Ms Rowland was not satisfied with the response and Labor has left the door open to demanding his resignation. Mr Milne's email was sent in May following a complaint by then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull about Alberici's coverage of the government's innovation policies. Ms Guthrie did not sack Ms Alberici. Former ABC chairman James Spigelman, whose board appointed Ms Guthrie in 2016, said he was "surprised" to see Mr Milne had told her to fire a journalist. "It’s not something I would have thought appropriate for me to do," he told ABC Radio National on Wednesday. "I was surprised and I would not have done it." ABC chairman Justin Milne is under fire over an email he sent demanding the firing of chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance called for Mr Milne to resign. Chief executive Paul Murphy said the revelations were "deeply disturbing" and showed "Mr Milne has no understanding of editorial independence, proper complaints handling processes or the appropriate distance a board chair needs to keep from staffing matters". "If true, Mr Milne should resign immediately," Mr Murphy said. Loading The revelation of Mr Milne’s attempt to sack Alberici also rattled the highest echelons of the government. "Emma deserves no sympathy but this is disastrous," said one senior Liberal minister. "He [Mr Milne] will probably have to go."

Ms Rowland, who would become communications minister in a Labor government, was left unsatisfied by a conversation with Mr Milne on Wednesday morning. "If these reports are true, this is an extraordinary situation in which the independence and integrity of Australia’s most trusted news organisation risk having been compromised," she said. "The independence and integrity of the ABC is paramount. It must remain free from political interference and withstand criticism even if, and particularly if, that criticism comes from the prime minister of the day." The Greens have also demanded Mr Milne's resignation. Alberici has been under fire from the Coalition government since February, when she wrote news and analysis pieces that were critical of its policy to cut corporate taxes. The ABC later conceded to nine errors in the news story, while the analysis piece was removed and republished after editing.

Speaking on ABC Melbourne radio on Wednesday following Fairfax Media's report, Alberici said she was not aware that Mr Milne had tried to have her sacked. "It's disappointing if true, obviously," she said. Reports of the government's attempted intervention in ABC staffing and coverage were "odd and very disturbing", Alberici said. "It really undermines the independence of the ABC, and that's certainly why I work there." Former ABC chairman Jim Spigelman. Credit:Steven Siewert The ABC has legislated operational and editorial independence from the government and formal channels for complaints, including through the media regulator. One of the board's duties enshrined in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act is to "maintain the independence and integrity" of the broadcaster and to ensure the accurate and impartial gathering and presentation of news.