On May 6, King Charles III was officially crowned King of Australia. At the same time, the ABC crowned itself with a dunce’s hat.
Irrespective of their political hue, Australians recognised that the crowning of the King was an historic occasion. And it wasn’t only Australians. Leaders from around the world came to be part of the spectacle of the coronation and pay their respect. The history, the tradition, the pomp, the ceremony, and simply just the huge gathering of world leaders coming together made for an occasion like no other.
Media outlets from around the world ensured they covered the event as they did in Australia. Concentrating on the event, its meaning, and the provision of relevant commentary was part of the stock-in-trade of the professional media operators to maintain audience interest and to be informative. But there was one notable exception, a disgraceful exception: the taxpayer-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia’s national broadcaster.
Seizing the opportunity of a must-see broadcast and anticipated sizeable audience, the ABC took it upon itself to hijack the occasion to provide a platform for its own luvvies, as well as an imbalance that would even make the ABC’s Q+A program blush in horror.
Instead of a quiet, matter-of-fact explanation of the event, viewers were force-fed monologues of diatribe from the ABC’s own ranks. This included those who superciliously sought to speak on behalf of Aboriginal Australians. That they might be presenting their personal view was never entertained. To believe the public broadcaster is to believe that all Aboriginal Australians think and feel the same. The fact their coverage’s overbearing demeanour and exaggerated hyperbole, especially coming from a privileged position, might actually have driven people away from the ABC clearly was neither considered by the ABC hosts nor those that allowed the fiasco to go ahead.
Lecturing us about how the Royal Family was personally responsible for all the evils of colonialism, racism and slavery, and every other evil in the world, we were provided with a full window of insight into today’s steroid-infused ignorance. That there may have been even one good thing to come from the British Crown, which has now morphed into the Australian Crown, was singularly avoided. Those immortal words from The Life of Brian – ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’ – may just have tickled a few cerebral neurons.
To so shamelessly hijack the occasion showed an appalling lack of judgment, if not deliberate manipulation, and requires an unreserved apology from the ABC Board and management. Following that, although the ABC ombudsman has just launched an inquiry, the public should demand a full-scale, independent investigation to ascertain how this outrage was allowed to occur, as well as who authorised it, so that it never, ever happens again.
Also, the panel of five voices all went out of their way to emphatically support the Voice to Parliament, offering an exceptional insight into the ABC’s staunch commitment to diversity and the hearing of all views – not. The ABC would do well to remember that Australia’s first Aboriginal parliamentarian, Neville Bonner (a Liberal, by the way, who was selected not for his race but for his merit) was an avowed monarchist.
And, today, how many other leaders from our Aboriginal communities vehemently oppose both a republic and the Voice to Parliament, but are denied a platform by the ABC? Indeed the pioneers behind the landmark 1967 referendum argued that the Aboriginal Australians needed equal treatment, not special treatment. Special treatment inevitably leads to resentment, a fact that is apparently lost on the ABC’s intelligentsia.
The ABC’s standards and policies, detailed explicitly by the ABC Charter, are clearly articulated and express a full-throated commitment to diversity, fairness, and journalistic standards. It’s reminiscent of the Bill of Rights promulgated by one of the world’s ugliest and most repressive regimes: the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The USSR’s Bill of Rights was a masterpiece in detailing the rights of its citizens. The only problem was that it was never actually followed. Given the influences in the ABC, the casual observer might reasonably conclude that the ABC takes its lead from the now discredited and defunct USSR!
The ABC’s editorial policy is clear. Independence, integrity, accuracy, impartiality, and diversity, together with fair and honest dealings, are all trumpeted. These virtues and values are vital for maintaining trust with any audience; indeed, Australians should demand them from their national broadcaster. But there was not one whiff of these standards during the ABC’s Coronation broadcast. They were cast aside without a second thought like a used tissue. And why? Because the ABC is not committed to any of its Charter. It routinely violates it. No, it’s committed to advancing a certain political agenda, as well as indulging the supposed intellect and compassion of its sycophants. And all this at the expense of hardworking, patriotic Australian taxpayers. This is literally Wokeness gone mad.
The ABC’s bias is now well documented. Its abomination of a performance during the Coronation ensures that it can never, ever claim to be an impartial broadcaster again. Its ratings are tumbling because it has lost the public’s trust.
To help the ABC understand how strongly the Australian people feel about this abuse of their national broadcaster, the Australian Monarchist League has commenced an online petition calling for both an apology and an independent inquiry.
Defend our Crown and our country. Sign the petition, and safeguard the future of Australia against the interests of those whom the ABC seemingly represents. Mark my words: the ABC has violated its Charter for the last time.
Eric Abetz is a former Government Senate Leader and Campaign Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League.
