The ABC has removed an entire article by its economics correspondent (and former Lateline host) Emma Alberici, without explanation after it was heavily criticised by the government and businesses.
The piece was tied in to a news story also by Alberici, that relied on analysis of company tax paid, leading with the fact that Qantas hadn’t paid company tax in almost 10 years. She reported that one in five of Australia’s biggest countries, including Qantas, had paid no tax for at least the last three years. In the now-deleted analysis piece, Alberici argued that there was no case to cut corporate taxes because many of Australia’s biggest companies weren’t paying tax anyway.
An ABC spokesperson declined to comment on why the piece was taken down and, unusually for the ABC, there has not been a post about the removal on the corrections and clarifications page on its website.
Over the past couple of days the piece has been criticised by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in question time, and by business leaders including Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
Former Fairfax business reporter, and now independent journalist Michael West said on Twitter it appeared that the ABC had bowed to pressure over the piece.
UPDATE: The ABC has now issued a statement saying the piece has been removed as it “did not meet ABC editorial standards”. The clarification states the accompanying news report has been “updated to add further information and context” and the analysis piece “has been removed for further review”.
Emma Alberici has also weighed in on Twitter:
Who would be surprised at that – Turnbull has form for bullying the ABC, and the ABC has form for being too pissweak to fight back.
The damage to the ABC has to be repaired, and it will take a Labor government to do it.
I have nil sympathy for the ABC in this case, a precedent was set when the Cabinet cabinet files were obediently returned having fallen from the heavens into the national broadcaster’s lap.
The Coalition government does not award brownie points whenever the ABC kowtows to its pressure, it simply applies more.
Yes he got a bloke sacked because he didn’t like his tweets The BASTARD TURDASS
One word for the actions of the ABC in this instance: DISGUSTING!!
Please ALP…tell us you are going to get rid of that revolting Guthrie woman at the first available opportunity????
I guess the ABC hasn’t heard of the “Streisand effect”.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180214074249/http://amp.abc.net.au/article/9443874
Cheers Paddy. Ha!
. . . but . . but . . . but . . . our ABC is independent . . . isn’t it?
The voice of we the people. OUR ABC informs, analyses and fact checks all on our behalf . . . all in order to allow us make up our own minds.
Emma puts in the hard yards only to have her efforts hijacked . . . the entire content now locked away in a PMO secure (ie safe from public access) document cabinet?
So much for transparency, accountability ABC. PATHETIC and DECEITFUL.