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The Project pressed to apologise over Waleed editorial

Prime Minister's office objects to inaccurate statements in a Project editorial and demands an apology.

An editorial by Waleed Aly on The Project following the murder of 50 people in New Zealand has led to a complaint by the Prime Minister’s office.

In the speech Aly told viewers, “I also know a senior figure in our government once suggested we made a mistake as a country by letting in Lebanese Muslims in the ’70s.

“And I know there are media reports going back eight years at a shadow cabinet meeting in which another senior politician suggested his party should use community concerns about Muslims in Australia failing to integrate as a political strategy. That person is now the most senior politician we have.”

Despite not naming PM Scott Morrison The New Daily reports Morrison’s chief press secretary, Andrew Carswell, contacted Network 10 after the broadcast insisting the report included “discredited information” and referring to “defamation”.

“[He said] it was defamation effectively of the Prime Minister,” a 10 source said.

Carswell also suggested The Project should “apologise” and that it had failed journalism 101 by broadcasting the claim without checking.

10 has been contacted for comment.

26 Responses

  1. I am a bit astonished that literally hours after this awful tragedy where 50 people have been murdered and even more in critical positions…..Weleed choses to take this opportunity to make a political point and bring up a quote from the Prime Minister some 8 years ago. I am sure we have all regretted something we have said in the last 8 years. He said he felt like he had to mention it. Really? On this day of all days?

  2. Just to be journalistically sound here, shouldn’t your teaser page say that the prime minister’s office objects to “inaccurate” statements, i.e. in inverted commas because it’s only they who are claiming the statements are inaccurate? Otherwise it looks like you’re stating as a fact that what Waleed said has been proven to be inaccurate.

  3. Waleed is a lawyer….hardly think he is not going to check what he says is factual…he is not likely to leave himself open to a lawsuit …

    1. “Carswell also suggested The Project should “apologise” and that it had failed journalism 101 by broadcasting the claim without checking.”

      Seems to be journalistic standard these days, report and see what sticks…..

  4. As we all know, a truly horrific event has happened in New Zealand. It is just so insensitive and wrong to be politicising this tragedy when millions of Australian and New Zealand citizens are in the early stages of grieving.

    1. >> It is just so insensitive and wrong to be politicising this tragedy

      The tragedy – the mass murder of 50 people – is a political act. No one is “politicising’ it.

  5. I trust Waleed and believe he would only report facts. It’s a shame the PM’s office doesn’t put pressure on some of the right-wing journalists to tone down their hateful rhetoric.

      1. No thanks, I’m not gullible. I think Waleed is far more worthy of my trust than the politicians he was referring to. We’re all entitled to our opinions, let’s leave it at that.

  6. The earnest and compassionate leadership of NZ PM Jacinda Ardern, along with her approachability, especially in light of what has happened, has really put the putridness of our so-called leaders on display, especially as so many of them are so disgustingly leaping at the opportunity to exploit the tragedy for their own ends. The most shocking thing about this is that I never would have thought it to be in the character of our Kiwi brothers and sisters to ever be capable of such brutality. Surprise surprise that such evil was born and bred on our side of the pond.

    Aly should not bow to the elitists that are more concerned about their image than the rights of their people.

      1. Group self-determination is a human right and mass migration infringes upon it. Ask the Tibetans.

        Everything predicted by those that argued against changing & expanding Australia’s immigration policy has come true. Which begs the question, did its proponents lie to the Australian people about its effects? And for what purpose?

        1. >> Group self-determination is a human right

          Nah – it’s not.
          humanrights.gov.au/right-self-determination

          >> and mass migration infringes upon it. Ask the Tibetans.

          I can ask Indigenous Australians about unwelcome immigrants.

  7. “Discredited information”? It’s been on Morrison’s Wikipedia page for years.
    “In the same month, it was revealed that Morrison had “urged the shadow cabinet to capitalise on the electorate’s growing concerns” about Muslims and appeal to the public perception of their “inability to integrate” to gain votes.[22]”- (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Morrison)
    What’s to apologise for?

  8. Waleed is not the type of person I feel who would just spout off without checking his facts… Unless emotion got the better of him in this case. I also do not feel he’d be happy apologising if he knew what he said said was true. If his claims are true I hope he doesn’t. But alas he may to keep the peace and stop things escalating further.

  9. Apologise for what? Aly is entitled to his opinion as were the two senior politicians.
    Too many people support democracy and free speech until something is said that they don’t like.

  10. It’s funny he didn’t sue 8 years when the story was originally published. It’s not defamation if it’s true. Lenore Taylor who published it has stood by it & says there were others there who confirmed it. And no they should not apologise, he should.

  11. ScoMo has had 8 years to deny the reports. Eight years for Fairfax (aka Nein) to remove the report from their websites. Neither of these have happened.

    smh.com.au/national/morrison-sees-votes-in-anti-muslim-strategy-20110216-1awmo.html?fbclid=IwAR3Hysk2sBF7PPImMRI-kSg0cqUeEPu3O46UO9SPVVGmRtgsl-Fg-2xS1bg

    1. What have nine done lately to continue using the moniker Nein? From what I can see they’re not really doing anything to keep that unfunny name going on. It’s no longer 2010!

      1. They bought Fairfax. No you can’t any longer read the SMH unless you pay. Nein.
        I think the name is terribly funny, and they are still screwing viewers over with start times of shows, based on comments from FTA viewing friends in emails to me.
        Let’s look at the start times of the first 3 episodes of New Amsterdam, shall we? 8:58pm, 9:26pm, and 10:00pm. Can they schedule it at the same time? Nein.

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