The Guardian’s Australian political editor has been on leave for nearly three months, after an investigation into workplace complaints in its Canberra bureau was concluded.
The Guardian’s Australian political editor has been on leave for nearly three months, after an investigation into workplace complaints in its Canberra bureau was concluded.
By Calum Jaspan
March 5, 2025 — 3.49pm
The Guardian’s Australian staff and readers have been left in the dark over the future of its political editor, who remains on an extended leave of absence ahead of a crucial federal election, following a bust up in the outlet’s Canberra bureau.
Karen Middleton, who joined the Australian outpost of the historic British newspaper less than a year ago is approaching three months without appearing at work, with staff stonewalled by editors and managers over the status of her return.
She did return to work after the summer break, but not to The Guardian. Instead, continuing her fortnightly gig as Australian correspondent for Radio New Zealand, the public service broadcaster across the Tasman.
Last week, Middleton joined the radio network to chat about election date speculation, current polling, China’s military action near Australia, spiders and an NRL controversy in Las Vegas.
Her ongoing absence follows an interview process conducted in late-2024, where the masthead’s Canberra-based staff were questioned after political editor Karen Middleton made a complaint against chief political correspondent Paul Karp, and Karp made a counter-claim against Middleton, this masthead reported in January.
Karp was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing, this masthead was told at the time, and the journalist appeared to refer to this in his farewell speech to colleagues, telling staff he was departing with a “clean record”.
He has since joined The Australian Financial Review, capping off an exodus of almost all of its Canberra-based staff after Middleton’s predecessor Katherine Murphy joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office in early 2024. Middleton, who is Albanese’s biographer, a regular Insiders panelist and has been a Canberra Press Gallery journalist for 33 years, joined from The Saturday Paper in March last year.
The Guardian announced a number of new hires last week, after it was reported the AFR’s Tom McIlroy will replace Karp as chief political correspondent. However, he will not arrive until after the possible election date of April 12, leaving the outlet without its two most senior political reporters for the run-in.
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Both internally and externally, there have been suggestions Middleton may not return. The future of the journalist with more than three-decades of political experience remains unclear with no decision made on her return yet.
And despite Canberra staff travelling to Sydney last month for a strategy and planning meeting, there has been no communication to the team at all.
With its politics coverage a key pull for its audience over its 12-year history, staff say they have been “left in the dark”, with many questions put to senior editors left unanswered.
Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor did not respond to a request for comment; however, a spokesperson reaffirmed a company policy not to make public comment on internal operational matters.
Middleton did not respond to a request for comment. The pair are widely known to be close friends.
The mood has been more positive in Guardian’s Canberra bureau since the turn of the year, multiple staffers told this masthead, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Guardian’s Australian Politics podcast, which Middleton hosts is also yet to return since going on hiatus on December 6, aside from a polling episode hosted by reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy.
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne.Connect via Twitter or email.
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