Coalition calls for Royal Commission hearings into ABC and arts sector

The Federal Coalition has called on the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to establish a dedicated block of hearings examining Australia’s arts institutions and public broadcasters, including the ABC and Creative Australia.

Shadow Attorney-General Senator Michaelia Cash, Shadow Minister for Communications Senator Sarah Henderson and Shadow Minister for Arts Angie Bell made the submission on Thursday, arguing publicly funded cultural institutions “shape public debate, influence cultural norms and carry significant responsibilities to foster social cohesion and combat hatred in all its forms”.

“Recent events have raised serious questions about whether some institutions have responded with sufficient urgency, consistency and transparency to rising antisemitism,” the joint statement said.

The Coalition cited “sustained criticism and public concern” over aspects of the ABC’s Middle East coverage, complaints handling processes and broader editorial approach, including evidence and submissions now before the Royal Commission “alleging that its coverage has contributed to social division and diminished confidence among sections of the Jewish community”.

The submission specifically noted the ABC and SBS have declined to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism used by the federal government, state governments and the Royal Commission itself.

“That decision has intensified public debate about whether publicly funded broadcasters are meeting community expectations in confronting antisemitism,” the Coalition said.

The ABC told media earlier this month it would not adopt IHRA, claiming the definition’s examples have “in some contexts, been applied in ways that risk conflating legitimate political and policy critique with antisemitism”.

SBS similarly declined, stating it “does not adopt or endorse any one organisation’s definition”.

Jewish community leaders criticised the broadcasters’ refusal. Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto said publicly funded broadcasters had “chosen to stand apart from the framework adopted by the Australian Government, State Governments and the Royal Commission itself”.

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director Colin Rubenstein called the refusal “inexcusable” and said it underscores “persistent institutional bias and double standards that pour more fuel on the antisemitic fire”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said: “It’s ludicrous that we’re still at the point of debating definitions when antisemitism has shown it’s a lethal and ongoing threat to Australian life.”

The Coalition’s proposed hearing block would examine “governance settings, complaints processes, funding decisions, editorial standards, cultural leadership and whether publicly funded institutions have appropriate safeguards to identify and address antisemitism”.

The submission also called for scrutiny of Creative Australia, noting “the Arts sector has become a flashpoint for division and controversy, raising broader questions about whether publicly funded bodies have clear and consistent frameworks to identify, respond to and prevent antisemitism while maintaining artistic freedom”.

Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal has proposed that public funding for cultural organisations be terminated where they facilitate antisemitism.

“Australians are entitled to expect that institutions funded by taxpayers uphold the highest standards of fairness, accountability, and social cohesion,” the Coalition statement said. “The Royal Commission should follow the evidence wherever it leads.”

Former ABC Board Director Joe Gersh told the AJN the refusal to adopt IHRA reflected the ABC’s “institutional bias”.

“As I’ve said consistently since October 7, 2023, the ABC is not part of the solution to antisemitism, because it is indeed part of the problem,” Gersh said.

“It is clear that the ABC has an institutional bias against Israel. The refusal by the ABC to acknowledge the IHRA definition of antisemitism, citing freedom of speech, is a telling symptom of this institutional bias.”