ABC presenter Julia Zemiro slams Prime Minister Scott Morrison in damning tweets

The ABC can’t stop one of its star presenters from posting anti-Coalition tweets because she’s not directly employed by them, a Senate estimates hearing has been told.

The boss of the national taxpayer-funded broadcaster has been grilled over Julia Zemiro’s tweets slamming Scott Morrison, claiming in her latest rant that the Prime Minister ‘doesn’t get anything’ and should ‘get in the bin’.

The ABC’s social media guidelines state they apply to ‘any person who carries out work in any capacity for the ABC’, including contractors. 

At Tuesday night’s senate estimates hearing, Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg singled out a recent tweet where the television personality called for Mr Morrison and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet to be voted out. 

‘On this final day of 2021 I pledge to do whatever I can to vote this NSW state and federal government out,’ Ms Zemiro wrote on New Years Eve.

‘I’m not sure what the alternatives will be But I WILL NOT reward @ScottMorrisonMP @Dom_Perrottet and their ilk with another ‘go’ at it.’

Her program Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery is aired by the ABC but produced by an external company.

ABC managing director David Anderson conceded the broadcaster had ‘less control’ over employees not directly employed by them as he leapt to Ms Zemiro’s defence.

‘Ms Zemiro doesn’t work as a contractor for us, she works for another organisation which otherwise we do engage,’ he told the hearing.

‘In the end, when somebody is removed from you and not in your direct employ, then there’s obviously less control you have over their behaviour.

‘I will point out that Ms Zemiro is not a journalist, so she’s not reporting on politics at any particular point in time. She has a factual entertainment program and is espousing her own views.’

Code of conduct guidelines state personal social media use should not damage the broadcaster’s reputation for impartiality and balance.

But Mr Anderson said employees have free will on personal social media.

‘I can’t prohibit people from using personal social media, but what I can do is make it clear about what our expectations are of their behaviour when using it and the consequences that will happen,’ he said.

Ms Zemiro’s New Year’s Eve post remains online as she called the Prime Minister to ‘get in the bin’ in her latest rant.

‘On the 14th anniversary of the Stolen Generations’ Apology, Morrison said: ‘Sorry is not the hardest word to say. The hardest is ‘I forgive you,’ she tweeted on Monday.

He literally doesn’t get ANYTHING. Get in the bin. Again. #MorrisonFailure

A day earlier, she urged followers to not tune into Sunday night’s episode of 60 Minutes starring a tell-all interview with the Prime Minister and wife Jenny.

‘Try if you can. Resist. Don’t watch the 60 min thing. It’s below you,’ she wrote.

She previously described former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as ‘a d*****d that keeps on giving and why won’t he shut up’.

Following the shock resignation of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last year, Ms Zemiro declared her opposition to Mr Perrottet becoming Premier and posted a petition which said white men who are ‘openly religious’ should not hold leadership positions.