‘The world has changed': ABC axes political panel show Q+A after 18 years
The ABC has confirmed the axing of its long-running political panel show Q+A.
The public broadcaster announced on Wednesday that it would 'discontinue Q+A after an outstanding 18-year run and look to new ways to facilitate discussion and elevate voices from around the country'.
The ABC's news director Justin Stevens said in a statement he was 'very proud of Q+A 's great achievements over the years'.
'The team has done a terrific job, including a strong performance during the federal election campaign,' he said.
'Discontinuing the program at this point is no reflection on anyone on the show.
'We always need to keep innovating and renewing, and in the two decades since Q+A began, the world has changed. It's time to rethink how audiences want to interact and to evolve how we can engage with the public to include as many Australians as possible in national conversations. We'll be working on how we can continue to foster engagement of this nature in an innovative way.'
Stevens said the ABC would be investing in more documentaries and building on 'high-end programs' such as the political documentaries Killing Season and Nemesis.
The broadcaster is also advertising the new position of executive producer, documentaries and specials.
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The Advertiser
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- The Advertiser
'We support action': PM backs in US strikes on Iran
The prime minister has backed US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while also urging a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. In his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, Anthony Albanese said a larger war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Australia called upon Iran to come to the table and abandon any nuclear weapons program. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." The comments came after the prime minister convened a National Security Committee meeting in Canberra on Monday. Mr Albanese defended his decision to hold off on directly commenting on the US strikes until more than 24 hours after the American bombing mission. "We aren't a central player in this conflict, that's just a fact, and what we do is we run an orderly, stable government," he said. "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Washington had not made any requests of Australia. But she would not say if the joint US intelligence surveillance base, Pine Gap, in the Northern Territory had played a role in the operation. Senator Wong also said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We support those strikes, and now we want to see dialogue and diplomacy," he told ABC Radio. "We want to see a peaceful settlement from here, and I'm just not going to speculate on what steps might be taken next." Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran last week and are helping Australian citizens and residents who make it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. Senator Wong has previously said that while Australia has deployed Australian Defence Force personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, they aren't there for combat purposes. Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, where about a quarter of the world's oil transits through, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite questions over whether Australia should do more to support its major ally, former ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos said combat troops weren't the way forward. "There's no way we would put troops on the ground," he told AAP. "I don't think the government or the political establishment here are suggesting that we just follow whatever the US is going to do." Australia has previously provided some resources around shipping lanes, but during the recent outbreak of violence, the government has refused to entertain the possibility of military involvement. However, the American strikes have also been labelled as a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation" with the Greens warning further violence from Israel or the US would impact ordinary Iranian civilians. The prime minister has backed US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while also urging a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. In his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, Anthony Albanese said a larger war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Australia called upon Iran to come to the table and abandon any nuclear weapons program. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." The comments came after the prime minister convened a National Security Committee meeting in Canberra on Monday. Mr Albanese defended his decision to hold off on directly commenting on the US strikes until more than 24 hours after the American bombing mission. "We aren't a central player in this conflict, that's just a fact, and what we do is we run an orderly, stable government," he said. "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Washington had not made any requests of Australia. But she would not say if the joint US intelligence surveillance base, Pine Gap, in the Northern Territory had played a role in the operation. Senator Wong also said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We support those strikes, and now we want to see dialogue and diplomacy," he told ABC Radio. "We want to see a peaceful settlement from here, and I'm just not going to speculate on what steps might be taken next." Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran last week and are helping Australian citizens and residents who make it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. Senator Wong has previously said that while Australia has deployed Australian Defence Force personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, they aren't there for combat purposes. Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, where about a quarter of the world's oil transits through, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite questions over whether Australia should do more to support its major ally, former ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos said combat troops weren't the way forward. "There's no way we would put troops on the ground," he told AAP. "I don't think the government or the political establishment here are suggesting that we just follow whatever the US is going to do." Australia has previously provided some resources around shipping lanes, but during the recent outbreak of violence, the government has refused to entertain the possibility of military involvement. However, the American strikes have also been labelled as a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation" with the Greens warning further violence from Israel or the US would impact ordinary Iranian civilians. The prime minister has backed US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while also urging a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. In his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, Anthony Albanese said a larger war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Australia called upon Iran to come to the table and abandon any nuclear weapons program. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." The comments came after the prime minister convened a National Security Committee meeting in Canberra on Monday. Mr Albanese defended his decision to hold off on directly commenting on the US strikes until more than 24 hours after the American bombing mission. "We aren't a central player in this conflict, that's just a fact, and what we do is we run an orderly, stable government," he said. "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Washington had not made any requests of Australia. But she would not say if the joint US intelligence surveillance base, Pine Gap, in the Northern Territory had played a role in the operation. Senator Wong also said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We support those strikes, and now we want to see dialogue and diplomacy," he told ABC Radio. "We want to see a peaceful settlement from here, and I'm just not going to speculate on what steps might be taken next." Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran last week and are helping Australian citizens and residents who make it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. Senator Wong has previously said that while Australia has deployed Australian Defence Force personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, they aren't there for combat purposes. Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, where about a quarter of the world's oil transits through, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite questions over whether Australia should do more to support its major ally, former ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos said combat troops weren't the way forward. "There's no way we would put troops on the ground," he told AAP. "I don't think the government or the political establishment here are suggesting that we just follow whatever the US is going to do." Australia has previously provided some resources around shipping lanes, but during the recent outbreak of violence, the government has refused to entertain the possibility of military involvement. However, the American strikes have also been labelled as a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation" with the Greens warning further violence from Israel or the US would impact ordinary Iranian civilians. The prime minister has backed US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while also urging a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. In his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, Anthony Albanese said a larger war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Australia called upon Iran to come to the table and abandon any nuclear weapons program. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." The comments came after the prime minister convened a National Security Committee meeting in Canberra on Monday. Mr Albanese defended his decision to hold off on directly commenting on the US strikes until more than 24 hours after the American bombing mission. "We aren't a central player in this conflict, that's just a fact, and what we do is we run an orderly, stable government," he said. "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Washington had not made any requests of Australia. But she would not say if the joint US intelligence surveillance base, Pine Gap, in the Northern Territory had played a role in the operation. Senator Wong also said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We support those strikes, and now we want to see dialogue and diplomacy," he told ABC Radio. "We want to see a peaceful settlement from here, and I'm just not going to speculate on what steps might be taken next." Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran last week and are helping Australian citizens and residents who make it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. Senator Wong has previously said that while Australia has deployed Australian Defence Force personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, they aren't there for combat purposes. Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, where about a quarter of the world's oil transits through, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite questions over whether Australia should do more to support its major ally, former ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos said combat troops weren't the way forward. "There's no way we would put troops on the ground," he told AAP. "I don't think the government or the political establishment here are suggesting that we just follow whatever the US is going to do." Australia has previously provided some resources around shipping lanes, but during the recent outbreak of violence, the government has refused to entertain the possibility of military involvement. However, the American strikes have also been labelled as a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation" with the Greens warning further violence from Israel or the US would impact ordinary Iranian civilians.
7NEWS
an hour ago
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PM Anthony Albanese is questioned on local terror threat level amid US strikes on Iran
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought to allay fears about an increase in terror threats in Australia, following the US bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran at the weekend. America's Donald Trump administration confirmed it had completed an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Concern has been mounting the unilateral action could increase the terror threat in western cities, including Australia. Iran threatened the US with 'sleeper cell' attacks if they were attacked, according to NBC. The message was sent to Trump through an intermediary at the G7 in Canada last week, which forced the US president to leave the summit early to deal with the crisis in the Middle East. On Monday, Albanese was asked about the terror threat, which is currently 'probable'. 'Look, we are constantly monitoring (the threat),' Albanese said. 'The ASIO Director-General and our security intelligence agencies are constantly engaged in monitoring. There's been no change in any of the advice that has been issued.' Later in the press conference, Albanese touched on the possibility Aussies could become targets of attacks: 'Obviously we're opposed to any action against Australians or indeed against anyone else.' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was looking into reviewing advice for Australians travelling to the Middle East. 'There are always risks not only from escalation in the region but also potential for risk more broadly,' Wong said. 'I indicated publicly this morning that I have asked my department to consider whether there are any ... if there's any alteration to travel advice more generally, which we will obviously make sure is updated.' Albanese was asked a number of questions about the use of Australian military support in the region. He refused to answer if Australia had intelligence in Iran 'imminently' at the point of securing a nuclear weapon, prior to the attacks. 'Well, we don't talk about intelligence matters, but we confirm, of course, that this was a unilateral action by the United States,' Albanese told reporters. Albanese was questioned if his government was briefed by the US, prior to the attack on Iran. Albanese confirmed it was 'unilateral' action by the country. He confirmed he has not spoken to President Donald Trump since the G7 summit. Albanese wrapped-up the press conference by saying Iran still had a significant stake in diplomacy and peace, even after the bombing of its nuclear sites. 'Iran has an interest, an interest very clearly as well,' he said. 'I believe in in ensuring that there is not an escalation in the region. 'That is the incentive that they have. The United States have made clear their position, and we continue to call for dialogue. 'Had Iran complied with the very reasonable requests that were made, including by the IAEA, then circumstances would have been different.'
ABC News
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Show your support for Mark and Nadia at the CEO Sleepout
Mark and Nadia will be joining around 100 CEOs and company executives when they sleep out on the floor of Perth Stadium on Thursday night to shine a light on homelessness. On Thursday night, June 26, they will take part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and the following morning, Mark bring you the 720 ABC Breakfast show live from the Sleepout at Perth Stadium. You can hear all about how it went on Friday morning on Breakfast with Mark Gibson, live from the Perth Stadium by tuning in to 720 ABC Radio Perth on the ABC Listen app or live stream online If you'd like to support the cause you can donate here.
