Laura Tingle of ABC Releases Statement Clarifying Remarks on Racism

Chief Political Correspondent for ABC 7.30 Report, Laura Tingle, clarified her comment made at the Sydney Writer’s Festival last week where she stated, “Australia is a racist country. Let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing.”

After her initial statement gained attention, the public broadcaster distanced themselves from Tingle.

ABC News Director Justin Stevens criticized her remark as “lacking context, balance, and supporting information” and indicated that she was “counselled over her remarks.”

There were calls for her resignation or termination from her role in response to her statement.

Her public remarks are expected to be discussed at the national broadcaster’s upcoming board meeting in June. Ms. Tingle, as the staff-elected director, will have to recuse herself from the discussion.

In a statement released on May 29, Ms. Tingle referenced surveys, including those conducted by ABC, which highlighted instances of discrimination and racism experienced by majority of Australians from non-European backgrounds, some starting as early as primary school.

“Is it valid to bring up this history of Australian racism in political analysis? Certainly, especially if it becomes a contentious issue in our political discourse.

“In my recent writings and broadcasts, I have noted the risks in how our political conversations might evolve and affect social cohesion if migration were linked to the housing crisis.”

Critiquing the Opposition

During her speech at the festival, Tingle criticized the migration and housing policies of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Reflecting on the incident, Tingle explained that she was responding to a question in a less formal and structured manner, different from her usual analytical pieces on ABC, where providing detailed context wasn’t feasible.

She highlighted Dutton’s viewpoints on migration causing various issues like limitations in school placements, childcare, access to GPs, and traffic congestion, which she summarized during her speech as blaming “everything that’s going wrong in this country on migrants.”

“This was a result of summarizing a point in a less organized setting and was not meant to suggest he said that verbatim,” she clarified.

However, she emphasized the importance of scrutinizing the opposition leader’s statements.

“As the potential prime minister, with an upcoming election, Mr. Dutton’s remarks require thorough scrutiny,” Tingle expressed in her statement.

Both the federal opposition and the Labor government have introduced policies aimed at reducing migration to the country.

Additionally, Tingle expressed disappointment over the backlash surrounding her remarks, stating it provided an opportunity for criticism of the ABC and did not contribute positively to the national discourse.

In response to Tingle’s statement, Mr. Stevens reiterated that she had been counseled for her comments and praised her as “one of Australia’s most experienced, knowledgeable, and accomplished journalists.”