In a country still reckoning with the Bondi massacre and the strains it has placed on its social fabric, the Albanese government has declined a proposal from its antisemitism envoy to strip the ABC and SBS of their ombudsmen in favour of an outside body. The argument turns on a question that runs through every democracy that funds its own public broadcasters: how to hold them accountable without making them answerable to whoever happens to be most aggrieved. Officials point out that an external regulator, Acma, already exists for exactly this purpose, and the larger reckoning may rest with the
Labor rejects envoy's call to replace ABC and SBS ombudsmen with external body
Acma already acted as an external independent regulator
Mark
So what exactly did the government turn down?
Mimi
Segal suggested scrapping the ABC and SBS ombudsmen and moving their powers to an external independent ombudsman, like those in banking or telecommunications. Government sources say that won't happen, because Acma already exists as an external regulator.
Luke
Worth noting that's government sources, not a formal announcement. The minister's spokesperson thanked Segal but didn't explicitly reject the idea on the record.
Mark
Why does Acma matter here?
Mimi
Complainants unhappy with an ombudsman's decision can appeal to it. The broadcasters say that is their external review.
Luke
And ABC Alumni says Acma has upheld none of those complaints. That's a claim from an advocacy group of former staff, so I'd treat it as one side's account, not an audited figure.
Mark
Same for the four upheld complaints?
Luke
Yes. Four out of thousands is also ABC Alumni's count. The source doesn't give a total or independent verification.
Mimi
Segal's view is that independence shouldn't mean freedom from scrutiny, and she says Jewish community members perceive coverage as one-directional.
Mark
And the door isn't fully shut?
Mimi
Labor could consider changes after the royal commission under Virginia Bell reports in mid-December.
Luke
"Could consider" is the key phrase. What the commission will recommend on media is unknown.
Le Pouls
- A government envoy's call to replace public broadcasters' ombudsmen with an external monitor has ignited a fierce public dispute over Gaza coverage.
- Jewish community voices, progressive critics and Palestinian advocates are pulling in sharply opposite directions over whether the proposal protects or threatens free speech.
- Government sources have moved to shut the idea down by pointing to Acma, which already reviews complaints escalated beyond the ombudsmen.
- The matter is now parked until the royal commission reports in mid-December, leaving Labor room to revisit its position.
In a country still reckoning with the Bondi massacre and the strains it has placed on its social fabric, the Albanese government has declined a proposal from its antisemitism envoy to strip the ABC and SBS of their ombudsmen in favour of an outside body. The argument turns on a question that runs through every democracy that funds its own public broadcasters: how to hold them accountable without making them answerable to whoever happens to be most aggrieved. Officials point out that an external regulator, Acma, already exists for exactly this purpose, and the larger reckoning may rest with the royal commission now preparing its report in mid-December.
The Albanese government will not act on a proposal from its antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, to abolish the ABC and SBS ombudsmen and hand their work to an external body. Government sources say the country already has an outside regulator for the job: the Australian Communications and Media Authority, known as Acma.
Segal's proposal, released last month, called for an external independent ombudsman to monitor how the two publicly funded broadcasters cover the war in Gaza. She framed it as a response to concern in the Jewish community that coverage is one-directional and fosters hostility toward those who support Israel. The broadcasters pushed back, noting they already face external review, and the communications minister's office thanked Segal for her work without endorsing the idea.
The record on complaints is contested. ABC Alumni says the ombudsman has upheld only four of thousands of Middle East complaints since October 2023, and that Acma has upheld none, while Segal has sharpened her criticism of the ABC's Gaza reporting. Reaction has split along familiar lines, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcoming the plan and critics warning of threats to free speech.
For now the question is deferred. The royal commission into antisemitism, led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, is due to report in mid-December, and Labor could still change course in response to its recommendations.
The Albanese government will not act on a proposal from its antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, to abolish the ABC and SBS ombudsmen and hand their work to an external body. Government sources said this week that the country already has an outside regulator for the job: the Australian Communications and Media Authority, known as Acma.
The proposal came in an updated list of priorities Segal released last month. She called for an "external independent ombudsman" to monitor how the two publicly funded broadcasters cover the war in Gaza, and to make sure they are held to their own stated standards of accuracy and impartiality. The government, she suggested, should consider "transferring" the ombudsmen's responsibilities to such a body, in line with arrangements in sectors like telecommunications and banking.
Segal framed it as a response to concern in the Jewish community. Many people there, she wrote, feel coverage is one-directional and may foster a negative, even hostile, view among audiences of those who support Israel or sympathise with it. She also wrote in October that the independence of public broadcasters must be protected, but that independence does not amount to a right to be free from external scrutiny and empirical review.
The broadcasters pushed back at the time. The ABC called its complaints process the most robust and transparent in Australian media, and both it and SBS noted they are already subject to external review by Acma. Government sources made the same point this week: Acma can investigate complaints that need to be escalated beyond the ombudsmen.
A spokesperson for the communications minister, Anika Wells, thanked Segal for her work and said there is no place for antisemitism in Australia, describing it as an evil that tears at the fabric of the country and puts a peaceful, free and equal society at risk. The spokesperson did not endorse the ombudsman proposal. They pointed instead to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which the government expects to receive soon.
That commission, headed by former high court judge Virginia Bell, was set up after the antisemitic Bondi beach massacre in December 2025 and is due to report in mid-December. It is understood Labor could consider changes in response to its recommendations. The government, the spokesperson said, will keep working with the envoy, the Jewish community and all Australians on antisemitism and social cohesion.
Reaction to the idea was divided when it surfaced a fortnight ago. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed it, saying meaningful oversight of public broadcaster coverage could only come through external accountability. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia called the plan "Trumpian" and said it threatened free speech and democratic rights. The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network objected to conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, saying speaking out against Israel's ongoing atrocities is the prerogative of anyone who believes in human dignity and human rights.
The record on complaints is contested ground. The ABC ombudsman has investigated public complaints about Middle East and Gaza coverage, including coverage of the Israeli president's visit to Australia and a press club address by the Israeli ambassador. ABC Alumni, which represents hundreds of former staff, says that since October 2023 the ombudsman has upheld four out of thousands of complaints of bias or inaccuracy on Middle East coverage, and that Acma, where dissatisfied complainants can appeal, has upheld none. The group said it was outraged at Segal's continued insistence that the ABC and SBS are contributing to antisemitism.
Segal's position on media oversight has shifted over time. Her first report in mid-2025 proposed giving the envoy powers to monitor media organisations and encourage accurate, fair and responsible reporting. In mid-2026 she told the royal commission she wanted an oversight committee that could give ABC and SBS coverage a "tick" or "guidance". This week she told Senate estimates she was concerned about the tone and frequency of the ABC's Gaza reporting. The next marker is the royal commission's report in mid-December.
Citations marquantes
The government will soon receive the final report from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.— Spokesperson for communications minister Anika Wells
Independence does not amount to a right to be free from external scrutiny and empirical review.— Jillian Segal, antisemitism envoy (paraphrased)
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur The Guardian ↗