Response to ABC Apology
Re: Australian Story: Something in the Water: HERE
Since the airing of Something in the Water by the ABC in February 2010 there has been a lot of political jousting going on behind the scenes.
Former Tasmanian Premier, David Bartlett officially complained to the ABC’s managing director following the findings of the Government appointed George River Water Quality Panel, an inquiry established solely as a direct consequence of Australian Story.
The producers of Australian Story and ABC management have been pressured to disown the program, with claims that the discovery of toxins in the George River were based on “severely flawed science”.
In July 2010, Dr Chris Hickey, a scientist involved in the program, wrote to Australian Story refuting the findings of the Government appointed panel; a panel, which had undertaken no new research.
In September 2010 Dr Fiona Young, who appeared in the program, also wrote and refuted the panel’s findings.
While the ABC published the findings of the State Government’s Water Panel, it has until now withheld the response of these reputable scientists. This withholding amounts to partiality on the part of ABC management.
The Tasmanian Government has cried foul because the Australian Story program did not suit its forestry or water agendas and now this government pressure has led to the apology offered by Australian Story last night. But what an apology!
In essence the ABC management has apologized for not getting more information out of a government and its department, both of which refused to speak to journalists. This refusal was recorded in the credits at the end of Part 2 of the program.
In future, all that needs to happen to stop a program going to air is for a government department to refuse to speak to a journalist. This is a bad day for the ABC and a bad day for journalism in Australia.
This is now an ABC management issue about the intimidation of journalists in order to suppress government information that should be transparent and freely available.
The ABC’s on air apology last night does not undermine the facts of the case: principally that there are high levels of toxins in the George River.
The director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor thought the issues raised by the Australian Story program were serious enough for his department to pay tens of thousands of dollars to two teams of scientists – including Dr Fiona Young who appeared in the program – to undertake further research.
It is time all reports and relevant information were made public.
Dr Andrew Lohrey, Former Minister for Forests,
Mr Robert Belcher, Managing Director Sustainable Agricultural Communities Australia Ltd.
• The ABC has today put up on its website the two letters from Chris Hickey and Fiona Young.
These are the links:
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/documents/niwa-response-to-panel.pdf
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2011/s3248848.htm
