over former ABC chairman Justin Milne’s attempt to have Michelle Guthrie fire Emma Alberici, Crikey readers are predictably getting fired up (responding to Bernard Keane’s call for Milne to step down). Readers were more divided over the track record of Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt (whose history of being messed around by his own party was detailed by Charlie Lewis yesterday): they couldn’t decide whether his plight was deserved or not.
On Justin Milne’s ABC tenure
Greg Poropat writes: Given the unashamed brazenness of Justin Milne’s email to Ms Guthrie concerning Ms Alberici, we can only hazard the scariest of guesses as to what other pressures have been and continue to be applied by this Government and its agents to compromise the ABC’s performance. But what’s the point in worrying? These are just more nails in the coffin carrying the public’s disintegrating respect for and trust in politicians and our institutions, something about which our political class appears completely unconcerned.
Laurie Patton writes: If Justin Milne played soccer you wouldn’t have him in the backline for fear he’d kick an own-goal!
DF writes: This is what the internal memo to ABC board members should say: “We are tarred with Milne’s brush. I think it’s simple. Get rid of him. We need to save the ABC — not Milne. The longer he remains, the worse it looks for the government.”
Dive Pass writes: Does he or anyone else think that offering up Alberici’s head on a platter would mollify the ABC’s critics? On the contrary, having been so rewarded, they would be encouraged and quickly move to the next demand for another head.
On Ken Wyatt’s history with the Liberal Party
Robert Smith writes: Wyatt has always seemed to me too decent a person to be a politician. If he is tired of being done over by the Libs, what does he think is going to be better with Labor, the true professionals in the dark art of politics.
MJM writes: I can understand why Ken Wyatt might be sick to death of trying to be an Liberal Party member. But I do not see that as a reason for his possible crossing over and signing up as an ALP candidate. I watched both episodes of Four Corners on aged care and thought his answers to questions showed no grasp at all of his portfolio and its responsibilities.
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If only the Liberal Party could apply the blow-torch to their own ranks as assiduously they do to their mega enemies-think ABC, Barnaby Joyce, assorted prime ministers, et al; they might end up with a Party the electorate doesn’t fall about when hearing LNP bracketed with the word election.