Mark Jennings: Newsroom co-editor on the Government reversing decision to bar journalist from Abuse in Care apology

Newsroom won't say why an investigative journalist was initially barred from tomorrow's state apology to survivors of Abuse in Care. 

Speaker Gerry Brownlee initially declined Aaron Smale's accreditation application, citing undisclosed issues with his conduct on a prior occasion.

But after pressure, Brownlee has allowed Smale to attend, if accompanied by a Newsroom journalist.

Co-editor Mark Jennings says Brownlee probably didn't have the full story.

"He hadn't witnessed any of it himself, he hadn't reviewed any tapes - he was going on the say of other people."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A bit of a thing has been going on in
Parliament today. Speaker Jerry Brownly has banned and now unbanned
an investigative journalist from covering the National Apology to Survivors
of Abuse and State Care at Parliament tomorrow. Chap's name
is Aaron Smailee works for Newsroom. He had an application
for accreditation to the event, initially denied by the Speaker
apparently there were some issues to do with his conduct

(00:21):
on a prior occasion, but then after some protests by
the Parliamentary Press Gallery and Newsroom the employer, the application
will now be approved Now. Mark Jennings is the co
editor of Newsroom and with us Now ho Mark, Yeah, Hi,
did Jerry explain this is a speaker? Did Jerry explain
to you why he's unbanned?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Erin Ah, he did, but we agreed to a confidential
discussion with him. But essentially, yes, it does relate to
what he thought was Aaron's conduct at some previous media conferences.

(00:58):
Now he think at this point Jerry Brownie had probably
not really had the full story. He hadn't witnessed any
of it himselves, hadn't reviewed any tapes. He was going
on to say, of other people. And once we had
had to talk to him, Once he had I guess,
experienced a whole lot of pressure from other people, organizations, etc.

(01:23):
He decided to change his mind.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
So let me get this right, Max. So he's disgusted
with you, but he's asked you not to tell us
anything about the discussion. Is that right?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah? That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well that suggests to me that he's embarrassed by this,
is he?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, Jerry is Jerry. I don't know whether there is embarrassed,
you know, by anything, but I think it's you know,
the issue is when you know, he gets told something
by people in the beehive. You know, he's a busy man.
He can't check about himself.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
But I mean, here's the thing. Freedom of the press
is a really important part of democracy, right. I don't
want to like catastrophize the situation or anything, but it's
really important. And if you're going to deny the accreditation
to arguably one of the most experienced journalists in this field,
you've got to have more grounds than just listening to

(02:20):
the ninth floor having a winge about it.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Surely I totally agree you do. And this, you know,
this has not been good for journalism or freedom of
speech or any of those things. And it's it's really
good that it's been turned around because Aaron has basically
led the way on the story for a long time.
He is the expert on it.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
So does this call into question the speaker's independence, as
in like he's not doing the bidding of his own
party here?

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Look, I wouldn't. I wouldn't say that, but I think
it just required thought than perhaps he gave it in
the first place.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
Okay, Now, did Aaron maybe push it a little bit
far with Karen Shaw? I haven't heard this, so I'm
relying doing exactly the same thing as Jerry are relying
entirely on you here. Did he push it a.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Bit Well, look, I wouldn't think. I don't think so,
to be honest, Aaron, Look, his questioning was quite aggressive
and unforgiving. I think there are plenty of ministers that
you know, if it had been Winston or someone like that,

(03:37):
that would have just been water off a duck's back.
Maybe Karen is a little bit more sensitive to this.
There was one particular thing that I guess slightly upset Aaron,
and it was when act referenced in terms of boot
camps referenced the Mari Battalion, and I think that really

(03:59):
upset Erin because you know, the Murray Battalion has a
special place in our history and to sort of link
it with boot camps that was not a good call
by act and that was what kind of led to
if you like emotions rising, Okay.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Mark, thank you for talking to us. I really appreciate
your time. I know you're a busy man dealing with
a lot today. That's Mark Jennings, Newsroom co editor. For
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