Dining out with the Abc – a Warning
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The Sydney Institute Quarterly Issue 34, December 2008 record that, at the very least, all three journalists broke their word by subsequently attributing to DINING OUT Costello comments which he allegedly made at the dinner. This disclosure breached both off-the-record WITH THE ABC and on-background guidelines. The weight of the evidence indicates that the – A WARNING Costello/Alexander understanding of the dinner was correct – namely that it was to be off-the-record. The ere is some (gratuitous) advice for any Labor or fact is that neither Brissenden, nor Daley nor Wright H Coalition politician who is invited to an “off-the- reported the function on a background basis in the record” or “on-background” dinner with an ABC short term. Clearly one or more would have done so presenter, producer or journalist. Don’t go. Just say if he had regarded the dinner conversation as being no. on-background, especially since they all The fact is that it is now official ABC policy that ABC subsequently claimed that at the dinner Costello employees can report conversations which they discussed his intention to challenge John Howard for willingly engaged in on an off-the-record or on- the leadership of the Liberal Party and the prime background only basis. The established criteria are ministership. In other words, this was a big story. as follows: PAUL DALEY’S MEDIA-GAME-ON • Off-the-record should mean precisely what it says In fact, more than a year passed before Daley broke – i.e. confidential. the story in The Bulletin. Soon after it was media- • On-background should mean precisely what it game-on as Brissenden and Wright joined in. And so says – i.e. the details of a conversation may be it came to pass that what was an off-the-record or on- disclosed as background to a story but they are not to background only dinner became very much an on- be attributed to the source from which they came. the-record discussion. However, to the ABC, neither term really means In the issue of The Bulletin dated 12 July 2006, Daley anything at all any more – since ABC producers, wrote an article entitled “Fighting Talk”. In it he presenters and journalists are officially allowed to commented: “Sources maintain that a year ago break promises and assurances which they make to Costello had resolved to challenge Howard, lose and others. This breach of trust has now been sanctioned move to the backbench while the PM and a new by the ABC Board itself. And now for some deputy and Treasurer – most likely the former leader background. Alexander Downer – ran the government”. Daley maintained that Costello had purportedly told AT WATERS EDGE confidants: “He can’t win, I can. We can, but he can’t.” On Thursday 2 June 2005, the (then) Federal This article attracted little attention at the time. Treasurer Peter Costello and his media adviser David Daley returned to the topic around a year later in an Alexander had a private dinner at the Waters Edge article titled “Shadow PM” which appeared in the Restaurant in Canberra with three members of the issue of The Bulletin dated 7 August 2007. This time Parliamentary Press Gallery. Namely, Michael Daley quoted Costello as having told supporters in Brissenden (then and now the political editor of the “early 2005” that he would challenge Howard in April ABC TV 7.30 Report), Paul Daley (then of The 2006. Daley claimed that Costello had made his “He Bulletin magazine, now a columnist for Fairfax can’t win, I can” comment in “March 2005”. Media’s Sunday newspapers) and Tony Wright (then Peter Costello turned 50 on Tuesday 14 August 2007. of The Bulletin, now a journalist with Fairfax Media’s He did two interviews that day – one with the The Age). Channel 9 Today show, the other with Sky News. Both Costello and Alexander have consistently maintained interviewers used the Daley article (in The Bulletin of that the understanding reached at the dinner was that 7 August 2007) as background to ask Costello it was off-the-record. Meaning that all parties agreed whether, in early 2005, he had said: “He can’t win, I that any information attained at the dinner was not to can” concerning John Howard’s prospects of leading be disclosed under any circumstances – with or the Coalition to the election which was due around without attribution – to anyone. Brissenden, Daley the end of 2007. On both Today and Sky News, and Wright have maintained that any information Costello denied he had said this. gained at the dinner was on-background only. Meaning that the information attained at the dinner ENTER MICHAEL BRISSENDEN could be disclosed but that the source for such On the evening of Tuesday 14 August 2007 Michael material could not be mentioned. It is matter of Brissenden broke what became known as the 3 The Sydney Institute Quarterly Issue 34, December 2008 Costello Dinner story on the 7.30 Report. Kerry Melbourne Age. So was the Treasurer's O’Brien, the 7.30 Report presenter, introduced the press secretary [David Alexander]. It was topic at the top of the program. March 5th 2005, the leadership question had been swirling its way through yet Kerry O'Brien: Tonight, more insights into another eddy. The Treasurer was in an the sometimes fractured relationship expansive mood. We all still have notes of between John Howard and his Liberal that discussion. Here's mine. Deputy Leader and Treasurer Peter Costello. Mr Costello started his 50th Peter Costello told us he had set next April birthday morning with a breakfast 2006 as the absolute deadline “that is, mid- television interview on the Nine Network. term,” for Howard to stand aside. If not, he He was asked directly about some would challenge him. He said a challenge comments he'd reportedly made to “will happen then” if “Howard is still supporters back in 2005 declaring that he there”. “I'll do it,” he said. He said he was could win the next election but Mr Howard “prepared to go the backbench”. He said couldn't. He denied the quote today, point he’d “carp” at Howard's leadership “from blank. In another television interview later the backbench” and “destroy it” until he today, the question was repeated – this “won” the leadership. And why would he time with an assertion that several people do that? "Because he (Howard) would lose had been present when Mr Costello had the election," he said. He said, Costello declared that Mr Howard couldn't win the could beat Beazley but that Howard can't next election and again Mr Costello denied win “without me”. April is the deadline it categorically. “then it's on”. “He can't win, I can. We (the In fact, there was a dinner back in early Government) can, but he can’t.” 2005 in Canberra with Mr Costello and WHAT DAY IS IT? three senior Gallery journalists, one of whom was our political editor Michael Towards the end of his piece, Brissenden declared Brissenden. The notes of that dinner that “the strength of Mr Costello’s denials today go to conversation record Mr Costello saying he the matters of credibility for the man who still holds would destroy Mr Howard's leadership if hopes of one day leading the nation”. Well, maybe. he wasn't prepared to step aside for Mr But what about Brissenden’s own credibility? Note Costello within a year. Here's Michael that Brissenden revealed details of a dinner which Brissenden's account of what was Costello maintained was off-the-record and which discussed. even Brissenden acknowledged was on-background. Journalists understand that a discussion which takes At this stage O’Brien handed over the story to place on-background cannot be attributed to the Brissenden – despite the fact that Brissenden was a person who (allegedly) made the comments. Yet this participant in the events he was about to report. And is what Brissenden did on the 7:30 Report – with the so it came to pass that Brissenden reported one of the full approval of Kerry O’Brien and Ben Hawke. big political stories of the year even though he was directly involved in the events concerned. This was And then there is the issue of integrity. Brissenden quite unprofessional behaviour. Paul Chadwick, the told 7:30 Report viewers that the dinner at Waters ABC’s Director of Editorial Policies, subsequently Edge had taken place on 5 March 2005. He also confirmed that the decision to allow Brissenden to claimed that he and Daley and Wright had “notes” of report his own involvement in this story was made by the dinner and flashed a copy of what he claimed Brissenden himself, O’Brien and the program’s were his notes at the camera. Brissenden’s statement executive producer Ben Hawke. was misleading in two respects. In short, he got the date of the dinner wrong and he falsely implied that Brissenden commenced his report by challenging he had his own notes of the Costello Dinner when, in Costello’s veracity and continued: fact, this was not the case. Much of the background for that [Bulletin] As Peter Costello was quick to point out, he did not story was given willingly by the Treasurer attend a dinner at Waters Edge with the three himself at a dinner here at Waters Edge, at journalists on Saturday 5 March 2005. In fact, the the time one of Canberra's finest dinner took place three months later – on Thursday 2 restaurants.