Comments on an episode of The Drum that were labelled biased towards Labor in a review of impartiality during the federal election campaign were made by Kathryn Greiner, a Liberal party member of more than 50 years.
Greiner, who was married to the former Liberal NSW premier Nick Greiner, had her contributions on a 2019 panel of The Drum labelled “green” or “positive for Labor” in a controversial impartiality review which criticised the ABC panel show for not having enough conservative voices during its federal election coverage.
The review has been used as a further weapon by the government against the ABC, following a please explain letter from the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, about a Four Corners investigation which alleged inappropriate conduct by two ministers.
On Wednesday the Coalition used its numbers in the Senate to force the ABC to publish the impartiality review despite strong objections from the ABC chair, Ita Buttrose.
In the 6 May episode Greiner was commenting on Bill Shorten’s May 2019 federal election launch, and was complimentary about his “very strong team”.
“I think the women on that are very credible, coincidentally I happened to work for both Chris Bowen and Tanya Plibersek when they were ministers, when I was the chair of a government company, you know, very competent individuals,” Greiner said. “So there’s a competency on both sides, but I think that the Labor party will win out because they have more women.”
The methodology of the review has come under attack internally at the ABC for labelling panellists’ comments as neutral, positive or negative for a political party.
Using this method the report recommended the ABC “review the composition of panellists on The Drum to achieve a better balance of voices from across the spectrum of ideas and politics”.
The methodology led to an inference that Greiner did not support the Coalition with sufficient vigour and her comment was listed under the column “negative for the Coalition”.
The reviewer, Kerry Blackburn, speculated that panelists felt pressure to be on the winning side and changed their views to fit in.
“It is human nature to want to be on the winning side, or at least be seen to have understood why their team is winning and yours is losing,” she wrote.
Guardian Australia understands Greiner was both appalled and amused by Blackburn’s claim that her critique was based on anything but her experience and expertise.
The editor of The Drum, Annie White, said the panel show was the most diverse program on the ABC, deliberately seeking out Australians from all walks of life, political traditions, backgrounds and cultures, including people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
“In an increasingly polarised world, The Drum is a place where people can have a respectful discussion about big and small issues, with the aim of giving audiences the information they need to form their own views,” she told Guardian Australia.
“In November, as is the regular pattern, nearly 60% of panellists were women, and around 35% on the panel from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous Australians.
“In recent weeks, for example, we have been joined by two people from coalmining communities debating climate policy, an 86-year-old discussing the aged care royal commission from her residential care facility, an actor and playwright with Down syndrome, a former police officer describing life on the frontline of DV response, retired soldiers on life on the frontline in the context of the Brereton report, and a jellyfish scientist who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s on her reservations about gene editing.”
Buttrose is expected to reply to Fletcher’s letter next week.
