Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ABC has again sought to slur and denigrate an honourable Australian citizen on behalf of left-wing activists. On Monday's PM program, Mark Colvin and Sarah Dingle ran a story that suggested that Dinesh Perera was an inappropriate person to hold a senior position at the Manus Island detention centre. Sarah Dingle pushed the agenda of Emily Howie, an activist with the Human Rights Law Centre, who claimed that because Mr Perera was a former citizen of Sri Lanka, and because he was a former senior officer in the Sri Lankan army, he was not an appropriate person to work in an Australian detention centre—despite item 7.7 of ABC's Code of Practice stating that it must avoid the unjustified use of stereotypes that could reasonably be interpreted as condoning prejudice.

Ms Howie criticised Mr Perera despite her admission that she had not met him and did not know his background. It appears his greatest crime is that he is Singhalese. Not all Sri Lankan asylum seekers are Tamils; many are ethnic Muslims and Singhalese. Mr Perera is a well-educated and well-credentialed Australian citizen. To try to connect a fine professional to the sordid agenda of Ms Dingle, who is drawing a long bow, says much about our national broadcaster. Thankfully a true professional of the ABC, Chris Uhlmann, sought to add balance to this story and Dinesh Perera received some justice. This Australian citizen deserves better.