Defence Minister David Johnston slams malicious ABC over asylum-seeker claims BRAD NORINGTON THE AUSTRALIAN FEBRUARY 07, 2014 DEFENCE Minister David Johnston has vented his anger at the ABC for maliciously maligning Australian navy personnel by airing unsubstantiated claims that they abused asylum-seekers by inflicting burns on their hands. Senator Johnston said today he was very dissatisfied with the weasel words of apology from ABC management and this event alone - in besmirching the navys reputation - justified a detailed investigation and reform of the public broadcaster. On January 22 the ABCs flagship radio current affairs program AM carried a report from Indonesia correspondent George Roberts raising the claims that some passengers were forced by the navy to hold on to hot metal on board an asylum-seeker boat causing severe burns and blisters. Tony Abbott accused the ABC of rushing to believe accusations with little foundation that navy personnel had inflicted burns on asylum-seekers before turning their boat back into Indonesian waters. ABC managing director Mark Scott and director of news Kate Torney this week issued a statement admitting that reporting of the navys involvement should have been more precise, but Mr Scott rebutted suggestions a bigger apology was required. Describing navy personnel as heroes today, the Defence Minister said: We now know that the original commentary on the ABC was not correct. The good men and women of the navy - the Royal Australian Navy - have been maliciously maligned by the ABC and I am very dissatisfied with the weasel words of apology that have been floated around by senior management of the ABC. To put the furore into context, Senator Johnston said that both Customs and the navy had saved thousands of lives over the past four years on the waters between Australia and Indonesia - particularly between Christmas Island and Java. Nine of Navy personnel were blown up on Siev-36, he said. The coroner said that (asylum-seekers) deliberately detonated the boat. My people have been spat on, abused, treated like servants and have endured all of that to save more than a thousand lives. And yet theyve also had to endure the horror of fishing out hundreds of people floating dead in the water. I am absolutely sick to the stomach that this Australian iconic news agency would attack the navy in the way that it has. Speaking at the launch of centenary celebrations for Australian submarines at Sydneys Darling Harbour, Senator Johnston said he had not made any comment until now because he was extremely angry and had required some time to cool off. Senator Johnston believed that Immigration Minister Scott Morrison had said everything that needed to be said about the appalling commentary from the ABC but he wanted to make it clear that the navy personnel involved in saving asylum-seekers were heroes. Lets get the record straight. They are heroes, They have done a courageous, laden with integrity, difficult task thrust upon them by probably one of the greatest policy failures Australia has ever seen. I want to stand here and say thank you to them. They have done a magnificent job. Senator Johnston said he accepted assurances from navy command that no abuse had occurred, but added that the asylum-seeker policy was a civil matter in which logistics had been required from the navy. The ABC had responsibility in its reporting, he said. If ever there was an event that justified a detailed inquiry, some reform, an investigation into the ABC, this event is it. They themselves have cast a giant shadow over the veracity of their report - and yet theyve besmirched these hardworking people. Senator Johnston wanted something concrete before he would accept an investigation into unsubstantiated allegations against the Navy. Lets see the allegations first, he said. Lets have more than just rumour, innuendo and hearsay - please.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 05:36:23 +0000
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