The Australian Communications and Media Authority should urgently conduct an inquiry into events surrounding the censorship of the Nine Network’s coverage of the leaders’ debate on Sunday night, the federal secretary of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance said.

“It is vital that people have a fair chance to build an informed opinion of they way both leaders react under pressure. Since 1984, this has been achieved through the leaders’ debates, although each time the incumbent Prime Minister – from whichever side of politics – has sought to manipulate the result by playing with the format to suit himself.

“We fully agree with Nine’s head of news and current affairs, John Westacott, when he called this a ‘blatant act of political censorship,” Warren said.

“And now it appears that while the Department of Parliamentary Services is owning up to actually pulling the feed, no one appears to know who gave the order, or why.”