Michelle Guthrie ABC

POOR ABC

Questions continue to swirl around the ABC board’s decision to fire managing director Michelle Guthrie on Monday, as details of internal tensions and government pressures begin to drop.

While the ABC’s press release only pointed to a vague yearning for “fresh leadership”, potential factors have since included the up-to-$500 million television and radio archive scheme, Project Jetstream (AFR $); Guthrie’s travel plans (Sydney Morning Herald); her managerial style and lack of a journalistic background (Crikey); Sunday night questions from The Australian ($) leading to a board meeting; and deteriorating relationships with the Coalition government (ABC). The Australian ($) also reports that former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull repeatedly made complaints of Guthrie’s leadership to chairman Justin Milne in the months leading up to her dismissal.

Guthrie has since announced she is considering legal options, which the SMH says could eat into millions of taxpayer funds, and, for anyone looking to keep track, The Guardian has developed an unofficial he-said-she-said guide.

ROD RAMMED

The US government official overseeing the investigation into Russian election interference, US Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein, is expected to either resign or be fired following a weekend of explosive reports.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Rosenstein will remain in the job until at least Thursday. He had earlier rejected New York Times reports that he offered to wear a wire to record President Donald Trump and discussed the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Trump, meanwhile, is currently in New York ahead of a United Nations General Assembly address slated for Tuesday.

MITCH PERFECT

Hawthorn onballer Tom Mitchell has taken out the 2018 Brownlow Medal, outpolling nearest competitor Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom 28-21 at an last night’s ceremony.

The ABC reports that Mitchell, who also won the AFL Players’ Association most valuable player award and was considered the Brownlow favourite, averaged a league-high 35.7 disposals. He becomes the sixth Hawthorn player to win the prestigious award.

Elsewhere, Richmond’s Jack Higgins delivered a killer Goal of the Year Winner speech on bicycle kick against Collingwood ($).

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

Through all the political turmoil over the past decade I can’t help but draw your attention to your own culpability. It’s at least partly your fault. And there’s every danger you are about to make the whole situation worse.

Alexander Downer

The former foreign affairs minister calls you stupid and petty ($) in a piece blaming voters for the political turmoil of the past decade.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Death by a thousand cards: staff weigh in on Guthrie’s sackingBhakthi Puvanenthiran and Kishor Napier-Raman

“As news breaks of the sacking of ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie, ABC employees have told Crikey they were aware drama was ‘brewing’ as early as Friday. Senior staff were said to have been made aware of movements at the highest levels days before the board made a statement on Monday morning, and even before Communications Minister Mitch Fifield informed the Prime Minister on Sunday evening.”

Report sheds new light on the political influence wielded by special interestsBernard Keane

“The Grattan Institute’s Who’s in the room? Access and influence in Australian politics is groundbreaking work: a study that uses hard data to explore the disturbing extent to which special interests gain access to and influence within our political system at state and federal level. The report, by Danielle Wood and Kate Griffiths, goes to the heart of the lack of voter trust in our political system and why that lack of trust is justified by the ability of special interests to push for self-interested outcomes.”

Disasters of Brexit expose the fragility of democracyGuy Rundle

“‘Fog in Channel, Continent Remains Isolated’ (or ‘Fog in Channel: Britain cut off’), a British headline supposedly once read. They might have rolled it out again with the latest Brexit disaster. But they were too busy turning designer-suited prime minister Theresa May into Churchill, after she’d been told that the proposed ‘Chequers’ version of Brexit was not acceptable in any way, shape or form to the Salzburg EU meeting. Since selling the Chequers deal to her own party has almost cost her the leadership, she may have a right to feel miffed. That doesn’t make it any more likely that she’ll survive, but even so.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Nauru blocking refugee evacuations a problem of Australia’s creation – judge

Spyware on phone fears as Dutton pushes new security laws

Farm worker who poisoned 406 wedge-tailed eagles in east Gippsland jailed and fined

Scott Morrison tears strip off ‘mini UN’ councils ($)

Police clear VC hero Ben Roberts-Smith of domestic violence claim ($)

Qld govt stands by shark cull decision

From property to pokies: Ten-year feud faces the pub test

Australia Day: Prime Minister Scott Morrison insists on January 26 but wants a new ‘indigenous day’ ($)

NSW Liberal clash: Treasurer Dominic Perrottet backs down from Castle Hill pre-selection battle

Universities to get $300m fund under Labor

Shopper docket booze discounts to get the chop ($)

Rohingya crisis: UN should not ‘interfere’ says Myanmar army chief

Trump attacks ‘totally political’ investigation of new Kavanaugh allegations

THE COMMENTARIAT

Michelle Guthrie: Why she went — Margaret Simons (Meanjin): “Michelle Guthrie will not be much mourned within the ABC. Hopeless at the communications and political parts of her job, she never managed to convince the staff that she understood and cared about public broadcasting. But we would be very wrong to think that her departure is a good move for Australia’s most important cultural institution.”

Scott Morrison on Australia Day: Embrace national story on day it started ($) — Scott Morrison (The Courier-Mail): “Recently, I asked the question when giving a speech in Albury ‘Who loves Australia?’. I then went one step further and asked ‘Who loves Australians?’. The people in the room got it – hands went up, from the oldest to the youngest. But it’s not always the case. People can say they love Australia, but just don’t seem to feel the same way about their fellow Australians.”

The treaty process is well under way. Here’s what will happen next — Jill Gallagher (The Guardian): “This week, Aboriginal people from across Victoria will gather in Melbourne for two very important discussions about treaty. As Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner, my job has been to ensure all Aboriginal people can be involved in the treaty process.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

The Latest Headlines

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

  • Co-Founder of the Street Universities & CEO of the Noffs Foundation Matt Noffs and Former Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police Mick Palmer will present “Our drug laws are hurting people and our leaders know it” at the National Press Club of Australia.

  • President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Professor Rosalind Croucher will present the 2018 Alice Tay Lecture on “‘Rights-mindedness’ — making human rights real in public service and community understanding 70 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

Sydney

  • A NSW Liberal partyroom meeting will be held amidst an argument between Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams over the Castle Hill electoral seat and deputy leadership.

  • Day-two of the Third Sector Live conference will feature a range of charity representatives as well as Shadow Minister for Charities and Not-for-profits Dr Andrew Leigh, who will speak on “Changing the trend of declining community engagement in Australia”.

  • Leigh will later present the Evatt Foundation NSW Parliament Lecture on “The Postcode Paradox: Why is Australian Intergenerational Mobility So Low, and What Can We Do to Increase It?”.

  • Minister for Veterans Affairs, Corrections and Counter Terrorism David Elliott and Invictus Games CEO Patrick Kidd will launch the 2018 Invictus Games uniforms.

Adelaide

  • Day three of South Australia’s budget estimates will hear from Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink; Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs; Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway; and Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade.

Melbourne

  • ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and President Michele O’Neil will address a union delegate meeting ahead of the Victorian and federal elections.

  • The Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission will hold a Treaty Statewide Gathering at the MCG.

  • A state memorial for artist Mirka Mora will take place at the Palais Theatre.

  • A new report card on Victoria’s attitudes to autism and education will call for an improvement in support for autistic students.

  • Twenty years after a gas explosion at Esso’s Longford plant killed two workers, author Ramsina Lee will launch a new book chronicling the workers and their families, Workers’ Inferno.

Brisbane

  • Australian environmentalist Professor Tim Flannery will deliver the 2018 Challenge of Change Lecture on “The Governed Planet: Carbon budgets and C-negative technologies”.

Perth

  • Productivity Commissioner Jonathan Coppel will speak on the recent report “Rising inequality? A stocktake of the evidence”, and then discuss the topic with an expert panel.

  • Engineering consultancy group Cundall will hold a “Liveable Cities” seminar event for Perth World Green Building Week, to run until Sunday September 30th.

Darwin

  • Darwin Pride Week 2018 will run until Sunday September 30th.

Devonport, Tasmania

  • Federal Senator Richard Colbeck will make a funding announcement at the Devonport Men’s Shed.

New York, USA

  • The 73rd United Nations General Assembly opens on Tuesday in New York, with US President Donald Trump expected to speak to a reception of other world leaders and delegates.