Tuesday 20 September 2022 08:14 AM Stan Grant stacked ABC's Q&A with republicans to debate colonialism after ... trends now
Q&A host Stan Grant pressured the ABC into letting him stack the program's panel with republicans to talk about colonisation just days after the Queen's death.
Grant also vented in an opinion piece about his frustration at being unable to speak up about Aboriginal issues after Her Majesty died.
Former Liberal senator Eric Abetz said it was frustrating to be the only supporter of the British monarchy on the last Thursday's edition of Q&A.
Grant said he 'fought' for particular guests on the program, despite having at first 'chosen respectfully to play no part in ABC's coverage' of the monarch's death.
Stan Grant (pictured presenting Q&A) pressured the ABC to let him stack the program with republicans just days after the Queen's death
The five panellists were Indigenous lawyer Teela Reid, writer Sisonke Msimang, Ethics Centre director Simon Longstaff, American historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Mr Abetz.
Introducing the program, Grant, who is Aboriginal, said the panel would discuss 'colonisation, the republic, truth telling and is King Charles right for the role'.
He later said it was the first serious discussion on ABC television about colonisation, empire and Australia becoming a republic since the Queen died.
'I fought for that and to feature the important voices of black women Teela Reid and Sisonke Msimang,' he told The Australian.
'Australia needed to hear that, it is always the right time to hear those voices.'
Mr Abetz, who is chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, expressed his frustration at being the lone voice in support of the Royal Family on the show.
'What I can't understand is that the ABC didn't have another constitutional monarchist or Senator Jacinta Price, or Anthony Dillon, or Warren Mundine, to provide some balance that they so desperately needed,' he said.
Despite feeling cornered and targeted, he got a positive response from supporters.
'The feedback I got was I gave a good account for the cause, albeit when you are one against four,' he said.
Former senator Eric Abetz (pictured) was a lone voice supporting the monarchy on last Thursday's edition of Q&A
The five Q&A panellists (pictured) were Indigenous lawyer Teela Reid, writer Sisonke Msimang, Ethics Centre director Simon Longstaff, US historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Eric Abetz
Gran on the weekend wrote that he felt 'asphyxiating anger' at being forced to remain silent out of respect for the late monarch.
'We aren't supposed to talk about colonisation, empire, violence about Aboriginal sovereignty, not even about the republic,' he wrote in an opinion piece for the ABC.
'I'm sure I am not alone amongst Indigenous people wrestling with swirling emotions.'
The ABC, which employs Grant as its international affairs analyst, also looked at the dark side of The Queen's reign.
The veteran journalist, who is of Aboriginal heritage, said he felt 'asphyxiating anger' he has been forced to remain silent out of respect for the late monarch
Grant's piece was one of the national broadcaster's top two stories on Sunday, both of which criticised the monarchy - breaking with the media's otherwise respectful observance of the mourning period.
'Queen Elizabeth's empire is a shadow of its former might - but its damage can't be undone,' the first headline read.
The second was the opinion piece written by Grant airing his frustration with the headline: 'As my colleagues have worn black in mourning for the Queen, I've wrestled with asphyxiating anger — and I'm not alone'.
Grant said he was 'wrestling with swirling
