The executive producer of Four Corners, Sally Neighbour, says “extreme and unrelenting” political pressure has been applied on the ABC before Monday night’s screening of an investigation into the after-hours behaviour of federal parliamentarians.
Neighbour took to social media on Monday to make the strong-arming allegation, backed by Louise Milligan, the lead reporter on the story, who said pressure had been “applied by multiple representatives of government to ABC management”.
Neighbour said: “All credit to the ABC’s leadership for withstanding it.”
Guardian Australia understands there has been significant internal debate within the national broadcaster about the program, and it is unclear what material will be aired by its flagship current affairs program after a lengthy investigation.
But Scott Morrison told reporters on Monday he expected the ABC to adhere to its charter and act in an unbiased way.
Asked whether the government had applied pressure to its managing director or its news director, the prime minister said: “The only thing I’m aware of is that the government always stands up for ensuring that the ABC would act consistent with its charter and I would think all Australians would expect the ABC to act consistent with its charter.”
Morrison said the government’s expectation was the ABC would “act in an independent and unbiased a-partisan way”.
“If they are going to make inquiries I would think they would want to do them across the political spectrum,” he said. “It’s always important that the ABC remains true to their charter and I would expect them to do that.”
Asked on Monday morning whether he supported the “bonk ban” – a code of conduct imposed by the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce formed a relationship with one of his staff, ending his marriage of 24 years – Morrison said those rules were important.
The Turnbull-era code bans sexual relationships between ministers and their staff. Turnbull has given an on-camera interview for Monday night’s program.
Morrison said on Monday the rules were important “to ensure you have the right sort of workplace”.
“I more than supported it, I ensured that it continued,” he said. “When the former prime minister introduced it, I was one of its strongest supporters and why it’s there, I think, is to protect a culture in the parliament and it’s not just any one side of politics, can I tell you, it’s important as a cultural change within the parliament.
“I note the Labor party has mocked the ban and hasn’t supported it. It wasn’t supported by the former leader of the opposition and it is not supported by the current leader of the opposition.
“Our standards that we’ve set as a government are very clear.”
Morrison said he had not seen Monday night’s program and could not comment on what he had not yet seen, “but that [bonk ban] arrangement was put in place on a prospective basis by the former prime minister and I have continued it”.
ABC management is scheduled to front a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra late on Monday afternoon.
