One of Australia’s most high-profile and wealthy figures has initiated formal legal proceedings against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the country’s national public broadcaster, after a prime-time program aired a four-minute clip containing explicit violent rhetoric targeting her. Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest individual and executive chairman of mining giant Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd, confirmed the legal assault this week over the controversial segment that aired as part of ABC’s *Race Around The World* competition series three weeks prior.
The segment, created by competition contestant Kate McGuinness, closed with a disturbing voiceover that called for graphic physical violence against Rinehart: “When the revolution comes, will you hide under the bed or will you know exactly how to shove a stick right up Gina Rinehart’s butthole, stirring it round, mixing her guts up nice and smooth, to make one big sausage roll to make something out of nothing.”
A week before launching full legal action, Hancock Prospecting submitted a formal request to the ABC board, demanding the segment be immediately removed from all ABC digital and broadcast platforms, that the broadcaster issue a public apology for the harmful content, and that an internal inquiry be launched to examine how the violent segment cleared editorial review to air. In a formal statement announcing the legal action, Hancock Prospecting slammed the ABC’s inaction in the seven days following the initial request.
“One week later, the ABC’s board and senior management have provided no substantive public response, nor any substantive response to Hancock or Mrs Rinehart, and have taken no steps to remove the material from ABC platforms, despite widespread public condemnation and the serious risks its publication and continued publication pose to Mrs Rinehart,” the statement read. The company has now named the ABC’s top leadership—chair Kim Williams AM, deputy chair Lisa Caffery, and managing director Hugh Marks—in the formal legal notice, outlining detailed allegations of serious breaches of multiple Australian criminal and civil laws stemming from the original broadcast and the ABC’s decision to keep the content online.
Initially, the ABC defended the segment as “editorially justifiable” consistent with the network’s editorial independence guidelines. But facing growing public and political pressure, the broadcaster has since referred the entire matter to its internal independent Ombudsman, an oversight body that reports directly to the ABC Board.
On Thursday afternoon, McGuinness issued a public apology through the ABC, insisting she never intended to incite violence against Rinehart, and framing the graphic language as over-the-top satirical farce. “The sense of humour featured in each of my films on the Race Around The World program is farcical,” McGuinness said. “In no way was it my intention to promote violence. My writing is cartoonish and always satirical. Unfortunately, jokes do not land with everyone. Its purpose was never to be taken literally. I apologise to anyone I’ve offended.” The ABC confirmed it supported McGuinness’ apology.
Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells became the highest-ranking government official to weigh in on the controversy Wednesday, labeling the segment “unacceptable.” “Like any Australian, there’s stuff I see on TV that I don’t agree with,” she said. “As the Minister for Communications, I respect the editorial independence of the ABC, but I understand they have now referred it to the Ombudsman. I think that was the right thing to do.”
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the country’s media regulatory board, announced it would hold off on any independent action pending the outcome of the ABC Ombudsman’s investigation, in line with its co-regulatory obligations. The legal process is now unfolding as questions mount over editorial standards at the public broadcaster and the line between free political satire and incitement to violence against private individuals.