I would rather my taxes be redirected from the ABC by Abbott to more worthy causes - that should not be hard to do

Back to the drawing board for the ABC's new 'Fact Checking' experts, but then it's indicative of everything else they choose to report ... or hide.

I'd keep my powder dry on this, he also appears to be both an mp and committee member..http://www.usindo.org/feature/u-s-house-foreign-affairs-committee-chairman-edward-royce-meets-with-indonesian-parliament-foreign-affairs-committee-chairman-mahfudz-siddiq

[John there's no doubt Bapak Yahya is a senior member of the Golkar Party and a member of the Indonesian Parliament. He's also a member of the foreign affairs committee. But it's a bit like putting CNN or someone interviewing Clive Palmer or Rob Oakeshott and saying that either of them speaks for Australia.]

So Tony Jones is either corrupt or a fool, perhaps both! At best this was very misleading, at worst it could be bordering on sedition.

This matter must be taken up by the Government and exposed for what it was - this guy and others who authorised this should be immediately sacked.

So the ABC claims that there is no actual evidence that there is a police investigation into Ms Gillard's past and will not report under those circumstances. However it is OK to act irresponsibly and conduct a "fake" interview pushing their own agenda. If Malcolm Turnbull doesn't take action/axe to ABC he should be sacked.

Turnbull's body language yesterday was interesting. He is obviously not part of the bonding of the team. Also forgot to hold his bible while giving the oath and then stood before he should and promptly sat again!! Not so confident or sophisticated after all.

fully agree DJ
The impression given by the post is that Tony Jones misrepresented the current position of Bapak Yahya. He did not.

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantowi_Yahya indicates Yahya has been in the Indonesian parliament since 2009. If Jones is correct in identifying Yahya as a current member of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Commission (as he seems to be) then his opinion should not be treated lightly, because he is free to make statements that their Minister for Foreign Affairs would be constrained from making.

I was personally disgusted with the hectoring approach taken by Jones in this interview. It was strongly reminiscent of the shock jock methodology, so perhaps Jones has been listening to the other Jones.

[Max - that's the point, Mr Yahya's views are not the views of Indonesia, they're a party political view expressed by a partisan political figure. As I said to John, a foreign news service could have a field day with certain Australian MPs if they misrepresented those views as official views of our country.]

Where did Jones get his Diploma in Marxist Propaganda from?

IMO it was a disgusting program from the outset with the sole intent by Jones stirring up a very sensitive issue to cause major and deliberate damage to the Australian Government and should be seen as such.

Jones' questioning technique was one which deliberately led Yahya by the nose with the object of using him to get his own political/personal views across.

His efforts have been taken up by the leaning left with gusto particularly others within the ABC, as todays new war cry and I believe he and they should be taken to task immediately and at the very highest level and that is not the management of the ABC but the Government itself.

Enough is enough. Jones is not there to create news and certainly not to use the ABC to air his own political bent and his use and abuse of his position within the ABC has gone far enough.

Whilst Abbott seems to go softly softly on the ABC, he has to do something to bring this leftist labor propaganda machine back to within its own Charter.

The Government cannot simply continue to leave its head in the sand on this continual undermining by the ABC and this latest effort by Jones cannot be left unchallenged.

Maybe time for a few more heads huh?

He is a politician. The following tidit is from an unvetted site.

"Berlin April 2012. 10 Members of Parliament of Indonesia came to Berlin to prove the purchase of German made Leopard tanks. But actually it wasnt their task to prove it. In Indonesia there is an Instiution called ‘BPK’ which responsible in this case. Further the 10 members of Parliament also brought their family to Berlin which is criticized by Association Indonesian Students in Berlin. To be seen are Vena Melinda and Tantowi Yahya, delegates from Democratic and Golkar party."

http://zapatoberlines.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/member-of-parliament-of-indonesia-in-berlin/

Mr Yahya spoke highly of Bob Carr. They both like to take their families with them on overseas parliamentary business jaunts.

Apparently though it's OK for Japan and other countries to send them back. The ALPBC now produces so much BS that they out to branch out into agricultural business enterprises.

Bronwyn could say "I take that as a comment", now SIT DOWN.

I'm so looking forward to Parliament. Perhaps I should get a life!!

I'm in Canberrra week October 21-27 and had hoped to attend question time. Checked yesterday and was told not sure when being recalled. I've got ALL fingers and toes crossed.

Tony Jones - Australian interests come a poor second to creating a headline. That ABC interview was offensive.

'The Australian' is still writing that this guy is a parliamentarian. I think Tony Jones went too far. The asylum-seeker debacle should not be treated like an episode of 'Foreign Correspondent'.

Its an utter disgrace tony jones miss representing him as an MP.... but who cares if Indonesians are angry, they are allowing this to happen, enter legally into Indonesia and then enter Illegally into Australia... is that how friends work? well excuse me Indonesia you dont make the international LAWS.

Cut there aid I dont give 2 shits if they dont like it.... why are they setting the rules??? Just a farce and Labor felt scared and bullied by them....

I would never go to Bali or Indonesia, heard many stories not sure why Aussies Holiday there.... cause its cheap? try Malaysia instead.

Michael - the Tony Jones "interview" on Lateline last night has to be one of the worst I have seen in a long time. It only goes to demonstrate that being a TV current affairs show host and being a professional journalist are not one and the same thing.

I have always found Tony Jones to be a somewhat supercilious, even mocking, interviewer. But his effort yesterday did him no credit. It was blindingly obvious that Jones had only one agenda item - to discredit Tony Abbott and the Coalition policy of "turning back the boats". Come hell or high water, Jones was determined to get the responses he wanted, and he certainly laid it on thick with a trowel! In court room jargon, Jones "led the witness" to a disgraceful extent. And he utterly failed to ask the probing questions that any self-respecting professional journalist would ask.

For instance, when Tantowi Yahya claimed that turning back boats in international waters would compromise Indonesian sovereignty, Jones failed to counter with some rather obvious follow up questions of his own:

"Here we have Indonesian fishing boats, crewed by Indonesians, leaving from Indonesian ports, filled with passengers who previously arrived in Indonesia with proper travel documentation, who were given permission to remain in Indonesia, who paid people smugglers operating in Indonesia, who boarded the fishing boats in Indonesia, who destroyed or otherwise "lost" their travel documentation in Indonesia, who mostly likely departed Indonesia in breach of Indonesian law, and who, with the knowledge and assistance of Indonesian nationals, openly seek to enter Australia in an unauthorised fashion. In light of these facts, how is turning back the boats in international waters a "breach" of Indonesia's sovereignty? And what about Australia's sovereignty? Would the constant and increasing flow of unauthorised human cargo from Indonesian shores not constitute a possible breach of Australia's sovereignty? Are the Indonesians concerned with this, or are they only focussed on their own perceived interests?

And if the Indonesians are so concerned about breaches of their sovereignty, why do they not protest loudly when Australian warships travel huge distances to regularly "rescue" human cargo from Indonesian fishing boats "foundering" in Indonesian territorial waters?"

It is true that, belatedly, Tony Jones did mention that "some Australians" have raised the issue of Indonesian boats, crews and ports being prominent in the current people smuggling racket. However, Jones did not raise this point in the specific context of Indonesian sovereignty. And in failing to do so, and in failing to ask the hard questions, Tony Jones stands condemned in my eyes. In a democracy there is always room for contrary opinion and different views. But I think Jones crossed that line during yesterday's interview. Tony Jones gave me the impression that he was prepared to sacrifice any sense of loyalty to Australia in favour of momentary current affairs sensationalism. For someone who no doubt considers himself an Australian, and who no doubt calls Australia home, this was a despicable act.

I watched the interview and couldn't figure out what was going on! I would be surprised if anyone from a government anywhere would be so open and candid about matters to do with foreign relations. I was going to email you Michael but thought it was just me who thought it was odd. Thanks for clearing it up - very dangerous behaviour. It appeared to me that Jones was working against Australia's interests or at least trying to lay land mines against the current government. How dare he!

Michael - Actually the point is that Mr Yahya (in parliament) is not without influence in Indonesia even if not in government. You might as well say that the coalition mantra "turn back the boats" of the past six years should have been ignored by Indonesia because the coalition was not in government.

If Yahya says Indonesia is "offended" this means there are Indonesians with smoke coming out of their ears on this issue. This may well be a minority view and/or reflect the way the issue is reported locally in Indonesia rather than the reality ... news media are quite capable of distorting the reporting to sell copy ... this is not just a Murdoch penchant ... nonetheless the point is that there are sensitivities on both sides which neither side typically hears about.

Tony Jones' interview was particularly ill mannered (IMO) but this is no reason for dismissing out of hand the comments made by Yahya.

As I understand matters, Indonesia is at present gearing up for the 2014 national elections, which are held every 5 years, the last being in 2009.

Nominations for those elections are currently being accepted with the Golkar Party nominating 92 of their 106 incumbent members.

The nominations as I understand were called for April and closed during September.

Me thinks that Tantowi Yahya is doing a fine job of electioneering for re-election at the expense of the ABC...the ABC should know better than to be a pawn in the election ambitions of an Indonesian politician.

When Abbott meets with the President, they will sort things out. Abbott will command respect, whereas Chicken Kev and Julia weren't respected at all, they were both weak.

Leaders respect strong leaders who show courage and the Indonesians witnessed that with John Howard

The ABC must be stopped from running an anti-Government agenda. It is neither impartial or enlightening. Fix it or close it down.

"I would never go to Bali or Indonesia, heard many stories not sure why Aussies Holiday there.... cause its cheap? try Malaysia instead."

Nooooooo!😱😭😰😨 I don't want the ockers that trash Bali etc to find out about Malaysia❗

It was a despicable act, without doubt . Jones has no inclination to report fairly, nor has he displayed any real skills to justify holding his job. He is not fit to be in the job he currently earns a salary in from.

Abbot needs to close him down with his dangerous bias. Sell the ABC. Im sure that most Australians would agree. Its about time.

Jeff you are spot on. Jones was making the news by his leading of Yawya. An absolute disgrace and I hope that not too soon the axe is taken to the ABC and he (Jones) and quite a few more go for the chop. A hot bed of Marxists who tried and are still trying to bring down TA.

Geoff

The Gardening Australia team could advise them on how to handle it maybe.

Let me get this right - when Tantowi Yahya is interviewed on the ABC last year, and is critical of Gillard government policy, he is slightingly derided as a "game show host", but when he is critical of Abbott government policy he suddenly becomes a full government minister, with all the authority it gives him?

Personally, I would love it if the more prominent illegal boat people advocates in this country could be charged with treason, for acting against Australia's best interests.

SBS News this evening referred to him as a "senior Indonesian politician".

Perhaps we could get Indo-Aus relations back on track if we got Fifi Yahya (Indonesia) together with Fifi Box (Australia). Then we could look forward to some sort of congress on the important issues. The Chaser boys on the ABC might be able to make something of that.