Segal proposes outside ombudsman to monitor ABC and SBS Gaza coverage

Australia's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has proposed an external independent ombudsman to monitor how the ABC and SBS cover the war in Gaza. The idea is part of an updated plan from her office, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism (known as ASECA), released on 30 October 2026.

An ombudsman is an independent complaints watchdog. The updated plan proposes that a government-appointed panel review previous reporting by the ABC and SBS. It also proposes that the government consider moving the functions of the ABC and SBS ombudsmen to an external independent ombudsman, on the model used in the telecommunications and banking sectors. The Guardian reported these proposals.

The plan goes well beyond the broadcasters. It proposes codes for arts organisations to govern artists' personal political or ideological activism that falls outside the scope of an advertised show, performance or exhibition. It states that publicly funded arts organisations should be able to impose enforceable conditions on artists and terminate grants if they promote antisemitism.

For academics, the plan proposes that grant authorities be able to impose enforceable conditions, including ending grant funding, where a recipient engages in antisemitic speech or conduct.

Segal has been criticising the broadcasters in public for some months. In July, ABC and SBS executives were due to face questions about complaints of bias and antisemitism when they appeared before the royal commission into antisemitism. The ABC reported that Segal criticised both broadcasters at the hearing. Earlier this year she told the royal commission she wanted an oversight committee that could give ABC and SBS coverage a tick or guidance.

This week, at Senate estimates (the hearings where officials and agency heads are questioned about budgets and operations), Segal said she held concerns about the tone and frequency of the ABC's reporting on Gaza.

The original 2025 ASECA plan, published on the envoy's website, says it seeks to address the causes of antisemitism, confront its many forms, educate Australians about it and its dangers, and ensure the Jewish community is protected.

The latest report, which builds on that earlier plan, suggests dozens of new measures to tackle antisemitism in response to what it describes as emerging threats. ABC News reported that the report proposes visa review measures for visa holders and bans on face coverings.

Segal has also said that a new wave of Australian antisemitism comes from progressive social justice critics. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that remark.