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Euro-trip puts ABC News presenter in the spotlight

ABC did not learn of a trip by newsreader Juanita Phillips with her politician partner until after it had happened.

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Screen Shot 2014-04-25 at 1.30.16 amThe ABC was told about news presenter Juanita Phillips’ trip to Europe with her partner, then-Minister Greg Combet, after it had taken place during her annual leave, according to a report today.

ABC head of editorial policy Alan Sunderland fielded media questions on the trip but emails published by the Daily Telegraph claim the broadcaster learned of the trip after it had taken place.

“Just alerting you to another spotfire,” Phillips advised ABC last April.

“There’s no suggestion of anything inappropriate — presumably it will just be the usual beat-up about politicians’ overseas trips … hopefully it will blow over in a day”.

Published emails indicate former ABC media spokesperson Sally Cray told  Sunderland, and colleagues: “I would have spoken to (the paper) but was not keen on facing the did you know question.”

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi agreed Phillips’ employer should have been made aware prior to the event.

A month after learning of the trip, the ABC switched their staffing for its Sydney News bulletin because of a perceived conflict of interest involving Phillips reading a story involving Greg Combet.

“In this case ABC News decided that to address any perceived conflict of interest it was appropriate to reallocate staff for Friday night’s bulletin,” a spokesperson said at the time.

5 Responses

  1. I could see a conflict of interest if she was presenting 7.30 and she had to interview Labor party figures, but she is a newsreader. She reads the news.

  2. “Deceit” screams Murdoch’s Sydney rag. What “deceit”?
    And this did happen a year ago.
    She reads the news. She doesn’t write it.
    Name one politician who doesn’t take their spouse/partner/whatever on their overseas junkets.
    “Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi agreed Phillips’ employer should have been made aware prior to the event.” – Why? Isn’t annual leave time personal time? She wasn’t reporting on the trip, so where’s the “conflict”?

  3. We should not expect the ABC news to be completely impartial when their main newsreader has a relationship with a person on one side of politics who is a significant player.
    Viewers should take that into consideration.
    That’s life!

  4. Obviously one side of politics had more to lose than any muck raking advantage against the other, otherwise it would have been front page headlines for who knows how long, with hours and hours of wasted parliamentary question time hours.

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