The ABC board must be appointed differently after its now ex-chairman was accused of trying to have journalists fired, a policy group says.
ABC chairman Justin Milne resigned on Thursday after reports he asked former managing director Michelle Guthrie - who was herself sacked on Monday - to fire two reporters as the government had taken issue with them.
Australia Institute executive director Ben Oquist says the allegations have "shattered" trust in the ABC's independence and means it's time to change the broadcaster's governance processes.
"We are at a crisis at the ABC and as is often said, never waste a good crisis, use it as an opportunity," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
The panel that currently nominates board members should now be overseen or replaced by a cross-party committee, the institute has suggested.
It has also recommended the communications minister should no longer be able to bypass the nomination process to appoint a board member, or only be allowed to do so after speaking with the opposition.
Giving ABC audiences the chance to nominate a board member is also among the group's recommendations for protecting the ABC from politicisation.
The government didn't respond to a report in March, but Mr Oquist said a debate on the issue is bound to happen now.
"We will need a new system to rebuild public confidence, staff confidence, journalist confidence, that the appointment of the ABC chair is truly independent."
The Australia Institute Executive Director Ben Oquist. Source: AAP
Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland has suggested the government has not acted in the interests of the ABC's independence.
"Under this government, it has been subjected to financial and ideological attack," she told reporters.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said ABC independence "means a lot" to the coalition.
"It should mean a lot to every government," he said.
The ABC board met on Thursday morning without Mr Milne, after which the board asked him to step aside.
