Key facts
- The Albanese government will not replace the ABC and SBS ombudsmen with an external body, government sources said.
- Envoy Segal proposed an external independent ombudsman to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of the war in Gaza.
- The ABC said its complaints process was the most robust and transparent in Australian media.
- Both broadcasters said they are subject to external review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
- A spokesperson for communications minister Anika Wells said there is no place for antisemitism in Australia.
- The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is scheduled to report in mid-December.
The Albanese government will not adopt a suggestion by the antisemitism envoy to scrap the ABC and SBS ombudsmen and replace them with an external oversight body, according to government sources cited in a report published on November 11, 2026.
In an updated list of priorities released in October, envoy Segal proposed an external independent ombudsman to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of the war in Gaza and to ensure the publicly funded broadcasters were held accountable to their own stated standards of accuracy and impartiality. Segal said many in the Jewish community remained concerned that coverage they perceive as one-directional may contribute to a negative view of those who support Israel.
The ABC said at the time its complaints process was the most robust and transparent in the Australian media, and both broadcasters said they were subject to external review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Government sources noted that Acma already acts as an external independent regulator that can investigate complaints escalated beyond the ABC and SBS ombudsmen.
A spokesperson for communications minister Anika Wells thanked Segal for her work on Wednesday and said there was no place for antisemitism in Australia, describing it as an evil that tears at the fabric of the country. The spokesperson said the government would soon receive the final report from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion and would continue to work with the special envoy, the Jewish community and all Australians to combat antisemitism.
The report said it is understood Labor could consider changes in response to recommendations from the royal commission, which is headed by former high court judge Virginia Bell and is scheduled to report in mid-December. The commission was established after the antisemitic Bondi beach massacre in December 2025.
Segal's proposal drew a mixed response. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed the suggestions and said meaningful oversight of public broadcasters could only be achieved through external accountability. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia criticised the plan as Trumpian, arguing it threatened freedom of speech and democratic rights. The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network criticised attempts to conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.