Ita Buttrose has become a ‘captive’ of the ABC: Kenny

Ita Buttrose has become a “captive” of the ABC instead of leading and improving it, according to Sky News host Chris Kenny.

It comes as Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has announced a Senate Communications Committee inquiry into the complaints processes at the ABC and SBS.

Mr Kenny noted the ABC has already commissioned a review into its own complaints system.

Ita Buttrose, ABC chair, has said the inquiry is an “act of political interference” designed to “intimidate the ABC and mute its role” as Australia’s “most trusted source of public interest journalism”.

According to Mr Kenny, Ms Buttrose’s comments are “utter rot”.

“This is about a complaints process to deal with all kinds of mistakes, deceptions and campaigns conducted by the ABC, without proper accountability, at taxpayers’ expense,” he said.

“Like the ABC spending years pursuing Cardinal George Pell … like how the ABC pursued then attorney general Christian Porter … complaints about Norman Swan’s alarmism and incorrect predictions throughout this pandemic.

“Dealing with these complaints is vital, for fairness, for accuracy, for accountability … but Ita Buttrose is effectively saying, ‘don’t worry, we’re reviewing ourselves so leave us alone’.

“This is an extraordinary claim, a dramatic overreaction, and a defiant rejection of scrutiny.”

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