0/5

Students to protest Q&A

Students Union accuses ABC show of "an extreme vetting process for audience participants," and plans a protest on the Gold Coast.

The National Union of Students is calling for protesters to gather outside the Gold Coast Arts Centre tonight to protest Q&A unhappy that the panel will not feature ‘a young person’ on the post-budget panel.

Fairfax reports the union has also accused ABC of scouring students’ Facebook pages and knocking back their individual requests to be part of the live audience.

“ABC producers have implemented an extreme vetting process for audience participants, including stalking students’ Facebook profiles, threatening phone calls to student activists, and collusion with police, to ensure that show’s ‘democracy’ does not overstep what is palatable to Tony Jones.

“NUS condemns the ABC for prioritising CEO’s voices above the country’s 1.3 million university students,” a statement to News Corp reports.

“NUS calls on Q&A to do the right thing by giving a space on the panel to the National Union of Students.”

Tonight Tony Jones will moderate questions on the Budget, joined by:

Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education
Chris Bowen, Shadow Treasurer
Larissa Waters, Queensland Greens Senator
Innes Willox, CEO, Australian Industry Group
Miranda Stewart, Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute ANU

ABC has been contacted for comment.

Leave a Reply