Turning off ABC staff’s director

Ramona Koval's term as staff-elected director ends in June, and the Government has said the position will then be abolished.

LEGISLATION will be rushed through Parliament to scrap the staff-elected position on the ABC board in a move to tighten the Federal Government's grip on the national broadcaster.

Just before nominations closed yesterday for a replacement for Ramona Koval — whose term ends on June 14 — Communications Minister Helen Coonan declared the position "an anomaly".

Senator Coonan said the staff-elected directorship had given rise to concerns about conflict of interest and the effective functioning of the board, including the maintenance of confidentiality.

When Maurice Newman quit the board in 2004, he cited leaking of his plan for independent monitoring of ABC news and current affairs and Ms Koval's refusal to agree to the board's governance protocols.

Ms Koval said yesterday she had never breached confidentiality. "I have simply raised concerns about the potential for political interference," she said.

Senator Coonan said the Government wanted the legislation through before the next staff-elected director took up the position.

But in the meantime the Australian Electoral Commission will continue to conduct an election for the occupant as the government says the electoral process must continue until the bill is passed.

Ms Koval said the Government's intervention in abolishing the position while an AEC election was under way "reveals the urgency of its desire to control the organisation".

Quentin Dempster, a candidate for Ms Koval's replacement, said the staff directorship had been "a bulwark for public service values" in the ABC. The Government had no mandate for the change, which made it more likely that advertising and sponsorship could be introduced.

Critics within the Government are adamantly opposed to any extension to the term of chairman Donald McDonald, which ends mid-year.

Mr McDonald said yesterday there had inevitably been tension between the expectations placed by others on the role of staff-elected director and their established duties as directors of a corporation. He said staff issues would not be neglected in the absence of the position. "The independence of the ABC is secured by the legislation which will continue to guide the board in the discharge of its duties."

Senator Coonan said there had been claims that the staff-elected position created uncertainty about accountability. The Government believed there "should be no question about the constituency that ABC directors are accountable to". The change was in line with modern principles of corporate governance.

The position was created by the Whitlam government, scrapped by Malcolm Fraser and reinstated by Bob Hawke.

Opposition communications spokesman Stephen Conroy said that in 2001, Government senators unanimously endorsed a Senate committee recommendation to retain the position. "Nothing has changed except that the Government now has a Senate majority," he said. "John Howard regards the ABC board as a private club, with memberships to be handed out to his supporters as a reward.

The staff-elected position was the one appointment Mr Howard could not control, Senator Conroy said. "The staff-elected director is able to give the board an important insight into ABC operations. In some cases, they are the only person with the expertise to question the advice coming from the ABC's executive."

Friends of the ABC spokeswoman Judith Rodriguez said it was another cynical step in efforts to control the ABC.

"The partisan way in which governments make appointments to the board is the problem — not the sole position elected by the broadcaster's staff. What is urgently needed is a new assessment process for government appointments — one that is merit-based, transparent and independent of government," she said.

1975 Gough Whitlam creates the position of staff-elected director

1978 The post is abolished by Malcolm Fraser

1983 Bob Hawke reinstates the directorship

1986 The position is formalised by the Hawke government under section 13A of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act

Past staff-elected directors:

Quentin DempsterJune 1992-June 1996

Kirsten GarrettJune 1996-June 2000 (deputy staff-elected director on the ABC board since 1988)

Ian HenschkeJune 2000-June 2002

Ramona KovalJune 2002-June 2006

The ABC staff-elected director performs general board duties. The only difference from other directors is the manner in which they are appointed.