Tingle counselled by ABC over 'racist country' comments at festival

Tingle told the audience on May 26: "We are a racist country, let's face it. We always have been, and it's very depressing."

Watching Mr Dutton's budget reply speech, Tingle said, she felt a "terrible chill".

She had "this sudden flash of people turning up to try and rent a property or at an auction and they look a bit different - whatever you define different as - that basically he (Mr Dutton) has given them licence to be abused".

She went on to praise the Labor government, saying: "It's not just about whether they got rid of Scott Morrison, they are actually trying to govern, they are trying to run a government, they are actually trying to do policy.

"Whether you think the policy is s*** or not, that's another issue."

As well as her prominent role on 730 Tingle is currently a staff elected board member.

ABC News Director Jason Stevens wrote in a statement on May 28 that the comments "would not have met the ABC's editorial standards".

"Although the remarks were conversational, and not made in her work capacity, the ABC and its employees have unique obligations in the Australian media," he wrote.

"The ABC's editorial standards serve a vital role. Laura has been reminded of their application at external events as well as in her work and I have counselled her over the remarks."

The ABC's editorial standards state: "Impartiality is a fundamental standard ... It is central to its public service purpose and to its reputation as a credible and trustworthy broadcaster."

Tingle released her own statement in response on ABC's corporate website.

"I regret that when I was making these observations at the Writers' Festival the nature of the free-flowing panel discussion means they were not surrounded by every quote substantiating them which would have - and had - been included in what I had said earlier on the ABC," she wrote.

"This has created the opportunity for yet another anti-ABC pile-on.

"This is not helpful to me or to the ABC. Or to the national debate."

Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman described the comments on X as "extraordinary and completely indefensible".

"While every Australian has a right to their political views, not every Australian is chief political correspondent for ABC's 7:30 program," he wrote.

"The ABC needs to explain how Ms Tingle's statements are compatible with her role at the taxpayer-funded broadcaster."

Page MP Kevin Hogan wrote on Instagram, Tingle had confirmed she is a "left wing activist first - journalist 2nd".

"The ABC is a taxpayer funded organisation and should be objective in its journalism. Laura Tingle is displaying this is not possible for her."

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price accused Tingle of not doing her job properly on 2GB.

"Laura Tingle has demonstrated over and again her bias and I think [ABC chair] Kim Williams needs to explain why having someone so blatantly partisan sitting in the top political commentator position is in fact acceptable," she said.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek told Seven's Sunrise on the morning of May 27 that Australia was a great multicultural country but declined to criticise Tingle directly.

Tingle did have her supporters.

Former ABC reporter Quentin Dempster described her as "fearless".

"Laura Tingle's analysis is fair enough and substantiated by the evidence. Dog whistling by our pollies is a well known tactic. Analysis is impartial."

Author Michael Pascoe said the attack was "ridiculous".

"[It] demonstrates how threadbare is their excuse for existence, never mind relevance," he wrote on X.