Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the short time that I have available to me I want to put on record how appalled I was with the Q&A program on Monday night and the way the ABC handled this particular incident. From one perspective in particular I have the most grave concerns. Here we had the ABC knowingly and deliberately putting their whole ABC team who were present at risk. There was a person present who had made very clear terrorist threats to ASIO officers. There were no security checks when people were entering. We not only had the ABC team who were producing that program but also a live audience. We also had a range of guests who were put at risk by the actions of the ABC. I raised this matter yesterday with Mr Mark Scott, and I let him know how appalled I am and, equally, how my constituents cannot believe that a taxpayer-funded organisation such as the ABC would show such total disregard for citizens of this nation.

An honourable member: Shameful!

Shameful indeed. When you consider the broader ramifications of that, and how this could be and will be used by ISIL in furthering their murderous cause, I would further say that the ABC has a serious case to answer. I could not believe when I looked at this live audience—I have seen IEDs and all sorts of different mechanisms used—that the ABC could take the threat of terrorism, given what Australia has been through and the people we have lost, so lightly. It is just appalling. It is absolutely appalling. The ABC needs to know that the Australian people, particularly the ones who have been in touch with me, are absolutely gobsmacked by this dreadful decision. The ABC knowingly and deliberately did this. They knew exactly what type of person they were inviting into their studio and they had a whole live audience that was at risk. It beggars belief, and I just cannot believe the irresponsibility of this particular act and what the potential ramifications of that situation could have been.