Email to Fiona Cameron Ombudsman ABC Hobart Radio complaint

Women Speak Tasmania letter to Fiona Cameron- ABC Ombudsman, with a complain about Leon Compton bias interview with Louise Elliot


COMPLAINT: ABC Hobart Radio Leon Compton Interview with Louise Elliot

We wish to make a complaint about the ABC Radio Tasmania Mornings host Leon Compton and his interview with Independent Candidate for Clarke and Hobart City Councillor Louise Elliot on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

We were appalled at the grossly aggressive and negative manner in which Leon Compton conducted his interview with Cr Louise Elliot. This interview was not an example of a ‘tough’ interview but rather one that the interviewer breached the ABC Code of Practice by: making statements as if they were facts; presenting a line of questioning which was loaded and biased; used cherry picked information designed to influence listeners; an aggressive and very personal tone against Louise. 

At no time during the interview did Leon ask any open questions as to Louise’s vision for Tasmania or what, as a possible future Independent politician, she could bring to the Tasmanian Parliament.  It is noted, that when media use the term ‘controversial’ to describe a person, it is most often used in a negative way as with Leon’s introductory statement and as confirmed later in the interview.

Leon’s statements and questions followed(Louise Elliot’s responses not included – please listen to interview):

“Is it fair to say that Louise Elliot is a controversial Hobart City Councillor.  She has announced she’s running as an independent candidate…

“Since arriving on the Hobart City Council aroud 16months ago, I think its fair to say that Louise Elliot had a sometimes controversial presence there, certainly found herself involved in issues most notobaly involving debates around women’s rights v trans rights in that space.

Many assumed she would be standing as a Liberal candidate but she has announced she will be standing as an Independent.

* You’ve been on Council a short period of time is it fair to say you are now at war with Council?

L ………………………..   

* Including perhaps if you or another individual wanting to be unkind or not so inclusive, that right needs to be accommodated as well?

L ……………………….

*  I want to explore in this issue how you have handled these tensions…..when ultimately the interests concerning  ratepayers parks, roads etc, and I’m one of them, my perception is that your not being able to rent a room which you wanted , and being told no, effectively you have found yourself at war with your own Council?

L………………………..

* With respect, you say its tiny, you’ve launched freedom of information requests, and this is your right, you have requested phone records, not just from Councillors but from staff members, as part of your war on Council, have staff members quit or taken extended leave as a result of that investigation? 

L……………………………….

* As a  consequenceof that have stafff members, in some cases not senior staff members, taken leave or quit Council as a consequence of this action?

L……………………………

* Can you give our audience an example example, for instance, where you worked, sat down with the Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet or other people on Council whith whom you might have a strong difference of opinion to actually achieve an outcome for ratepayers?

L………………………………

* We’ll talk about your campaign platform for Clarke in a moment….

We had Ruth Forest in the studio yesterday saying Independents will need to work closely with others they had opposing views to and Lara Giddings said Independents need to play a role and have the ability to work with others.

L…………………………….

You can’t sit in the same room as the Lord Mayor  beyond a  Council meeting and you’ve had real difficulties resolving issues with other members over time that have popped up in your short time there?

L……………………………..

* You have liberal values you sought pre-selection for the Liberal Party is that correct?

L………………………………

* Why did you end up running as an Independent in Clarke?

L…………………………………

*  Certainly people will know you well as an advocate for those who own short stay accommodation…….given you own short stay accommodation isn’t your oppostion to the
Liberals propsed tax on short stay accomodation entirely just based on self interest?”

(….Louise supports the Liberals proposed levy on short stay accommodation)

L………………………………………………..

Leon knew that Louise’s election platform is Fairness, Freedom and Opportunity but at no time asked the question “Tell me about your election platform, how did you arrive at this platform, what is your vison for Tasmania and how do you think you can contribute to Parliament as an Independent?”

Rather, Leon’s interview took the form of heavily scripted and loaded questions without any reference to actual facts, impartiality or outcomes of various investigations.

Further Leon weaponised  disputes with the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor and weaponised comments from Independent MLC Ruth Forest and former Labor Premier Lara Giddings clearly intended put the boot in to Louise in order to discredit Louise and influence listeners views.

Leon could have asked the question “How has your role in Council informed your election platform and decision to stand as an Independent?”

For Leon Compton to conduct such an aggressive interview with a Candidate is reprehensible. 

Leon’s interview with Louise Elliot over her dissenting views on a number of matters being deliberated by Council,(some listeners have suggested the questions were provided by the Lord Mayor or Deputy Mayor) was not a “tough” interview.

It was rather a well scripted interview deliverd to discredit Louise and her candidacy by suggesting Louise:

* Is at “war” with Council – 3 mentions

* That she is ‘unkind’ and supports others being ‘unkind’ and supports excluding some people from Council matters.

* Leon incorrectly framed his question regarding the ‘rental of a room’ ( booking of the Town Hall – an onging problem for women over several years wanting to hire the Town Hall for forums on women’s human rights and free speech) as he failed to explain to listeners that the Right To Information documents obtained by Louise have exposed the Lord Mayor and some staff for actively attempting to prevent Louise from booking the Town Hall and that this matter is currently being investigated by Equal Opportunity Tasmania. No question from Leon about these investigations.

* Caused staff to quit or leave Council as a direct result of her successful Right To Information requests – Leon failed to refer to the publicly available documents that prove improper conduct and that it is possible that as a result of the public release of these documents person/s may have been exposed for their complicity in taking discriminatory and unlawful actions. – 2 mentions.

* Will not as an Independent be able to play a role and work closely with others as suggested in interviews on the topic of Independents with Ruth Forest and Lara Giddings. Leon openly weaponising Ruths and Lara’s words to further undermine Louise’s candidacy.

* Can’t sit in the same room as other elected members and can’t resolve issues with other elected members. Leon’s statement is delivered as if it is fact without any evidence. Rather than framing a question such as “As Tasmanians know, its takes some perseverence in expressing differing perspectives during heated debates on issues of policy, in pursuing matters concerning transparency and accountability, how do you think you will go in the bear pit of Parliament?

* As an advocate of short stay accommodation with regard to the recently announced Liberal Party policy on a tax on short stay accommodation, that her views were entirely just based on self interest? Leon wrongly made the assumption that she was opposed to the policy yet failed to correct his error when Louise corrected him.

Summary

It is our view that Leon Compton’s interview with Independent Candidate Louise Elliot breached ABC Code of Practice, lacked fairness, impartiality, and was intended to damage her reputation as a candidate at the coming state election. We have listened to other interviews Leon Compton has conducted this week, particularly with Braddon Independent Candidate Craig Garland, who he defended on radio today during a segment on Indpendent candidates with Mercury journalist David Killick. Leon’s tone in the interview with Craig was polite, interested and inquiring. 

This complaint is one many sent in about ABC journalists in Hobart.   Leon Compton works closely with ABC colleague Ryk Goddard who we have also complained about on several occassions.  

On a previous occasion Ryk had the Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds in for interview on matters directly concerning Louise Elliot yet he did not invite her for initial interview. Louise had to ring in on talk back to get her side of the issue across to listeners. We listened to this interview with the Lord Mayor in shock.

The bias at Hobart ABC studio is ongoing.  It is our concern that personal alliances between journalists, public figures or politcal parties are adversely impacting on the integrity and impartiality of ABC services. 

It is our concern that certain key public figures, have a ‘hotline’ to ABC journos in order to arrange interviews, discredit and attack opponents and influence public opinion.

As Paul Barry on Media Watch pointed out last year, there needs to be an Inquiry into the ABCs membership of ACONs Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).  ABCs membership of AWEI continues to adversely impact on the ability of the ABC to report fairly and this continues to be the case at the Hobart offices of ABC.

We request that as Ombudsman, you investigate our Complaint about Leon Compton’s conduct, and that another interview be arranged for Louise Elliot to actually enable her to outline her Independent platform for the coming state election.
We also request that as a matter of urgency, you establish a public inquiry into the impacts of AWEI on the ABC similar to that undertaken in the UK by the BBC into the Stonewall Diversity Index.

Regards,

Cassandra Colefax

Women Speak Tasmania