An urgent ABC board meeting over the future of its chairman Justin Milne has concluded, according to sources close to the board.

Key points: UPDATE: Justin Milne has resigned as ABC chairman

At a meeting in Sydney hundreds of ABC staff passed a motion calling for Mr Milne to stand aside

At a meeting in Sydney hundreds of ABC staff passed a motion calling for Mr Milne to stand aside An urgent ABC board meeting was then called, which Mr Milne was present at

ABC Radio Melbourne presenter Raf Epstein says several members of the board are now in a separate meeting with Mr Milne.

"They're not issuing demands, not telling him what to do," Epstein said, however it is understood they are discussing his future with him.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has declined to say whether Mr Milne should remain in the role.

"It's a matter for every high office holder to continually assess whether they retain the capacity to effectively discharge the duties of their office," he said.

Sorry, this video has expired Communications Minister Mitch Fifield announces an inquiry into allegations of misconduct by Justin Milne.

The incident has led Senator Fifield to ask his department to investigate the veracity of the reports, and Labor and the Greens to urge the Senate to launch an urgent inquiry into potential political influence at the ABC.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the facts of the matter needed to be established through Senator Fifield's inquiry before judgements could be made of Mr Milne.

The Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said: "Labor does not have confidence in the chairman of the ABC."

According to the ABC Act, the Governor-General "may remove a non-executive director from office for misbehaviour or physical or mental incapacity".

Donald McDonald, who was the ABC's chairman between 1996 and 2006, said while the board does not have the power to remove Mr Milne, it nevertheless has influence.

"A chairman would regard that as pretty heavy pressure, of course, if a board resolved that he should consider his position, or whatever, however they express it," he said.

How we got here

Mr Milne is refusing to step aside from the helm of the ABC's Board, following revelations in Fairfax media on Wednesday he emailed then-managing director Michelle Guthrie to insist senior journalist Emma Alberici be fired.

"[The Government] hate her," Mr Milne is reported to have said to Ms Guthrie, adding "Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC — not Emma."

At a meeting in Sydney on Wednesday, hundreds of ABC staff unanimously passed a motion calling for Mr Milne to stand aside and for an independent inquiry to take place.

An urgent ABC board meeting was then called — which Mr Milne was present at.

Earlier, ABC presenter Jon Faine, who has been named alongside Alberici and political editor Andrew Probyn as having attracted Government criticism, said Mr Milne's attendance yesterday was "ridiculous".

"The reasons are clear. Justin Milne can't be the judge at his own trial," Faine said.

"You don't have to be an expert in governance to know that's not right.

"It's not [complex]. It's incredibly simple. Justin Milne, the chairman of the board, can't chair a meeting where the major point being discussed is whether or not he's able to continue as the chair of the board that he's chairing.

"You can't chair that meeting. You can't even vote in that meeting. The board have to meet without the chairman to discuss whether the chairman can continue."

Sorry, this video has expired ABC staff in Sydney call for chairman to stand aside and for an independent inquiry to take place.

The Daily Telegraph alleged Mr Milne was also pressuring Ms Guthrie to sack Probyn, arguing she just had to "shoot him".

In a Fairfax report today, Mr Milne is also alleged to have used overly familiar language in board meetings, calling Ms Guthrie "the missus".

Fairfax media also reported that Mr Milne asked Ms Guthrie to take action against Faine, who had "upset the Government".

Mr Milne declined to comment on the reports.

Overnight, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull denied issuing any directions to his friend, Mr Milne, to pressure the public broadcaster's management to sack journalists or change editorial decisions.

Sorry, this video has expired Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull denies ever instructing the ABC's chairman to sack a journalist.

Mr Turnbull said he raised concerns about accurate reporting, but never called for anybody to be fired.

In his first public comments since the crisis began, Senator Fifield has spoken in defence of Mr Turnbull.

"At no stage … have I ever sought to involve myself in staffing matters in the ABC, nor, for that matter, am I aware of any member of the Government who has sought to do so — and that includes the former prime minister," Senator Fifield said.

But Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said she was concerned representations from Mr Turnbull to the ABC chairman amount to political interference.

"If these allegations are true it appears after that conversation the chairman of the ABC, after meeting with the prime minister of Australia, has sought that a journo be sacked," Senator Wong said.

"These are the actions of a tinpot dictatorship, these are not the actions of the Australian democracy."

'You should never act because the PM is unhappy'

Sorry, this video has expired Plibersek stops short of calling for Milne's resignation

Former ABC board member Janet Albrechtsen said Mr Milne needs to leave.

"There are certainly duties on you as a board director to oversee the editorial output of the ABC and make sure it is meeting its charter, but it is an independent organisation and I think Justin Milne needs to leave for that reason," she said.

Ms Albrechtsen said the Government and "politicians of all stripes" always make complaints about what is wrong with the ABC.

"But as a board member and as a chairman and as a managing director you are in charge of an independent organisation and you make your own decisions," she said.

"You should never act because the prime minister is unhappy or because any politician is unhappy."

ABC chair Justin Milne, managing director Michelle Guthrie and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. ( ABC News: Marco Catalano )

When asked about Mr Milne meeting with Mr Turnbull and others to discuss their concerns with Probyn, Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi said it was "a particularly challenging circumstance".

"It wouldn't be unusual for an individual and a chairman who has ties to government figures to liaise and get a sense of where they're at and what their concerns are," he said.

"But to slavishly carry out the wishes of a government minister or a prime minister based on a personal relationship would seem to be inappropriate."

But Senator Bernardi did, however, say that he does not think Mr Milne has technically breached his role as chairman.

"It may have been that Mr Milne overstepped the mark on one or two of these occasions, or was perhaps unduly influenced by the former prime minister," he said.

"But nothing I've really seen would technically breach the role of what a chairman is supposed to do or communicate with a CEO, albeit there is some perhaps distasteful language or a very imprudent use of rhetoric."