"It would be naive not to understand that the relationship between the government and the ABC is a difficult one," Mr Milne told the ABC's 7.30 program. While the broadcaster and government had hoped Mr Milne’s departure would end the affair, attention has now turned to the seven-member ABC board, which was made aware of the former chairman’s demands to sack chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici and political editor Andrew Probyn but appeared to do nothing. Board members are required under legislation to protect the independence of the ABC. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video In a new development, former Foxtel chief executive and News Corp boss Peter Tonagh, who is leading an efficiency review of the ABC and SBS for the government, told Fairfax Media the timing of the upheaval was “helpful” and “re-enforces the view these organisations play an important role”. “It’s an interesting time doing a review when there are vacancies for two CEOs and a chair position,” he said.

Loading “It allows us to be a little more creative, we don’t have to be as constrained as we might’ve been,” Mr Tonagh said of his review. This was unlikely to include anything as drastic as combining the SBS and the ABC together, he said. Asked whether both companies could operate in the same building, he said “it’s one option”, but noted there were worthwhile arguments about the different culture of the companies. The Morrison government will appoint an acting ABC chair within days, while senior executive David Anderson has been acting managing director since Monday. SBS is also searching for a managing director after Michael Ebeid left the broadcaster for a role at Telstra.

Senior staff and former directors are now openly questioning why the ABC board moved against Ms Guthrie on Monday but ignored Mr Milne’s attempted interventions until they were made public. The board members include Peter Lewis, Kirstin Ferguson, Donny Walford, Vanessa Guthrie, Georgie Somerset and Joseph Gersh. “The events of this week certainly raise questions about whether the board was sufficiently focused on the critical need to protect the ABC from political pressure,” senior ABC journalist Stephen Long told Fairfax Media. Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said the board’s future was a “very valid question to assess”. “I think it's a valid question because clearly they're subject to the same obligations as Justin Milne was, including maintaining the ABC's independence and integrity,” she said. The actions of Mr Milne, Ms Guthrie and the board will be examined in an inquiry by the Department of Communications and Arts secretary Mike Mrdak. Parliament will also probe the affair, and could call board members to appear.

Loading Matt Peacock, a staff-elected director of the ABC for five years until April 2018, said there were questions about how long it took the board to move against its chairman. “If I were on the board I would’ve looked at the material Guthrie had sent and asked for his resignation too, no question about it," he said. “The issue is there was this time delay." In a tweet, high-profile 7.30 host Leigh Sales asked of the board: "Why, if they saw the 'political interference' email/conversation records last week, did they not act until that became public?"