The ABC has permanently appointed Stan Grant as the full-time host of its flagship weekly discussion show Q+A, a year after Hamish Macdonald left and was replaced by rotating hosts.
Grant will begin his role as solo presenter with a special Q+A Monday edition on August 1 at the Garma festival in north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
“Garma is a place of conversation where the nation asks tough questions about who we are. It’s an honor to take the helm of Q+A from there,” said Grant.
“Hosting Q+A is a huge responsibility. I feel the weight of the public’s trust in me and the show. I will approach my role with integrity, decency and humility.”
Macdonald left Q+A in July last year, having taken over from Q+A founder Tony Jones in 2020. He said it was a gut-wrenching experience due to the constant abuse of networks social.
“And the abuse has come from people on the left who don’t like you asking Dan Andrews hard questions, and it’s coming from people on the right who don’t like you asking hard questions of the federal government,” he said. ‘last year. .
The ABC replaced him with a rotating roster of Grant, ABC Radio Melbourne host Virginia Trioli and Insiders host David Speers, depending on which city the show aired.
ABC news director Justin Stevens thanked Trioli and Speers for their “enormous contribution” to the show and said Grant was a natural choice for the permanent hosting role.
“As well as being a highly experienced journalist and presenter, Stan Grant has a respected role in key national conversations in Australia,” Stevens said. “Leading Q+A is a role that suits the breadth of his knowledge and talents.
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“P+A is unique in offering citizens the opportunity to engage in live debate with Australia’s leading thought leaders, policy makers and elected representatives, helping to hold power to account and facilitate constructive discussion about the our nation and its future.
“With Stan at the helm, we will continue to explore ways to further develop Q&A, including how to further engage the audience.”
The announcement quells speculation that the Q&A could be canceled or moved to a new time slot.
ABC viewers, used to 12 years of Monday nights with a news and current affairs lineup of Australian Story, Four Corners, Media Watch and Q+A, complained loudly about the move to Thursday nights of 2020.
The show’s viewership has declined since its heyday, as has live TV viewership in general, but ABC says the goal is not high ratings, as its primary obligation is to generate public engagement.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott once banned his ministers from appearing on Q+A, arguing the show was “out of control” and a “left-wing lynch mob”, but the show has also been attacked by the left to give a platform for division. and ill-informed speakers.
Grant will continue to host China Tonight and write his weekly column for ABC News Digital, in addition to participating in other ABC News projects.