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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Antoun Issa

Afternoon Update: Liberal senator’s ‘offensive’ ABC grooming comment; Bob Brown arrested; when to spot the blood moon

Bob Brown Alex Antic Medibank Play School Elon Musk Jacinda Ardern David Anderson Greens Mia Mottley Mick Tsikas
ABC’s managing director David Anderson
The ABC’s managing director David Anderson rejected the ‘grooming’ claim that Liberal senator Alex Antic made about a Play School segment. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

If there have been signs of an improvement in parliamentary culture, they were missing in today’s messy Senate estimate hearings. Labor senator Glenn Sterle was rebuked for calling his Nationals counterpart Bridget McKenzie “a naughty little girl” – drawing criticism from Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson and agriculture minister Murray Watt, who said it was “completely unacceptable”. Sterle later withdrew the remark.

In a separate hearing, Liberal senator Alex Antic accused the ABC of “grooming children” (yes, actually) and questioned the merits of the network’s diverse workforce.

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