ABC won’t explain why it did not report arrest of activists outside Woodside boss Meg O’Neill’s private home
The ABC has refused to explain why it ignored the revelation that the private home of Woodside Energy boss Meg O’Neill had been invaded by climate activists despite having a film crew at the scene and the news making national, front-page headlines.
As first reported by The West Australian, a group of Disrupt Burrup Hub activists descended on the City Beach home Ms O’Neill shares with her partner and daughter early on Tuesday morning.
The ABC came under fire and faced pressure to explain after it was revealed a television film crew — understood to be an interstate team filming a documentary for 4Corners — had accompanied the activists to the home to record the protest.
But despite having a camera at the address and the news of the incident making headlines on WA’s commercial television news and other national news websites, the ABC did not publish a report online, nor did it make any mention of it on its 7pm news bulletin.
Asked to explain the decision, an ABC spokeswoman said it had nothing to add to a statement provided on Tuesday in which she said the crew was there “to film the protest for an upcoming report”.
The ABC denied “any notion” that the TV crew was colluding with the protesters.
“They had no knowledge what behaviour would occur,” she said.
“The ABC has nothing to do with the protest beyond the reporting it is doing.”
Two notorious activists — Jesse Noakes and Gerard Mazza — are due to face Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with conspiring to commit an indictable offence over the incident.
They were denied bail and spent the night in custody.
Emil Davey, 21, and Matilda Lane-Rose, 19, are both facing the same charge and are due to appear in court this month.
Hours after the incident, Ms O’Neill said it was “not a harmless protest” and that it was “designed to threaten me, my partner and our daughter in our home”.
“Such acts by extremists should be condemned by anyone who respects the law and believes people should be safe to go about their business at home and at work,” she said.
In a statement, a Woodside spokeswoman said the company “condemned the actions of a group of extremist protesters who trespassed” at Ms O’Neill’s home.
“The activists were accompanied by camera crews in what was an organised and deliberate act designed to intimidate Ms O’Neill and her family,” she said.
“This is an unacceptable escalation in activity designed to threaten and intimidate by an extremist group which has no interest in engaging in respectful and constructive debate about Woodside’s role in the transition towards a lower-carbon world.
“Illegal activity like this only serves to distract from the real work being undertaken to achieve decarbonisation.”
Among the flurry of voices condemning the personal attack on Ms O’Neill was Federal Resources Minister who said “seeking to intimidate someone in their home or workplace is intolerable”.
“Extreme acts like this are not legitimate protest activity,” she said.
“Such acts are violent and intimidating and I condemn it entirely.
“It would be a loss for all of us if Australia were to become the kind of place where public figures needed to surround themselves with security at all times.”
Source: News
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