Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull insists a government review of the ABC's decision to allow a former terror suspect into a live studio audience is not about "telling them what to do".
Mr Turnbull says he is concerned the ABC risked the security of other audience members by accepting Zaky Mallah - who spent time in jail for threatening Australian spies - on last Monday's Q&A program.
He denies he is trying to encroach on editorial independence at the national broadcaster, which admits it made an error in judgment giving Mallah a platform.
Mr Turnbull says it was a "shocking mistake" and the government is entitled to find out "who knew what, where and when" and who decided to allow Mallah on the show.
He questioned why Q&A's producers would choose the "least reputable, most discredited and arguably one of the most dangerous individuals" to participate in a debate on proposed citizenship laws.
"The answer, I suspect, is because in a sort of undergraduate playing at tabloid journalism style, they wanted to create the biggest shock and awe and sensation," he told ABC TV on Sunday.
The government's review, to be carried out by the communications department, can make recommendations, however the ABC board can ignore the advice.
"We have to find out what happened," Mr Turnbull said.
"That is not telling them what to do."
Mallah has served his time for his crimes but that doesn't mean he should be put in a "very high-profile" environment on live television, Mr Turnbull said.
Parliamentary secretary Steven Ciobo, who clashed with Mallah on Q&A, accused the ABC of lacking balance and played down suggestions freedom of speech was under attack.
"Could you imagine if Zaky Mallah had used that national platform to stand up and say that he wanted to see two woman gang raped?" he told Network Ten's Bolt Report.
"Could you imagine the uproar? There wouldn't be any spurious arguments about the right to freedom of speech."
On Q&A, Mr Ciobo told Mallah he'd be proud to be part of a government who kicked him out of the country.
Fellow panellist, Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon, accused Mr Ciobo of deliberately inflaming the situation when confronted by Mallah.
"He was seeking a rise out of Zaky Mallah because he knew what the outcome would be for the ABC and his ... electoral prospects," Mr Fitzgibbon told Sky News.
Mallah in 2005 was cleared of terrorism-related charges involving a suicide attack on a commonwealth building.
He admitted to threatening ASIO employees and spent two years behind bars.
Two days after the Q&A broadcast and after admitting error, the ABC re-ran the program.
As the person who has to make the case for ABC's billion dollar taxpayer cheque each year, Mr Turnbull says it's his duty to find out what happened.
Opposition frontbencher Mark Butler said the ABC review into the "very unfortunate" incident must be "calm and methodical".
"There needs to be an investigation into what happened," he told reporters in Adelaide.
