ABC Patricia Karvelas ‘cautioned’ for calling Indigenous Affairs Ministers Linda Burney a ‘legend’

An ABC radio host has been ‘warned’ about being ‘biased about an old social media post in which she called the current Minister for Indigenous Affairs a ‘legend’.

ABC Radio National host Patricia Karvelas shared a selfie on Twitter with Indian Affairs Minister Linda Burney on the night of last year’s federal election, May 21.

“This woman is a legend and looks set to be the next #UluruStatement Minister for Indigenous Affairs,” Ms Karvelas wrote.

The publication remains on the radio host’s Twitter account and as of Sunday it had received more than 300 retweets and 5,700 likes.

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson questioned ABC managing director David Anderson in November about whether the post violated the network’s personal use of social media code.

The broadcaster’s code requires employees not to “damage ABC’s reputation for impartiality and independence” by using social media.

Anderson told the Senate Estimates hearing that he did not believe the post violated ABC’s code.

“I don’t think (the post) suggests there was political bias at all,” Anderson said.

However, ABC admitted on Sunday that it had “warned” Ms Karvelas after her Twitter post, but due to “privacy considerations” it did not “disclose details of confidential staff reviews of investigations.” the aussie informed.

Senator Henderson criticized ABC’s response on Sunday, saying the network did not confirm whether it agreed with Mr. Anderson’s evidence.

‘[The ABC] declined to confirm whether it supports Mr Anderson’s evidence that this tweet does not violate ABC’s social media code,’ Ms Henderson said.

“ABC is clearly trying to cover up what happened here. If there is no problem with Ms. Karvelas’s tweet as Mr. Anderson claimed, why was she warned?

ABC sternly warned staff against using social media in 2021 after the public broadcaster faced several libel cases involving high-profile journalists.

It comes after Karvelas called Australian Indigenous Minister Linda Burney an “absolute lie” when she made the extraordinary claim on the radio host’s show that the Voice of Parliament would have prevented the Alice Springs crime wave. .

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indigenous Minister Linda Burney flew to Alice Springs on January 24 and introduced a ban on the sale of alcohol.

Mr Albanese and Ms Burney made the emergency visit after strong criticism from the opposition and locals over a 300 per cent increase since Labor lifted alcohol sales bans in remote communities.

Ms Burney told Karvelas that if a Voice in Parliament had been established sooner, ‘the situation in Alice Springs would not be what it is’.

Karvelas then pressed Ms Burney on whether she or the PM had been tough enough on the Northern Territory’s alcohol bans, the minister saying of his quick visit: ‘The most important thing is that we made huge gains yesterday.

“I’ve been thinking about this very deeply and it was expressed yesterday that if Voice of Parliament had been established earlier, I don’t think we would be where we are in terms of where Alice Springs is right now.” she said.

However, on January 26, 2GB presenter Ben Fordham criticized Ms Burney’s comments as not just “embarrassing” but an “absolute lie”.

‘Linda Burney has had a surprise. She is living in a fantasy land,” Fordham said.

‘I hope you’re not using what’s happening in Alice Springs to build a case for the Voice, because it sure sounds that way.

‘I really mean Linda, you don’t think so. Either you are lying or you live in the country of madmen.

He also gave Ms Burney a massive spray for her reasoning for why this would be the case when she said: “because we would have been getting practical advice from people who represent the community in relation to these social issues.”

‘Minister, you’ve already had that. The people of Alice Springs have been pounding on the door begging for your help,” Fordham said.