Scrapbook: Guardian Detects Whiff Of Gas At ABC Perth

 Snipped from The Guardian Australia's excellent Weekly Beast column, by Amanda Meade:

"Long-term Santos spinner Tom Baddeley has represented the oil and gas producer as the Manager of Government and Community Relations in WA & NT for 12 years. Before that he was WA’s director for the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, the peak national body representing the oil and gas industry. A former journalist who left the ABC in 2005, Baddeley starts on 7 February as ABC Radio Perth’s new Breakfast presenter, replacing Russell Woolf, who died suddenly last October.

Some environmental campaigners are concerned about the appointment given Santos is a powerful player – it was the fossil fuel company which the government hosted at its pavilion at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow last year." (Or is it the other way 'round?)

"Baddeley, who has appeared before the NT’s fracking inquiry, will now have to present an objective journalistic voice on all the issues he used to prosecute for Santos.

We think the ABC may have sensed a problem, as the press release announcing the appointment reached back 14 years on Baddeley’s CV to find a job that wasn’t related to fossil fuel lobbying. “He began his journalism career with The West Australian and after leaving the ABC in 2005, went on to work in media relations, government relations, policy advocacy and public affairs including as Communications Manager for WA’s then new Super Rugby team, the Western Force,” the ABC said.

An ABC spokesperson said ABC Radio broadcasters have a diverse range of experiences and come to the organisation from many different backgrounds."