ABC star Laura Tingle has quit her job as political reporter for 7.30 and will take up a posting as the national broadcaster’s global affairs editor.
Ms Tingle, 64, who joined the ABC in 2018, said she was excited about the new role, which will see her travel around the world reporting on big events ‘that also shape our nation’.
‘It’s so important that the national public broadcaster has n eyes on the world putting the significance of major global events into context for local audiences.’
Ms Tingle’s 40-year career also includes being political editor of The n Financial Review and working for The n, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms Tingle will remain in her role as the staff-elected director on the ABC board, after been elected in 2023. Her term will expire in April 2028.
Last year, she was accused of failing to maintain journalistic impartiality after she accused Opposition leader Peter Dutton of fanning the flames of racism after he called for a reduction in immigration to ease the strain on the housing market in his Budget reply address.
‘It’s not just housing,’ Mr Dutton said.
‘People know that if you move suburbs it’s hard to get your kids into school or into childcare.
‘It’s hard to get into a GP because the doctors have closed their books. It’s hard to get elective surgery. These factors have all contributed to capacity constraints because of the lack of planning in the migration program.’
Ms Tingle said Mr Dutton’s speech sent a ‘terrible chill running through me’ because she feared it could encourage people who are anxious about housing to blame migrants.
At the same event she called a racist country.
‘We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing.’
In a statement, Ms Tingle doubled down on her remarks.
‘In my commentary at the ABC, and at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, I expressed my concern at the risks involved in Peter Dutton pressing the hot button of housing and linking it to migration for these reasons,’ she said.
‘Political leaders, by their comments, give licence to others to express opinions they may not otherwise express. That does not make them racist.
‘But it has real world implications for many ns.’
The ABC’s news director, Justin Stevens said following the comments at the writers festival, she was reminded to abide by ABC editorial standards at external events.
‘Laura Tingle’s remarks at the Sydney Writers’ Festival at the weekend lacked the context, balance and supporting information of her work for the ABC and would not have met the ABC’s editorial standards,’ he said.
‘Although the remarks were conversational, and not made in her work capacity, the ABC and its employees have unique obligations in the n media.
‘Laura has been reminded of their application at external events as well as in her work and I have counselled her over the remarks.’
Tingle has one daughter and was in a relationship with New Zealand-born Hollywood actor Sam Neil for three years from 2018 to 2021.