Australia’s head of government goes after the media: The public broadcasting’m not on the side of the Australians, clamored Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The trigger for the anger: ABC had reported critically about the refugee policy of the Conservative government.

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott is extremely unhappy with the reporting of public service broadcasting ABC. “Our national station is not on the side of the Australians,” the prime minister said in a radio interview. With a comparison of the sports he added also added: “ABC could still show a degree of support for the home team.”

The station had reported in recent months particularly critical of the asylum policy of the Conservative government. ABC accused the Australian security forces, among other things, that Marines mistreated refugees who had arrived on boats in Australian territorial waters. The government rejected these accusations.

ABC had also criticized the information policy of the Cabinet. Currently, the information provided by the Government limit on the number of refugees coming from Indonesia by sea to Australia, to a weekly e-mail. For weeks, the government refuses to give concrete information about whether asylum seekers are sent in lifeboats back to Indonesia.

“Abbott should start to behave like a prime minister”

In his radio interview on Wednesday, Abbott also expressed ” shock and sorrow ” because of the ABC ‘s coverage of the revelations of the U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden . Meanwhile documents had occupied , among other things , that Australia’s intelligence agencies abhörten the phones of senior Indonesian politician. These included the phones of President Yudhoyono and his wife. The revelations were the relations between the two countries heavily burdened .

Abbott called Snowden a “traitor” , the ABC had been with “pleasure ” a stage. “And of course , ABC has not reported on what he says. , You have even advertised. This is very worrying,” said the Prime Minister .

The transmitter itself declined to comment on the allegations . More violently criticized the opposition Abbotts media scolding . “He should stop complaining about the coverage , and begin to behave like a prime minister ,” said opposition leader Tanya Plibersek . Every government has so far been addressed by public broadcasting hard, said the Labour politician . ” And we should all be thankful for that. ”

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