Liberal senator derided by scientist Michael Mann as Hamish Macdonald settles into role as new host

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

Q&A Mark II made its debut on Monday night with the newly minted host Hamish Macdonald putting his stamp on the program with an emotive episode about the bushfires, but the headlines went to Liberal senator Jim Molan for his comments that he was “not relying on evidence” to form an opinion about climate change.

The audience was filled with people who had been affected by the unprecedented fires on the south coast of New South Wales and the emotion on display was raw both on and off the stage.

The member for Bega, Andrew Constance, evoked sympathy for revealing he was traumatised by fighting fires and needed counselling.

Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) Every politician in Australia should take note careful note of how it sounds when one of their own speaks honestly and from the heart versus just turning up and trying to hit talking points. #QandA

“To your point about mental health, Hamish, I’m the first to put my hand up,” Constance said. “I’ve cried, I’ve been hugged, I’ve been loved, but the trauma of this is so profound and it’s affecting thousands of people across our regions and we need help.”

Liberal senator Jim Molan elicited howls of anger from the audience for saying climate change may not be caused by humans and he was keeping an “open mind”.

“I accept the climate is changing,” Molan said. “It has changed and it will change. What it’s producing is hotter and drier weather and a hotter and drier country.

I created Q&A because I wanted to give Australians a way of holding politicians to account | Peter McEvoy Read more

“As to whether it is human-induced climate change … my mind is open.”

Macdonald, who has replaced Tony Jones after 12 years as Q&A host, indicated he intends to be a more interventionist host, frequently asking follow-up questions of the panellists, at times conducting his own interrogation.

It’s a departure from what founding executive producer Peter McEvoy believed was a platform for the public to ask questions of guests.

Macdonald got into a lengthy stoush with Molan, asking him more than half a dozen questions, which was brought to an end by another panellist, Bega mayor Kristy McBain: “Can I bring it back to Serena’s question?”

Daisy Turnbull Brown (@MrsDzTB) What an outstanding episode of #qanda tonight. To have such honesty, such real trauma, such strength and humility on that panel; and then to also be reminded that there are people who don't rely on evidence relating to climate change and its relationship to fires.

Macdonald, whose own holiday was disrupted by the bushfires when he was evacuated to the Bega Showground, also appeared in a video package interviewing a Cobargo bushfire survivor about losing everything.

“New Year’s Eve at 4.30 [the dog] woke us up and wouldn’t let us go back to sleep,” the survivor said. “I saw all this was on fire. We just left everything and ran. I said it’s time to go. The first pictures we got of Cobargo from Bermagui was my shop burning down. The windows were all alight. And I knew that was it. There was nothing left.”

It was less Q&A and more Australian Story.

As a live, unedited program, Q&A has not traditionally included video packages before, but this appears to be something the new executive producer Erin Vincent is keen to try.

The show’s updated red transparent graphics may need a bit more work though, with some complaints they couldn’t be seen.

Ti Butler (@tibutler) ABC Mews, the ABC x Pokémon crossover I never know I needed #qanda pic.twitter.com/1rarWwGDwl

Discussing whether climate crisis was human-induced, Molan uttered the line of the night: “I’m not relying on evidence”, to which climate scientist Michael Mann replied: “You should keep an open mind but not so open that your brain falls out.

“When it comes to this issue and human-caused climate change, it’s literally the consensus of the world’s scientists that it’s caused by human activity. Now you sometimes hear the talking points from contrarians from the Murdoch media.”

Carol Duncan (@carolduncan) We are all this woman watching Jim Molan on @QandA tonight. #qanda pic.twitter.com/FJ1GxndGmZ

In the interests of balance the ABC strives for, Macdonald leapt to Molan’s defence.

“This is a democratically elected government and went to the election with the policies they have in place now and they were voted for and this government has been elected multiple times,” Macdonald said.

Ketan Joshi (@KetanJ0) Qanda is making scientists fight deniers again. The people who make the show are actively misinformining people by implying that there is an active debate about climate change.



You wouldn't tolerate it for vaccination. Why do you tolerate it for climate science? https://t.co/54rRiI61iQ

“Clearly there are a lot of Australians that are happy with the policy settings that may agree with Jim Molan’s scepticism, open-mindedness, about the science. Are you saying to all of them that their brains have fallen out?”