Charles Croucher is an Australian journalist.

Charles Croucher
Alma materCharles Sturt University
Occupationjournalist
Known forbeing the Nine Network's chief political editor
TelevisionNine News, Weekend Today

He is currently the Nine Network's chief political editor, a position he was appointed to in October 2022.[1]

Early life and career

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He grew up in Branxton, New South Wales.[2] He attended Hunter Valley Grammar School, graduating in 2005.[2]

He studied a Bachelor of Sport Studies/Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) double degree at Charles Sturt University, where he graduated in 2009.[citation needed]

While he was at university, he found employment with Bathurst radio stations 2BS and B-Rock where he worked as a news presenter, before becoming the host of a weekend breakfast show and then the presenter of the weekday morning program.[3]

In 2009, Croucher was a finalist in the "Best News Presenter (Country)" category at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards but lost to Lois Chislett from 3YB in Warrnambool, Victoria.[4][5]

Television career

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In 2010, Croucher began his long association with the Nine Network in Darwin when he was appointed as a sports reporter for Nine News Darwin where he also became a weekend news presenter.[3]

In 2012, he moved to Melbourne to work as a reporter for A Current Affair before relocating to Canberra in 2013 upon being appointed as a politics reporter based at Parliament House.[3]

From 2018 to 2020, Croucher was Nine's Los Angeles-based US correspondent before returning to Australia to become a co-host of Weekend Today in 2020.[3]

In October 2022, it was announced he would succeed Chris Uhlmann as the Nine Network's political editor.[3]

As Nine's political editor, Croucher regularly provides commentary in a regular segment on RN Breakfast, where he discusses political news with Patricia Karvelas on ABC Radio National.[6][7][8]

National Press Club incident

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Following a National Press Club address in October 2022, Croucher asked Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers whether the Australian Labor Party's promise to cut electricity bills by $275 had been included in the Federal Budget, Chalmers mistakenly claimed: "Yep, it's in the Budget".[9] However, Chalmers later claimed to have misheard the question, phoning Croucher to confess his mistake, and correcting the record in the House of Representatives.[9]

When pressed on the issue during Question Time by Angus Taylor, he stated: "I was temporarily blinded by the vast influence of Charles Croucher who has inherited this remarkable position of power from Laurie Oakes and Chris Uhlmann and I say, as I said to Charles who I rang straight after the press club, I rang Charles and I rang Laura Tingle and I said I thought you were asking me a different question, I misheard it and I answered a different question and so I say again to Charles, who is in the gallery through you, Mr Speaker, I misheard his question and I am generally grateful for once to the member for Hume for the opportunity to talk about this.[10]

The incident was widely reported and commentated on in the media.[11][12][13] Chalmers was criticised for his explanation by 2GB host Ben Fordham who doubted that he had misheard Croucher's question.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Samios, Zoe (16 October 2022). "Charles Croucher named Nine's new political editor". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Hunter Valley Grammar alum Charles Croucher is 9News new chief political editor". The Advertiser. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Nine News announces Charles Croucher as chief political editor". Mediaweek. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  4. ^ "FINALISTS FOR 2009 AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL RADIO AWARDS (ACRAs)" (PDF). ACRAs. 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. ^ "WINNERS FOR 2009 AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL RADIO AWARDS (ACRAs)" (PDF). ACRAs. 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  6. ^ Karvelas, Patricia (29 March 2023). "Govt's housing policy faces roadblocks - Politics with Charles Croucher". RN Breakfast. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. ^ Karvelas, Patricia (5 April 2023). "What can we expect in the upcoming budget? - Politics with Charles Croucher". RN Breakfast. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  8. ^ Karvelas, Patricia (17 May 2023). "Biden's postponed visit 'a blow' for The Quad summit - Politics with Charles Croucher". RN Breakfast. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b McLeod, Catie (26 October 2022). "Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he 'misheard' a question about power bill savings". news.com.au. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  10. ^ Cassidy, Caitlyn; Remeikis, Amy (26 October 2022). "Treasurer says Taylor's fingerprints 'all over' energy policy chaos – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  11. ^ Williams, Tom (26 October 2022). "The treasurer says he misheard a question during his Press Club speech". ABC News. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  12. ^ Crowe, David (26 October 2022). "Albanese's election promise to bring down power bills comes back to bite Chalmers". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  13. ^ Hevesi, Bryant (26 October 2022). "Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he 'misheard' a journalist's question about $275 power bill saving amid budget confirming price rise". Sky News Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Ben Fordham fires up over Chalmers' $275 power bill stumble". The Australian. Retrieved 18 May 2023.