Pretty powerful and raw monologue at the end then.
You could visibly see he was quite shaken.
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Personally I don’t think he should have quit the ABC but have taken a long time off but given the racist abuse he has experienced, can understand why he was shaken.
That’s exactly what he’s done isn’t it?
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He is taking a break.
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I suppose you could say (not saying I personally think this) the same about Hamish Macdonald. Really I think Q+A is probably dead at this point. Either retool it significantly, or just axe it.
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Hamish is a really good anchor and presenter though. Dan may be a solid journo but as a presenter he’s very mediocre.
Monday May 29, 2023
This week on Q+A… writing the wrongs of history as literary giants Shehan Karunatilaka and Geraldine Brooks join the panel. Each author’s most recent work tackles civil war and its impacts – in Sri Lanka and the US – so what can these conflicts teach us about geopolitics today and the polarisation that is plaguing contemporary societies?
Closer to home, supporters of Julian Assange had been hoping to appeal directly to the US President to stop his country’s pursuit of the jailed Wikileaks founder, but those hopes were dashed as Joe Biden’s visit was cancelled. Assange’s family says his life is in the hands of the Australian government now. What more could politicians do to secure his release?
But while one state visit was cancelled, another was just beginning, with India’s Prime Minister here for talks with Anthony Albanese. Narendra Modi is a divisive figure at home and abroad – will Australia tackle the tough issues with him as he faces claims of human rights violations against minority groups in India?
And as signs point towards a rapprochement with China, Australia still has a precarious path to follow – keeping the trade relationship on track while staying strong on defence. So just how difficult a balance is that to strike?
Q+A is live from Sydney on Monday, May 29 at 9.35pm AEST.
On the Panel
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Jen Robinson is an Australian international human rights lawyer and author. She has acted in key international law, free speech, human rights and climate change cases in the UK and internationally, including before the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and UN bodies.
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Shehan Karunatilaka is the winner of the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. He is also the author of the award-winning Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, which was selected for the UK’s 2022 Big Jubilee Read selection.
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Geraldine Brooks is an author and journalist who grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs. In 2006 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for her novel March. Her most recent novel, Horse, is a New York Times bestseller. In 2016 she was appointed Officer in the Order of Australia for her services to literature.
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Tim Watts is the Federal Member for Gellibrand and has served as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Albanese Government since 2022.
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Kevin Hogan is currently the Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.
Broadcast Mon 29 May 2023 at 9:35pm
Note: Preliminary info that the program will be out of Sydney.
I’m sad and angry about the state of political discourse in our country. I checked in here to see what people said on Media Spy, but was generally disappointed.
I think people also missed the point of Grant’s stepping down for a while. He said in his last written article that it was beyond the racist abuse and the topic of the coronation — it was about the fact that we’re not really ready as a country to have hard conversations. I would agree with that.
I know the immediate tipping point was the abuse after the coronation coverage, but it’s worth noting that this is also not the first time that groups of viewers on social media have contributed to such a ridiculously hostile environment for Q&A hosts. I just feel like people should be able to conduct themselves better. Of course you should be able to debate hosts on topics, but invective, abuse targeting family, and threats is completely unwarranted and completely unrelated to matters being discussed.
This place is certainly not free from it, to quote someone here for example:
I think Stan crossed the line from being a journalist to being a part anizing dickhead in the space of a year .
And in response to this kind of view which I’ve seen come up a few times:
People also seem to have an impossible expectation of impartiality on ABC presenters. There isn’t any absolute definition of impartiality – two people would have different views of whether something is not partial to their own cause or not.
If people come to expect that impartiality means having a presenter who almost never criticises whatever causes you’re partial to, we’re just never going to get this — we will never have any single person that pleases everyone in this regard.
I think it’s important that people hear views that are different to their own, and I believe that the ABC should be a place among others where you can do that.
If not during the coronation, then when we will ever discuss the relevancy of the monarchy? Basically never.
Media Watch for one example regularly does criticism of ABC’s coverage – it’s actually a good sign that the ABC can hold itself accountable.
About the hard conversations:
At the end of the 1800s, the author Mark Twain visited Australia from the U.S., and he wrote an account of it in Following the Equator.
This is how he saw the brutality in Tasmania.
“Passing between Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen’s Land) and neighbouring islands—islands whence the poor exiled Tasmanian savages used to gaze at their lost homeland and cry; and die of broken hearts. How glad I am that all these native races are dead and gone, or nearly so. The work was mercifully swift and horrible in some portions of Australia. As far as Tasmania is concerned, the extermination was complete: not a native is left.”
Twain expresses satisfaction that Aboriginal people have been “exterminated” in Tasmania (which turns out to be a myth but it doesn’t change how he felt about the idea). It shows the extent to which this kind of attitude was internalised, that even someone visiting from half a world away expresses it with such vindictiveness.
Before I saw some of Grant’s content on ABC TV and online, I had never really encountered an articulation of a proper objection to this brutality and its ongoing effects. Off the top of my head, I think you still can’t really get that to that extent from anyone else in the mainstream media.
I may not agree with everything that Grant says or argues. For example, I think that he still often follows the establishment view too much on foreign policy, and for example, on China and Russia, though at a much lesser extent than the rest of mainstream media. But it was Grant that inspired me to write because he said unconventional things, and I have come to contribute some pieces to Pearls and Irritations johnmenadue.com (a dissident site which I found after they published some of Paul Keating’s pieces in the wake of his 2021 Press Club appearance) and Missing Perspectives missingperspectives.com.
And I may not like the way that mainstream media operates, that only an elite few get to have their opinions aired, and that the mainstream media has such a bourgeois lens.
But I think this is way more than just Grant. Hamish McDonald stepped down from Q&A specifically citing social media abuse – I suspect that that those people haven’t gone away, and probably targeted Grant with racial tones of the same kind of invective.
I think rather, it’s a chance for everyone to seriously reflect as well, about the (god-awful) environment for public discourse in this country.
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By and large, the criticism on here has been generally constructive and even-handed in my view.
I’ve seen some abhorrent commentary on other platforms and absolutely side with Stan when it comes to those comments, and totally understand the negative impact this has had on him.
It does not mean that he is above reproach though, and I am very disappointed in the ABC and Stan for not addressing the fact that some of his comments in the past year have genuinely upset people. I’ll quote Stan himself with what was his most offensive remark in my view:
“When the Queen died I didn’t anticipate the response that I would have, which was a visceral anger. How dare you? How dare the Queen just die and this country go into mourning?
This remark showed a lack of empathy, yes, the Queen might not mean much to indigenous Australians and I totally get that but this was just a nasty, mean-spirited slur against anyone who was saddened by the Queen’s passing.
I’ll agree with you on this, but I’d argue that both the extreme political left and right are extremely intolerant and that they are both equally culpable for the state of political discourse in this country. Just look at any political hashtag on Twitter and you’ll see just how nasty the far left can be as well.
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Taking personality out of it, I’m curious as to what the ideal skill set of the next Q+A host should be.
Should they simply be moderating a discussion or should they be driving it?
Criticisms seem to have been when they drive the discussion, as it’s easy to attack a host if you have a view because they may not push the conversation where you want or agree with - can’t keep everyone happy.
However moderating only can result in a host not pushing back against some obvious BS or non answer that is being spouted, simply to keep the conversation going, and coming across as a bit meek.
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Yes, this is funny, as I would argue she leans Labor hahaha
Stan Grant on eight weeks’ leave:
The ABC is appearing before Senate estimates where it has faced many questions about the events which led up to Stan Grant’s decision to stand down due to racist abuse.
ABC managing director David Anderson said:
I’m worried about Stan but I’m also worried about our other staff. I’m worried about our First Nations staff as we head towards a referendum on the voice, to make sure that they are sufficiently protected.
Justin Stevens, ABC head of news, has revealed that Grant, the host of Q+A, has taken eight weeks’ leave but hopes he will return.
Wrong account?
Isn’t that the role of the other guests to push back? That is where the balance of the panel comes in. This is where hosts get stuck and then wonder why their popularity drops.
5 June
This week Q+A hits the road, broadcasting live from Newcastle. The Hunter Valley community is NSW’s second largest city and is at a pivotal moment in its history – transforming from a fossil fuel hub to clean energy superpower. But what do people who’ve built lives, families and careers around the coal industry feel about this brave new world? And are our leaders up to the challenge?
The housing crisis being felt around Australia is particularly acute in the Hunter, now home to five of the 10 local government areas with the highest housing need. As residents struggle to find safe and affordable accommodation, what more can be done right now to help the most vulnerable? And with another rate rise looming, how can households absorb another hit to the budget?
Health and aged care services are also under pressure, and the national GP shortage hasn’t bypassed the city. As politicians debate the best way to encourage more doctors to regional areas and fill crucial nursing roles in aged care, is there too much talk and not enough action?
And Newcastle is a city synonymous with sport. Former NRL star Alex McKinnon knows all too well the risks of playing at the highest level – now with concussion and its long-term effects in the spotlight, what will policymakers do to keep players safe and fans happy?
Q+A is live from Newcastle on Monday, June 5 at 9.35pm AEST.
On the Panel
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Alex McKinnon was 22, playing professional rugby with the Newcastle Knights, when he suffered a horrific spinal cord injury on the field. Confronted by the inability to walk, use his hands, or perform normal daily activities, Alex was suddenly facing unimaginable challenges.
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Anika Wells is the Minister for Aged Care, Minister for Sport and Member for Lilley. Minister Wells is also a member of the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Executive Committee.
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Ted O’Brien is Australia’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy. He is a Liberal Party MP in the House of Representatives, representing the seat of Fairfax on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
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Nuatali Nelmes is the 14th Lord Mayor of Newcastle and has served for eight years, returned for a third consecutive term at the December 2021 general election.
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Nathan Towney is a proud Wiradjuri man from Wellington in NSW and an education leader. Nathan’s appointment as the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership role follows a four year tenure as the Principal of Newcastle High School.