Liberal MP Michael Sukkar has rejected claims the Coalition has abused the process for appointing directors to the ABC board.

The federal government is under mounting pressure to reform the way directors are appointed to the board after a week of leadership turmoil at the taxpayer-funded national broadcaster.

Neil Brown, a former member of an independent panel that assesses nominations for the ABC and SBS boards, has called for the seven remaining ABC directors to resign due to how they were appointed.

“They came to be directors of the ABC by a nominations system which is more honoured in the abuse than application of it,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.

But Mr Sukkar dismissed claims that Communications Minister Mitch Fifield had not complied with the spirit of the law.

“There’s no truth to it,” Mr Sukkar told Sky News on Tuesday.

The leadership crisis that engulfed the ABC claimed managing director Michelle Guthrie, who was sacked, and chairman Justin Milne, who was forced to resign.

Mr Brown, a Liberal deputy leader under John Howard and communications minister in the Fraser government, said the government had basically ignored the panel’s recommendations and advice.

“The spirit relating to the nominations panel has not been complied with. I think it has been ignored and ignored in a very serious and repetitive way,” he told the SMH.

Mr Sukkar said ministers were ultimately responsible for the board, which was made up of people they believed were capable.

But Labor frontbencher Brendan O’Connor said people had to stop and listen when a former Liberal minister savaged Senator Fifield’s conduct.

“Clearly Neil Brown has belled the cat. This government operates to give its mates jobs, often,” Mr O’Connor told Sky.

Mr Milne’s departure came after it was revealed he had told Ms Guthrie she should fire two of the ABC’s senior reporters, following complaints from the government about some of their stories.

On Monday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanding Labor be consulted on the appointment of the ABC’s next chairman and other board members.

Mr Morrison rejected this, saying the government would follow the normal process in making board appointments.

ABC board member Kirstin Ferguson has been named the organisation’s acting chair.