Former Insiders host Barrie Cassidy has launched into a Twitter tirade against the ABC for its ‘bizarre’ election coverage.
Cassidy, 72, critiqued his former employer’s reporting on the election results in a series of tweets as the Australian Labor Party emerged victorious on Saturday night and Anthony Albanese was named as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister.
The veteran journalist, who has covered past elections at the public broadcaster and spent five years as Labor PM Bob Hawke’s press secretary, took issue with how the ABC tended to focus on the Liberal Party over Labor’s win.
This ABC coverage is really quite bizarre. There’s barely any mention that we have a new government,’ he wrote.
7.30’s Leigh Sales was leading the ABC’s coverage along with Insiders host David Speers, election analyst Antony Green and chief political correspondent Laura Tingle.
At one point, Speers spoke about swings against the Liberals in key seats and how it was a ‘dire night’ for the party, prompting Cassidy to question why the ABC continued to analyse the Liberal Party’s loss.
‘The discussions around how the liberals will cope is nauseating. Guys. We have a new government. Discuss,’ he said on Twitter.
Earlier in the night, Cassidy asked why the ABC was ‘talking about a minority Labor government doing deals with the teals (independents) to form government’.
He then blasted the public broadcaster again, writing, ‘The ABC is still talking about the liberal party. We have a new government. Raises a few issues; a few talking points. Doesn’t happen very often. Good topic I reckon.’
The political journalist said he was also ‘disappointed’ the ABC didn’t ‘congratulate’ Labor MP Tanya Plibersek for her party’s victory when she was interviewed during the coverage.
‘Reset guys. You don’t have to be cowed anymore,’ he added.
Barrie Cassidy was the host of ABC’s Insiders from 2001 to 2019.
Before that, he served as Bob Hawke’s media advisor for five years.
The Australian Labor Party won the 2022 federal election, with Anthony Albanese becoming the 31st Prime Minister of Australia.
He is the fourth Labor leader since World War II to win government from the opposition.
Mr Albanese declared ‘Aussies have voted for change’ in his victory speech after securing an historic election win on Saturday.
The 59-year-old snatched at least nine seats from the Liberal Party, but he may still need support from the Greens and independents to govern.
As of 1am on Sunday Labor had 72 seats – four short of the 76 needed for a majority – but was on track to pick up five more for a narrow majority.
The Coalition had 55 seats and minor parties had 13 after the ‘teal’ independents smashed the Liberals in Sydney and Melbourne.