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Karl Stefanovic to leave Nine immediately, network confirms

Karl Stefanovic is leaving Nine immediately, the network said in a statement this morning.

It follows days of controversy in which the highly paid Today presenter used his independent podcast series to interview British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

“Nine Entertainment and Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast,” a Nine Entertainment spokesperson said.

“While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the network immediately.

Key events

Karl Stefanovic: ‘I’m free’

Karl Stefanovic just released a statement following the announcement he will leave Nine immediately.

In a YouTube video, Stefanovic says:

So I’m free. Truly independent. I didn’t get the chance to thank my free to air audience for 21 years, so thank you for riding the ups and downs.

It wasn’t easy this last couple of days, but we rolled on. So here’s what I believe in: the public deserve to hear perspectives. … so on my show I’ve spoken to people who have different perspectives, I know that winds some people up.

Sometimes I agree with everything a guest says, sometimes I don’t. But importantly you get to make up your mind. …

Freedom of speech, here and around the world, is what this show is about. You don’t have to listen to my show, you have the power.

At the end of the video, Stefanovic runs from the camera, jumps in the air, and claps his feet together.

Good morning, Nick Visser here to take the reins. Let’s see what Friday holds after a busy week in parliament.

Defence ‘hasn’t performed as well as it could’, minister says

Performance issues in the defence department have been found to be more widespread than expected with “congested” decision making, as Labor undertakes the biggest overhaul in five decades, Australian Associated Press reports.

The federal government in December announced an independent delivery agency would be set up to tackle cost blowouts and project delays, as Labor pours billions of extra dollars into defence over the decade.

Defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said inaccurate cost estimation and a lack of discipline in project management were behind lacklustre delivery.

“The analysis we commissioned found that the problems were more widespread than I thought,” he told AAP.

The processes have been setting up people (to fail), so the system as a whole has meant that defence hasn’t performed as well as it could.

Parts of the department were spending too much time in meetings, which resulted in a lack of action and decision making at the top end becoming “too congested”, Conroy said.

What we’ve seen is fragmented accountability … if everyone is accountable, that means no one’s accountable.

The defence industry minister will outline progress made on the reform in an address to the National Press Club next Thursday.

He will position Labor as the party of defence to tackle growing support for One Nation, as well as address discontent within his own party at the government’s approach.

“That intellectual framework is really important to flesh out, because we have to constantly make the case for why investing in defence is progressive,” Conroy said.

“It’s both about the rise of far-right populism, but also talking to the base of the Labor party about why this is important.

“You want to fight for a progressive Australia, but you also have to defend a progressive Australia.”

‘Right time for Karl to move on from Today and from Nine,’ network CEO says

In an internal email sent to staff, seen by Guardian Australia, Nine’s chief executive officer, Matt Stanton, said “you would have seen a lot of media reporting around Karl Stefanovic and his future here at Nine”.

“We’ve … announced this morning that after more than 20 years it’s the right time for Karl to move on from Today and from Nine,” the email says.

Karl has been a fixture on our screens for over two decades, so we know this is a significant change for our viewers and all of us here at Nine, however it’s the right time to make it.

Who is Tommy Robinson?

Here’s a hot-off-the-presses explainer of the controversy that appears to have cost Stefanovic his planned long and cruisey farewell from Nine:

Karl Stefanovic to leave Nine immediately, network confirms

Karl Stefanovic is leaving Nine immediately, the network said in a statement this morning.

It follows days of controversy in which the highly paid Today presenter used his independent podcast series to interview British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

“While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the network immediately.