Columnist says decision ‘had nothing to do with what I may or may not have said on the Bolt Report’

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

The conservative commentator and ABC critic Gerard Henderson has been dropped by the revamped ABC Insiders program hosted by David Speers.

Guardian Australia understands its executive producer, Sam Clark, Speers and the ABC’s news executive see no role for Henderson on the Insiders couch this year and are trying new conservative voices.

Sources said Henderson did not sufficiently engage with the issues during the journalists’ discussions. The decision had nothing to do with his conservative views.

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The executive director of the rightwing thinktank the Sydney Institute, Henderson is an opinion columnist for the Australian, and he also publishes a weekly blog, Media Watchdog.

Henderson confirmed he would no longer appear on Insiders, telling Guardian Australia that Clark “declined to guarantee me any appearances in the future” and he had “understood the message”.

Elizabeth King (@elizabethwking1) Looking forward to another round between David Marr and Gerard Henderson on @InsidersABC tomorrow morning pic.twitter.com/58HvNIEaN5

Henderson’s occasional appearances on the program alongside Guardian Australia writer David Marr have been celebrated for the stark difference between the two men’s views.

“I’m distraught,” Marr said when told about Henderson.

Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) This Sunday on #Insiders @annabelcrabb will be joined by @KarenMMiddleton, David Marr and Gerard Henderson #auspol pic.twitter.com/gb1wYUm9aD

There had been calls for Henderson to be removed as an ABC commentator after comments he made last week on Andrew Bolt’s Sky News show, but the ABC’s decision predated that.

During a discussion about a Four Corners’ expose of St Kevin’s College in Melbourne, Bolt asked Henderson: “How terrible was [the school’s handling of the case] really?” Henderson replied: “Not at all.” Child protection advocates criticised Bolt and Henderson’s intervention and they both apologised.

Henderson had said the program was “within the ABC tradition of attacking mainly Catholic institutions, sometimes Christian institutions”, and the story was a “a gross exaggeration”.

The victim, Paris Street, condemned their characterisation of the crime, saying their comments made him “sick”.

Henderson had been trying to secure a spot on the Insiders couch and had sent several emails to a number of news executives at the ABC, Guardian Australia understands.

Sources said he was told the revamped show was trying out some new faces and no dates had been set for him to appear.

On Monday the former editor-in-chief of the Australian, Chris Mitchell, made a case for Henderson to appear on Insiders.

In a media column which was lavish in its praise for Speers – “scrupulously fair and the best political interviewer in the post-Laurie Oakes era” – Mitchell said Henderson was yet to receive a call.

“It would be a pity to see [Henderson] leave Insiders over criticism of his appearance with Andrew Bolt,” Mitchell said.

“The show has had many critics, especially among conservatives, but has been big enough to give some of them a seat on the couch.”

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Henderson sought to clarify the column in a letter he has asked the Australian to publish on Tuesday.

“I wish to clarify Chris Mitchell’s comment about my relationship with Insiders,” Henderson wrote.

“In response to my email of February 4 about possible appearance dates in early 2020, Insiders’ executive producer Sam Clark phoned me the next day and advised that he had not made up his mind as to whether I would be asked on the program this year.

“In a subsequent conversation on February 7, Sam Clark declined to guarantee me any appearances in the future. I understood the message and sent Insiders an ‘au revoir’ response on February 11.

“All this had nothing to do with what I may or may not have said on the Bolt Report many days later.”