Andrew Bolt attacks the ABC’s Laura Tingle over ‘savage and shamless smear’ against Scott Morrison – as he accused the segment as being like ‘a script from the Greens’
- Andrew Bolt claimed an ABC segment on Scott Morrison was a ‘shameful smear’
- The report presented by 7.30 political editor Laura Tingle aired on Monday night
- In it she detailed the Morrison government’s failings of the last three years
Outspoken political commentator Andrew Bolt has blasted the ABC’s 7.30 program over what he claims was an eight-minute smear against Scott Morrison.
The segment from Monday night’s edition of the program was presented by the show’s chief political correspondent Laura Tingle and rattled off a shopping list of the Morrison government’s failings.
‘Last night the ABC ran probably the most shameless, savage and biased smear of the Prime Minister and the government I have ever seen,’ Bolt said on Tuesday.
‘If you believe Laura Tingle, the government has been a complete failure led by a bungling fraud.’
Bolt (pictured) was livid over the ‘shameful’ segment he likened to an ‘eight minute smear’ against Mr Morrison
Among the issues raised by Ms Tingle was the PM’s ‘meticulously cultivated Scomo image’, his absence during the summer bushfires of 2019-20, the deadly Covid outbreak in the aged care sector, and allegations of Coalition slush funds.
Bolt was fuming over what he said was a lack of balance in the segment.
‘This sounded like a script from the Greens and this is from the ABC’s political editor on the national broadcaster which is required by law to be impartial in exchange for your taxes.’
Bolt said the segment did not criticise Labor and made no mention of the fact that Australia has one of the healthiest economies in the world post-Covid.
His guest political commentator Gerard Henderson agreed and went further, demanding Tingle ‘recuse’ herself or the ABC bosses sideline her until after the May 21 election.
ABC journalist Laura Tingle and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) at the National Press Club in Canberra on February 1
‘The problem here is, as we know, Laura Tingle not so long ago … declared that the Morrison Government was into ‘ideological bastardry’,’ Henderson told Sky News.
He was referring to a 2020 late-night tweet from Tingle which she later described as ‘a mistake’ and deleted.
‘What went to air last night was an appalling example of propaganda,’ he said.
The Prime Minister had appeared on 7.30 only days earlier where host Leigh Sales grilled him over his image.
‘Let me put it to you … there can only be one factor that’s playing into the negative sentiment towards your Coalition… without sounding rude that has to be you,’ Sales said.
Ms Sales noted a number of senior politicians had questioned his character including his Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce calling him a liar along with French President Emmanuel Macron, and former Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian calling him a ‘horrible person’.
‘Which she denies,’ Mr Morrison fired back.
Ms Berejiklian previously said she ‘does not recall’ sending the text in question.
In March Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells used parliamentary privilege to claim Mr Morrison was ‘ruthless’ and a ‘bully’.
Ms Tingle and actor Sam Neill at the opening night of La Traviata on March 26, 2021 in Sydney (pictured)
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