Senate ire over Balding snub

ABC managing director Russell Balding has refused to explain his deliberate absence from an obligatory parliamentary grilling by senators in Canberra this week.

Mr Balding was harshly criticised by both sides of parliament for not appearing on Monday before the Senate estimates communications committee to answer more than 900 questions about the internal workings of the ABC.

Mr Balding was not ill and went to his Sydney office as usual on Monday, having told staff on Friday he would not be going to Canberra.

The managing director, who is about to go cap in hand to the Government with his triennial funding submission, has appeared regularly at the committee′s hearings since 1996, when he was finance director.

The chairman of the committee, Liberal senator Alan Eggleston, and his deputy, Labor senator Kate Lundy, said Mr Balding′s absence was a serious matter.

``We expect to have the heads of agencies here at estimates,′′ Senator Eggleston said.

``This is the parliament of Australia. We are representing the Australian people and this is a public accountability process in terms of the expenditure agreed to by the Australian parliament. We cannot tolerate a situation in which heads of major agencies or bodies such as yours do not appear before estimates.′′

Senator Lundy agreed with Senator Eggleston but challenged Coalition senators to support Labor the next time the party complained about the absence of other agencies′ managers, such as the chief executive of Telstra.

``We agree that Mr Balding absolutely should be here today,′′ Senator Lundy said.

``This sets an appalling precedent. We look forward to the support of Coalition senators for the claims of the Labor Opposition and other opposition parties for fair and appropriate representation, when called for.′′

The committee′s resident ABC critic, Liberal senator Santo Santoro, led the charge against Mr Balding, repeatedly asking the ABC executives in attendance why their boss was not there.

``I do not want to be contrary but I have 973 questions to put to Mr Balding,′′ Senator Santoro said. ``I want to question him on another 60 or 70 questions that I put in correspondence to him a few weeks ago.

``I feel quite frustrated by the fact that he is not here, if that is not already clear to you.

``My question to you again is:`Did he tell you why he is not here today?′′′

ABC director of strategy and communications Murray Green was unable to answer, saying only: ``Mr Balding is his own decision-maker. He is not here and that is all I have to say.′′

The ABC has lost another director with the resignation yesterday of the general manager of consumer publishing and content sales, Grahame Grassby.

Mr Grassby, the force behind the ABC′s commercial arm, did not give a reason for his sudden resignation. The national broadcaster is still looking for a director of television to replace Sandra Levy, who last month started a new career in commercial TV at the Nine Network.

Column: Media