Crikey

According to the Daily Telegraph website of 1 August, their columnist Piers Akerman is, “One of the nation’s most respected journalists…” It is strange then, for a professional journalist to be so out of touch that he should write this little gem.

A week before the undesirable Dr Mohamed Haneef bolted from Brisbane, the self-proclaimed great and the good gathered at Griffith University to demonstrate their willingness to be used as political pawns in his support.

They were welcomed by the ABC’s Sandy McCutcheon, Radio National Australia Talks Back host…the ABC has in the past found McCutcheon’s involvement in an anti-Iraq war symposium could have given rise to a perceived conflict of interest and “and reminded (him) of his responsibilities.”

Perhaps Akerman has been so busy supporting the right, that he doesn’t know when he’s wrong.

It has escaped his notice that Sandy McCutcheon has not worked for the ABC for over a year - since May 2006 to be precise.

Not only this, but although McCutcheon has been the host of numerous functions that lend themselves to humanitarian causes, at no point has he ever been “reminded of his responsibilities” by the ABC.

I would like to remind Piers Akerman of his responsibilities to at least something resembling the truth if he is, as he purports, a professional journalist  — let alone “one of the nation’s most respected”. And an apology to McCutcheon is in order, too.

I must declare a conflict of interest. As well as being a professional journalist, I am married to Sandy McCutcheon.