Barrie Cassidy resigns from govt advisory board
Insiders host resigns as chair of the Old Parliament House advisory board, after media coverage questioned his appointment.
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Insiders host Barrie Cassidy has been forced to resign as chair of the Old Parliament House advisory board, after media coverage questioned his appointment and the Coalition asked him to step down.
The ABC host was appointed to the voluntary position by former arts minister Tony Burke the day after the election was called, when the government went into caretaker mode. The Australian suggested that the job was a secret appointment done as a political favour.
Cassidy has since written to the director of the Museum of Australian Democracy, Daryl Karp,
”I am of the belief that remaining in the position would shroud the board and the institution in ongoing controversy; and that’s the last thing that I want,” he wrote.
”The minister explained to me that he has a high regard for me personally, but nevertheless has (a) concerns about the process leading up to the appointment; and (b) a strong view that it is not appropriate to have anybody currently involved in the political process, whether they be politicians or journalists, sitting on boards such as these.
”He prefers people retired from any involvement in politics and I respect that view.”
The Age reports Cassidy told ABC TV that Ms Karp had passed on a message from Senator Brandis on Thursday, asking him to ”consider stepping aside.”
ABC managing director Mark Scott said the article as an ”outrageous beat-up”.
”Mr Cassidy sought approval to take up the role with the Old Parliament House Advisory Council and it was granted. His experiences and insights into the political history of Australia over decades makes him a very strong fit for the position,’ ‘he said.
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12 Responses
The ABC ran shows questioning Julia Gillard and her once Boyfriend over dodgy dealings back in the 90’s.
The question is would Sky News with the likes of Chris Kenny/Paul Murray try to expose Tony Abbott over any dodgy dealings that would be proved harmful to Abbott/LNP?
Would Alan Johns and the shock jocks pursue Abbott and the LNP? Would News Limited dig up the dirt?
Would Andrew Bolt/Michael Smith call for the sacking of Tony Abbott??
The answer is No!!!!!
Yet some how the ABC is biased??
The appointment was made just before the govt went into caretaker mode, not after, and he’d been approached months before that. Mark Scott used to work for the Liberal party and was a Howard appointment to the ABC. The fact that he thinks this is stupid says a lot. It really looks like petty payback from Brandis over reporting of the expenses scandal.
Petty politics at its best! I bet dear old Lord Brandis is feeling pretty pleased with himself? Let’s not forget it was the first Rudd Government that appointed Tim Fischer & Brendan Nelson to be Ambassadors to the Vatican & EU respectively. Arguably much bigger roles than the unpaid chair of the Old Parliament House advisory board. This also undoes all the reassuring words from Malcolm Turnbull about ABC funding under Abbott. Disgraceful stuff but not surprising.
“Would they have remain so silent if Abbott appointed Gerald Henderson to the position during a caretaker Government?”
They’d have screamed blue murder at the very thought!
I’m one long-term ABC viewer who no longer watches any of their current affairs programs.
Whether it’s a blatant pro Labor or anti-conservative aspect, or just lack of reporting on certain stories, the ABC is blatantly discriminatory.
What goes around comes around. The Abbott government, aided by News Ltd, continues its ideological campaign against the ABC. Intimidating Barry Cassidy into not taking up an unpaid role with a museum, the old Parliament House, is unbelievably petty. Like anyone who has been around federal politics for so long, Cassidy is eminently qualified for this unpaid position. The ABC boss Mark Scott was appointed by the Howard government and our national broadcaster regularly tops polls for being the most trusted source of news in Australia. By the way, Cassidy once worked for The Australian.
and sorry, just in case my last rave sounds like a political rant, it is, but rather than a party political it is about the hamfisted (but not always unsuccessful) attempts by governments to make the media tow the line. Neville Wran was the pioneer, Hawke was very good at it and Howard was merciless. The new government is showing every sign of carrying on the tradition
Pertinax, it’s hard to see how Twiggy Forrest, who bankrolled a $20 million anti-mining supertax advertising campaign against the Labor government and actively supported the LIbs when in opposition, and is appointed to run a high-powered government advisory board when they are in power is not a little weird given that a journalist who has his every move scrutinised by both the ABC internal editorial processes and the highly vigilant (and non partisan) News Limited is asked to leave a comparatively low level job because he is ‘part’ of the political process. discuss.
@ Pertinax.
Are you by any chance related to channel Nine’s Sunday’s morning broadcast [early 80’s] sermon with the late Bob Santamarie?
Mr Cassidy was approached to take on the role in June, when it was ticked off by Cabinet.
The government didn’t enter “caretaker mode” until August 5.
@Jezza. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone claim the ABC was ‘leftie’ I would likely be a Liberal voter. It not only demonstrates the people who do not watch the ABC (and programs such as 7:30), but those who are accustomed to the commercial stations.
I think you would find if you watch the commercial channels (7,9 and 10) they are so far to the right of the political spectrum that when someone watches the ABC with the same eyes all they see is “left propaganda”. Basically, if it is not bashing the ALP it is considered bias, this is simply a ridiculous statement, regardless of your political persuasion.
Everyone knows when parties are elected they invite people who are favourable to their view or they can work with. This is not controversial, why would the new Government select anyone for a position if they were dead-against the LNP? It would not happen…
Typical dodgy leftie appointment. Cassidy should have known better to not have accepted it in the first place and kept his integrity intact…..
Cassidy was a political appointment made when the Government was in caretaker mode and not allowed to do so and kept it secret.
The Australian reported this ages ago.
More interestingly why did the ABC and Fairfax not report anything on the matter until now?
Would they have remain so silent if Abbott appointed Gerald Henderson to the position during a caretaker Government?