The ABC has offered a humble apology following an erroneous accusation made by one of its reporters who falsely implicated two Nationals MPs for neglecting their constituencies amid claims that ‘people are dying.’
Claudia Long, the political correspondent for the national broadcaster, stated on “Insiders” aired on Sunday that National Party members of parliament were notably absent from their constituencies when the decision was made to dissolve the Coalition alliance.
“I believe that another crucial aspect for regional areas is having a local representative present during times of crisis, such as floods where lives are lost—this situation occurred earlier this week,” she explained to the show.
Long specifically mentioned two individuals who perished in the flooding waters within Alison Penfold’s potential electorate of Lyne on the Mid-North Coast, as well as in Pat Conaghan’s constituency of Cowper, where a woman drowned inside her vehicle.
‘I believe the crucial aspect is that even when you’re in opposition, it remains your duty as a local member to advocate for your community and support them,’ she emphasized.
Penfold and Conaghan were actively involved in assisting their local communities during the floods.
Following this, the ABC provided a complete apology to both Members of Parliament and took down the segment from the on-demand version of the show.
An ABC representative stated, “During the Insiders episode aired on May 25th, a panel member from ABC suggested that two National Party MPs, Alison Penfold and Pat Conaghan, were absent from their constituencies when the recent New South Wales flooding occurred.”
The ABC wants to make clear that both Penfold and Conaghan were in their respective electorates throughout the week and genuinely regrets the mistake.
Penfold accused the ABC reporter of ‘playing politics with this disaster’.
‘I have been in my electorate working to support people affected from the Hastings to the Hunter,’ Penfold told the
Daily Telegraph
.
‘Today’s events are just another instance of the ABC losing all sense of impartiality and fairness in their coverage.’
Conaghan mentioned that he has been assisting with efforts and participating in several daily briefings.
“The ABC can express their opinions freely, but they wouldn’t recognize hardship even if it hit them squarely,” he stated to the newspaper.
Across New South Wales, there have been five fatalities and approximately 10,000 properties affected by flood damage.
“We would have seen hundreds of fatalities without the bravery and courage shown by emergency services personnel over the past 72 hours,” stated NSW Premier Chris Minns.
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