A shareholder in SEN Radio has defended the station’s decision to dump cricket journalist Peter Lalor from its coverage over social media activity that was perceived as pro-Palestine.
John Rothfield, known as “Dr Turf”, said he was aware of Lalor’s extensive posting on the war in Gaza but was not consulted by SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison about the reporter’s departure.
Uncertain future: Cricket commentator Peter Lalor.
“I can tell you that I had no discussion with him over that issue, but I support it because of the commercial responsibility to advertisers and shareholders,” Rothfield told this masthead. “It’s naive for him to tweet like that with limited balance.
“I understand the commercial reality that saw him seen off, but I hope what he said was simply anti-Israel and not antisemitic because sometimes the two get confused.”
Rothfield, who is Jewish, is a shareholder in Sports Entertainment Group, which owns the radio station.
Hutchison informed Lalor during Australia’s first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle that he would no longer be part of the station’s coverage, following complaints about his social media feed.
The Seven Network, which has employed Lalor during Australian summers, will not make a call on his involvement in its coverage of next summer’s Ashes until September.
A senior Seven source, who did not wish to comment publicly because of the sensitivities of the issue, indicated that Lalor’s future with the network would be reviewed in that time.
The former chief cricket writer for The Australian, who now podcasts and writes for Cricket Et Al Substack, is not contracted to the network and is not part of its coverage in Sri Lanka.
Seven’s general philosophy is that it does not want its coverage of sport to be politicised.
Lalor received backing from human rights activist and cricket great Michael Holding and employment lawyer Josh Bornstein, who said Lalor could have a case against SEN if he chose to pursue it.
In support: West Indies great Michael Holding has backed Peter Lalor.Credit: Getty
Bornstein, a principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, said Lalor had grounds for action.
“The Fair Work Act prohibits an employer from sacking an employee because of their political opinion. Such a provision is intended to protect and promote political debate and participation in the service of liberal democracy. Peter Lalor can pursue such a claim if he wishes to,” Bornstein said.
However, Lalor confirmed to this masthead on Tuesday that he was not considering legal action against SEN and was disappointed rather than angry about the decision. He did not want to elaborate on the statement he released on Monday, in which he said he’d been told that his re-posts on the Israel-Palestine conflict had “made people feel unsafe”.
Holding, also a retired broadcaster, told this masthead he defended Lalor’s “freedom to empathise and support the Palestinians in their struggle”.
Cricket writer and SEN commentator Bharat Sundaresan supported Lalor on social media.
“I want to stand with & shower @palor with love. I say this as a human being & a friend. He’s a righteous, compassionate & kind man who cares & I’ve been so fortunate to get to know him & how unshaken he is about his beliefs,” Sundaresan said on X.
Lalor’s X feed includes re-posts of news stories about Israeli attacks in Gaza, and about the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
One re-post was from a woman returning to her home in Gaza: “We came to our house … and we found it destroyed … everything is now stones … we came and found destruction … there is no life here. We are living, but it is a slow death …”
Separately, he re-posted a video that said: “Malicious and vindictive, israelis blockade Beitunia town, to the west of Ramallah, to stop Palestinian loved ones from greeting released prisoners.”
Lalor, in his statement, denied accusations he was antisemitic. He said Hutchison had told him his “retweeting was not balanced, and insensitive to one side and that many people had complained”.
“I was told in one call there were serious organisations making complaints; in another I was told that this was not the case,” Lalor wrote.
He also received strong public support from veteran Test opener Usman Khawaja, who was prevented by the ICC from using a sticker of a dove holding an olive branch on his bat during the 2023-24 summer. The ICC deemed it a “political protest”.
Hutchison did not wish to comment further on the Lalor situation on Tuesday, pointing to his original statement.
“Peter and I have a different view of the impact of that in the Australian community. SEN Cricket is a celebration of differences and nationalities and a place where our SEN audience can escape what is an increasingly complex and sometimes triggering world,” Hutchison said in that statement.
Cricket Australia were contacted for comment.
SEN anchor Gerard Whateley briefly mentioned Lalor’s situation on his morning show.
“It’s not my place to delve into this conversation. Both Hutchy and Pete have made public statements and I’ll let those stand. But what I would like to say is that over a lot of years I am grateful for Pete’s generous contribution to my program and to our cricket coverage,” Whateley said.
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