Former government minister Eric Abetz has faced off with ABC boss Michelle Guthrie over claims by a former presenter about the public broadcaster's left bias.
Senator Abetz used the new managing director's second appearance at Senate estimates to query Ms Guthrie on an opinion piece by former Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes published by Fairfax Media.
Mr Holmes wrote it was undeniable that the ABC's capital city radio presenters come across, overwhelmingly, as leaning more to the left than the right.
"The leftiness of ABC radio output is doubly problematic when it comes to Radio National," he said in the April piece.
Asked by Senator Abetz on Tuesday whether she rejected that presenters lean more to the left than right, Ms Guthrie said it's an opinion she disagrees with.
"What about Radio National? That's straight down the middle as well I suppose. It doesn't favour one point of view over another," he asked.
"I don't believe it does," she replied.
Senator Abetz cited Mr Holmes' claim that Ms Guthrie will have her work cut out if she wants to change the broadcaster, because she'll be facing an entrenched culture within the ABC.
"It looks as though, Ms Guthrie, you may have been captured," he said.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said Senator Abetz should withdraw the remark, claiming it was unparliamentary.
