Government keeps ABC and SBS ombudsmen rather than adopting envoy's external oversight plan
The Albanese government will not scrap the ABC and SBS ombudsmen in favour of an external oversight body suggested by Australia's antisemitism envoy, according to The Guardian. The ombudsmen are the officials who handle complaints about the ABC and SBS, the two publicly funded broadcasters.
The envoy proposed an "external independent ombudsman" to monitor how the ABC and SBS cover the war in Gaza. According to the envoy, such a body would ensure that publicly funded broadcasters were held accountable to their own stated standards of accuracy and impartiality.
The envoy suggested the government consider transferring the responsibilities of the ABC and SBS ombudsmen to an external independent ombudsman, one consistent with arrangements in the telecommunications and banking sectors. The proposal was set out in updated priorities to combat antisemitism, released in October 2026.
The ABC said its complaints process was "the most robust and transparent in the Australian media". Both broadcasters have stated that they are subject to external review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, known as Acma, the federal regulator that oversees broadcasting. Australian government sources said Acma already acts as an external independent regulator and can investigate complaints that are escalated beyond the ombudsmen.
Reaction from community groups has been divided. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed the envoy's proposal, saying meaningful oversight of public broadcasters required external accountability. The Progressive Jewish Council of Australia criticised the plan as "Trumpian", arguing that it threatened freedom of speech and democratic rights.
The debate comes ahead of a broader review. Federal communications minister Anika Wells' spokesperson said on 11 November 2026 that the government will soon receive the final report of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The commission is scheduled to report in mid-December 2026. It is headed by former High Court judge Virginia Bell and was established after the Bondi Beach massacre in December 2025.
