- Decision ‘reluctantly accepted
- Hailed by her successor as a ‘tour de force’,
ABC star Laura Tingle has resigned as president of the National Press Club to ease the pressure of her high workload.
The national broadcaster’s chief political correspondent, 64, cited the upcoming federal election and her ongoing role as staff-elected director of the ABC as reasons to step down from the top job last week.
The iconic Canberra institution is an association of journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service.
Hailed by her successor as a ‘tour de force’, Tingle’s resignation was ‘reluctantly accepted by her colleagues’, according to the National Press Club.
‘Laura had formed the view that the demands on her time with a federal election and being an ABC board member that (sic) she was unable to give the president’s role the time it deserves,’ a statement read.
The two-time Walkley winning journalist has been a staff-elected director at the ABC since 2023.
‘The past couple of weeks confirmed it just wasn’t a viable arrangement – particularly given all the extra events we run during the election campaign and extra demands on me at the ABC,’ Tingle told The Australian on Sunday.
‘I decided it was better to pull up stumps before the campaign proper starts.’
Laura Tingle has stepped down as National Press Club president
The press club’s board of directors unanimously elected Sky News chief election analyst Tom Connell as its new president on Friday night.
He’s been a director since 2019 and has served the last three years as club treasurer.
‘The club has long been the pre-eminent venue for in-depth policy and political debate in Canberra, and I hope to be able to continue the legacy of those before me,’ Mr Connell said.
He also paid tribute to Tingle’s ‘towering contribution to this important national institution’.
The ABC’s Greg Jennett was elected to replace Mr Connell as treasurer.
Tingle’s resignation comes a month after her weekly column was scrapped by The Australian Financial Review.
Tingle came under fire for labelling Australia ‘racist’ during a discussion panel for the Sydney Writers’ Festival last May.
Laura Tingle (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) served as press club president for four years
‘We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing,’ she told her audience at Carriageworks.
Tingle repeatedly accused Opposition leader Peter Dutton of fanning the flames of racism after he called for a reduction in immigration to ease the strain on the housing market.
Her comment has sparked criticism, with Tingle accused of breaking her responsibility to remain impartial as a political reporter.
Just two months earlier, ABC chair Kim Williams shared a blunt message saying staff should leave if they broke the national broadcaster’s code calling for balance.
