On 21 February 2024, Independent Candidate for Clark and Hobart City Councillor Louise Elliot appeared on ABC Radio Hobart’s Mornings program, hosted by Leon Compton. What should have been an opportunity for voters to hear about Elliot’s vision and election platform quickly devolved into a one-sided interrogation.
In a letter to Fiona Cameron- ABC Ombudsman, we raised serious concerns that the interview was not “tough journalism” but rather a breach of the ABC’s Code of Practice, failing the basic standards of fairness, impartiality, and balance.
A Loaded Introduction
Compton began by labelling Elliot a “controversial councillor”—a word rarely neutral, and more often used to undermine credibility before a candidate even speaks. He immediately framed her council record around “debates around women’s rights v trans rights,” reducing her diverse contributions to a single contested issue.
Biased and Aggressive Questioning
Instead of open questions that might have invited Elliot to present her ideas, Compton pursued a barrage of loaded and personal questions. Among them:
- “Is it fair to say you are now at war with Council?” (repeated three times).
- “Including perhaps if you or another individual wanting to be unkind or not so inclusive, that right needs to be accommodated as well?”
- “Have staff members quit or taken extended leave as a result of your investigations?”
- “You can’t sit in the same room as the Lord Mayor…?”
- “Isn’t your opposition to the Liberals’ short stay accommodation tax based on self-interest?” (incorrectly assuming her position).
These were not neutral questions but assertions delivered as if they were fact, designed to discredit Elliot’s character rather than scrutinise her policies.
What Was Missing
Most glaringly, Compton never asked Elliot about her election platform, which she has clearly articulated as Fairness, Freedom and Opportunity. There were no questions about her vision for Tasmania, her priorities as an Independent, or how her council experience has informed her candidacy.
By contrast, other Independents, such as Braddon candidate Craig Garland, have received polite and genuinely inquiring interviews from the same program. The difference in tone is hard to ignore.
Weaponising Opponents’ Words
Compton repeatedly borrowed criticisms from other political figures—such as Independent MLC Ruth Forrest and former Labor Premier Lara Giddings—and used them to frame his own questions, effectively weaponising their opinions to corner Elliot. He also mischaracterised her Freedom of Information work, neglecting to mention that her disclosures have revealed potential misconduct currently under investigation.
Why This Matters
By failing to ask open questions, presenting bias as fact, and denying Elliot a fair chance to present her platform, Compton’s interview raises serious questions of professional conduct and editorial integrity.
At worst, it gives the appearance of personal alliances and political influence shaping ABC coverage in Hobart—something that undermines trust in our national broadcaster.
Conclusion
Interviews with political candidates should scrutinise their record and positions, yes—but they must also give space for candidates to explain their vision and policies. The treatment of Louise Elliot was not scrutiny; it was an ambush.
The ABC owes its audience balanced journalism, not biased cross-examination. For the sake of democratic debate in Tasmania, the broadcaster must address this breach and ensure Louise Elliot—and all candidates—receive fair and impartial treatment in future.