We all know just how manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced is the media in this country? If, like me, you believe they need to be held accountable for the gross display of injustice they push down the throats of the Australian public then this is the thread in which to voice your opinion.
I intend to keep the Media Watch threads open indefinitely. If anyone sees an example of their lies in action then we’d like to learn about it. We will document everything we can and spread the message as far as we can.
The truth will win in the end.
The Media Watch pages are archived after 300 comments (or thereabouts), as beyond that they can be slow to open if accessed by some mobile phones.
Here are the links to the two previous Media Watch discussions:
Café Whispers 
Just a note: Migs has very kindly set up the next Media Watch for us.
The GFC has now become the “North Atlantic Global Crisis” according to hockey
Someone should tell the rest of the world they missed it. They’ll be glad to hear it (although perhaps concerned about where all their money went)
He then goes on to claim that the Department of Climate Change is lying to protect Labor?
I wonder if gretch has moved departments to be closer to the climate?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-03/all-current-trends-are-alarming-hockey/2823686
(video link)
Tim Dunlop has a post up over the oo’s character assasination of John Quiggin. The unhinging continues unabated.
Link courtesy of Joni..
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/congratulations-to-john-quiggin/
.
Hi to Joni 😉
I’ll leave a message for him from you, Tom. 🙂
Actually, I would argue that the unhinging is getting even worst. Consider that only two days ago, the PM revealed that she had finally struck a deal with all states to bring health reform under a national coverage. Now, like that or not, you would have thought that deserved a bit of examination. Obviously not. The oo at first refused to put up anything until half way through the day of the announcement (which other outlests had posted late the night before), and then nothing the following day in way of analysis. Instead, for the past two days, they have been preaching doom and gloom in the economy, highlighting every negative measure, while fastidiously ignoring anything positive.
Compare the coverage this major health reform has received (one story that I have seen that is simply a statement from the PM), against something as awe inspiring and broad ranging as the set top box policy for seniors in the last budget. This little doozy garnered realms of articles (most completely lacking in reality), whereas what is arguably the largest health reform since medicare gets one cut and paste article.
Perhaps there is nothing to fault with it at all (or more likely the brains trust at the oo have temporarily run out of lies), so best not to say anything at all?
One of the comments on that article form Joni
“I would leave a congratulatory on Quiggin’s voicemail, but Rupert would probably delete it.”
lol
If you want to tune into the bizzare, listen to last nights interview on the ABC with Mr. Hockey. It amazes me that the Coalition still continues to talk down the economy in tosay’s unsettled world.
I do not know if the interview was good comedy or was it black humour.
It was unbelievable, if I did not know better, I would suggest that Mr. Hockey was on something.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-03/all-current-trends-are-alarming-hockey/2823686
CU Hockey “on something”, yes he believes the polls and the constant opinion “just one heart beat away from an election”. Jones reminded him of that lat night.
I wonder what will happen if a Coalition member of parliament obliges with the one heart beat scenario?
I did like in the Hockey interview the bit about the Green army, $50000 a year to plant trees i could do that. The fact that he mentioned they could plant them west of Moree, got me thinking. Book into a caravan park at Moree, work in the day planting trees then soak in a thermal pool, sounds good.
“could do that. The fact that he mentioned they could plant them west of Moree, got me ”
I wonder what type of tree would grow out there. Oh, I know, he is going to cart the water out in trucks.
Tom R got it in one on another site, it was a farce, the interview last night.
The PM is on 24 now talking once again about the NBN Co
I was very dubious about Mr. Conroy’s ability but I must admit, in his case I was wrong. He has become a very confident minister. I should have known not to judge a book by it;s cover..
I am glad that Mr. Conroy is sticking up for us oldies. He said that we can use it and will like it the same s anyone else.
It annoys me that if you are of a certain age, you are computer illiterate.
Sue, my bet is that Abbott’s Green Army will be equivalent to work for the dole – a lot of dune and foreshore restoration work is already done by work for the dole people. The $50g pa is probably based on an hourly rate but one might get only 20 hours a week.
But still, I am happy to join you at the thermal pool in Moree. 🙂
CU, agreed….when I was on Lilydale Shire Council I instigated Quinn Reserve – planting was the easy part, the difficult part was ongoing maintenance for at least the first Five Years.
Today I am becoming more disillusioned than ever.
Choice Magazine: A magazine I have subscribed to for many years has in my opinion now lowered itself to the same level as other unscrupulous productions.
A number of months ago Choice Magazine was critical of mortgage brokers receiving commissions and suggest those looking for a loan do it themselves. The mentioned the amount of commission paid to a broker but ( from memory as I am not at my home this week) made no emtion that this commission was not paid by the customer, but rather paid by the Lender, with the customer suffering no cost whatsoever.
I accepted that as being somewhat unbiased independent reseach despite it not stating the whole truth.
Now we have Choice teaming with a Mortgage Broker called One Big Switch to supposedly try and get a better deal for home owners. One Big Switch will be paid commission on every loan they move (something Choice was always attacking). Choice itself will also be paid a referral fee for each loan as well. They quite proudly state that this fee will be paid by the lender at no cost to the consumer, yet this is Exactly what happens with brokers now. In addition while they state it will not cost the consumer there is nothing on their website to advise exactly how much they will be paid.
Why didn’t they state commission to mortgage brokers was free to borrowers in their previously published articles now that they seem to be using it as a massive plus for their own push into obtaining income outside their subscription base..
As a result Choice is no longer the independent watchdog I always believed in and I have immediately cancelled my subscription and resqested a full refund and no further magazines.
A very sad day for and the goodwill and recommendation of Choice I had for many years is destroyed with this one single underhanded tactic to justify their income stream from a commission based industry that is for profit.
In addition the livelyhood of many brokers is teetering at th emoment given the slowdown in lending activity and the loss of home loans to this mage broker with Choice could well be the undoing of many.
Deltoid continues watching the Deniers at the oo
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2011/08/the_australians_war_on_science_69.php
Jonathan Holmes in ‘Drum’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-04/holmes-a-regulated-media-is-as-simple-as-your-abc/2823908
Shane, sadly a number of once reputable organisations have gone to the pack. I wonder how many people know that the Heart Smart Tick is obtained via $ payment and not much to do with the Heart Foundation’s assessment of the product…just supposedly the best of it’s variety. It may indeed be an unhealthy product but it will still receive the Tick if the manufacturers are prepared to pay for it and reach a minimal standard.
Min
How right you are, but I still stayed loyal to Choice believing they were different. Oh well at least it will save me some dollars.
Min, that was just a park.
Can you imagine keeping tens thousands of hectares of trees alive for I suggest. in that climate a lot far longer than five o six years. The first drought will probably wipe them out.
It is fairy land stuff, along with the magic pudding budgeting and the ability to repeat the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
How did you like Mr. Hockey’s answer to the brown coal fuelled power plants. They are going to replace the coal with gas.
Was not the Opposition concerned for the jobs of miners. He was asked, if this was not what the PM might do. His reply was “no no, she did not say that.
Funny I thought that was the option that was suggested. Silly me, how could I be stupid enough to believe this is probably what Labor would be aiming for.
I hope the questioning of the Oppositions continues. It is better than watching comedy shows on the TV. They are interviews, as they say, keep on giving.
Hi Eddie, thanks for the link. One issue with the article is that i feel there has been a change with the ABC on the issues of “the ABC is by far the most heavily regulated” and “And no editor, not even the director of news, can change the decision of the complaints-handlers at Audience and Consumer Affairs, which sits outside the News chain of command.”
If Holmes was a viewer of 7.30 he would have noted the change particularly in the quality of the investigation and interviews by both Sales and Uhlmann. It was worth staying up to watch Sales when she hosted Lateline, compared to now when I wonder whether it is even worth watching 7.30.
(Speaking of character(istic) assessments, probably coincidentally, a substantial part of Judith Sloan’s early career seems to have been spent kicking IR around with Emeritus Professor Richard Blandy, lending tasty, colourful, visible, odious academic weight to the blandishments of ’90s free(d)-market liberalisations; the coinkydink bit is that Blandy has been turning up quite a bit in The Oz lately to extol the wonders of the trickle-down effects of a mining boom via free(d)-market operations, and to nay-say costly and maladaptive interventions like carbon pricing (having sequestered his earlier views at the HR Nicholls shindig on how union-busting and employee-empowerment could be sold to the masses as an a-collectivist, pro-individualist Left libertarian thang to avoid perceptions that it was puritanically a neo-Right thang (*waves* to Brendan O’Neill), and later how WorkChoices was the pinnacle of the Washington Consensus’s, err, the North Atlantic Globe’s, err Howard’s enviable and world-definiting liberalisations in an unrivalled Golden Era freed from the global perniciousnesses of vanquished communism(s) and under-siege democratic socialism(s) (Blandy hasn’t mentioned WC again since a) the policy was declared dead, buried, and cremated; and b) the entire edifice of his worldview was, presumably, somewhat rattled by the GFC; but c) might well be expected to renew his interests in IR productivity reforms, similar to those mooted by Howard recently, if, and when, Big Joe relaunches the productivity pie-floater). Or, something like that.)
Conroy demands answers on ABC TV cuts
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-04/conroy-questions-need-for-abc-tv-cuts/2824326
Jeremy Thompson
Updated August 04, 2011 12:57:59
Photo: Fenella Kernebone’s Art Nation show is among those to be axed (ABC) Related Story: ABC TV cuts jobs and programsMap: Australia
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says he wants answers from ABC managing director Mark Scott over the national broadcaster’s decision to axe television programs The New Inventors
and Art Nation.
The cuts mean less in-house production by the ABC, the outsourcing of programs to independent production companies, and redundancies for a number of ABC staff in New South Wales, Victoria, South
Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
and
Deliberate dismantling of our diminished ABC continues
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/deliberate-dismantling-of-our-diminished-abc-continues-20110803-1ibk9.html
The latest cut hurts, but it’s not the deepest in an already de-skilled ABC.
At last the hidden agenda has been exposed. The outsourcing of ABC television production to the commercial sector now covers all drama, documentary, natural history, most feature prograand, increasingly, studio-based light entertainment.
The ABC’s explanation that resources from arts and other programming needed to be diverted to support prime-time content is disingenuous. In the digital revolution, prime-time is dead. Audiences can download programs at any time.
The anguish now felt inside the ABC from the latest program cuts would not arise if there was a genuine mixed production model with the ABC retaining the capacity and leverage to make the full genre range of copyright programs itself by developing its own talent
But through a long and deliberate board and management policy to dismantle and de-skill internal television production, the ABC is now totally dependent on the commercial television production sector for almost all Australian non-news content.
————————
Perhaps understandably, the commercial channels want to be relieved of their local content quota obligations legislated by Parliament. If this happens, the need for a broadcaster to support national interest and cultural objectives will be greater than ever before. But the ABC, without public discussion, has allowed its skills base and creative culture to be eroded.
As taxpayer funds are diverted to the commercial sector, the ability of the ABC to deliver on its public mandate is reduced.
It is this trend that must be urgently confronted
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/deliberate-dismantling-of-our-diminished-abc-continues-20110803-1ibk9.html#ixzz1U2HupvXv
(“It is this trend that must be urgently confronted”
Strangely enough, observation of that trend, in general aspect, reminds me strongly of observations made in the final BER Inquiry Report about the erosions of capacities through privatisations and outsourcings, and relegation of public expenditures to a clientilistic purchaser model; the general lowering of standards, public and private, which has developed as a consequence; and the importance of that public-sector capacity and competency, vis-a-vis its diminution, both as general standard-creator and -maintainer, and as informed purchaser. [Almost needless to say, The Oz and associated Murdoch Press studiously failed to report any of those critical dimensions, their longer-term operations and the compulsions underpinning them, or implications for governments, and for public and private sector activities.])
WA gold miners join tax fight
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/wa-gold-miners-join-tax-fight
Some of WA’s most prominent gold miners have stepped up the fight against Julia Gillard’s mining tax, saying they would be the next target in the Government’s sights to overcome a huge budget shortfall.
The comments come on the last day of the Diggers and Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie –Boulder.
Canadian billionaire Robert Friedland went so far as to call the Prime Minister “the redhead” as the industry rallied against the MRRT despite tax not currently being applied to gold miners.
Mr. Freidland sounds like a real charmer….
Twiggy Forrest put his oar in with this:-
Fortescue chairperson Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest also continued his campaign against the tax at the WA conference.
“Its not a tax reform, its just the opposite,”
“This means that it will be much easier for [mining companies] to develop [projects] offshore, and much harder for them to develop in Australia.”
Xstrata chief slams govt’s carbon tax
http://www.skynews.com.au/businessnews/article.aspx?id=645993&vId=
Last year Xstrata were saying they’d take their bat and ball and go home; they could say that without having to actually notify the ASX because they are a foreign owned company, whereas other companies could not.
However, it seems they lied.
Xstrata first half profits up 27pct
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Finance/2011/08/02/Xstrata_first_half_profits_up_27pct_645860.html
Anglo-Swiss mining giant Xstrata said on Tuesday its first half net profit jumped 27 per cent to $US2.9 billion ($A2.65 billion) and that it expected even better earnings for the second half.
‘A substantially stronger financial performance in the first half reflected growing demand for our products from emerging Asian economies and recovering Western markets,’ Xstrata chief executive Mick Davis said in a statement.
He added that the group was now ‘operating with good momentum to deliver a substantially stronger second half’.
The company said sales rose 23 per cent from a year earlier to $US16.8 billion ($A15.36 billion) during the first half.
and
Xstrata ponders new coal mines
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/Xstrata-ponders-new-coal-abc-1665515917.html?x=0
It doesn’t look as if Xstrata are leaving after all !!
Failed Estate.
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/2011/08/freedom-now.html
Pip, that’s next on the agenda..the mega/foreign owned miners going kicking and screaming about having to pay tax. Twiggy and Gina will be put up as ‘the face of Australia’, but it’s the mega miners who are pulling the strings.
I thought the nastiness we had seen at rallies and by broadcast by shock jocks was bad enough and then I read this about the Republicans during their negotiation time for the debt raising.
“the US Republican Party leadership, in an effort to rally its members in the budget battle with the Obama administration, screened a short clip from the 2010 Ben Affleck movie, “The Town.
by using the clip from “The Town,” it appears that Republican leaders used gratuitous images of mind-crushing violence and retribution as a legitimate, even inspiring, framework for motivating support for legislative practices that will have deleterious, even violent, impacts on vulnerable populations in the United States, especially children. This is not merely barbarism parading as political reform – it is also a blatant indicator of the degree to which sadism and a theater of cruelty have become normalized at the highest reaches of government”
http://www.truth-out.org/breiviks-fundamentalist-war-politics-and-ours/1312390288
Retailers ‘need IR flexibility’: Productivity Commission report
And the big, pressure-filled, warning-laden urge to LABOR to change its workplace laws, by the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on Economic Structure and Performance of the Australian Retail Industry?:
(Perhaps not surprisingly, the Productivity Commission’s ‘warning’ to concerned retailers about the productivity of enhanced competition and further flexibility in opening up markets and spaces to new entrants, with neither fear nor favour on behalf of extant retail firms, was downplayed.)
Interesting how that article focussed on 3 of the recommendations, whilst assiduously avoiding the other 11.
Also predictable is how the writers at the oz can interpret the statement ‘within the context of the current system and consistent with the maintenance of minimum safety net provisions for all employees,’ to somehow indicate that ‘LABOR is under fresh pressure to change its workplace laws ‘
Yet again, the oo making their own story out of thin air
Metatron and Tom, plus avoiding the obvious that it is up to businesses to work smarter. No, cannot have that let’s just cut the working conditions of employees the majority of whom are low paid and women – already subjected to the whims of rosters.
The “wake in fright news” this morning is the crash of the stock exchange in the US. I never considered political brinkmanship a very good idea and now the Tea Party have precipitated a new crash.
Sure hope that many many conservative voters had their money in high growth shares.
Lunalava..went and had a look as there is nothing so far on Sky News, and found.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/markets/wall-st-in-biggest-plunge-since-gfc/story-e6frg91o-1226108755605
Maybe the answer is that the big retailers do not have what we want to buy.
Maybe shopping has become boring.
CU, that one most definitely gets my vote. Also due to the GFC Australian retailers are struggling to find high quality goods – there is not much difference between quality in Big W to quality in the boutiques. For me shopping has always been boring….
Min and lunalava heard on the radio early this morning that the raising of the debt deal was negotiated on a growth in the US economy of 3% when most economists reckon the outlook is actually 1%. He said it was a great example of how the american way of governing does not work.
So look to more “bad” news from the US with credit rating downgrades, China pulling out of buying bonds, leading to higher unemployment, higher costs of interest rates etc.
From: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2189faa2-bec6-11e0-a36b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1U685fJos – China versus the US…
Shorten appears to have hit the nail on the head with his comments about looking to excessive profits rather than simply cutting wages. It is an issue that has been highlighted before, and is being assiduosly avoided by the ltdnews.
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/TVs_And_Large_Display/Industry/E9K6R8U8
Also, speaking to some aquaintaces who run smaller stores, the biggest issue they have is the cost of leases. Many move away from the malls because the prices there are just unsustainable. That is perhaps one place the government might be able to exert some influence over.
As to the Awards, as the report says, businesses need to work within the framework. The fact that they haven’t is no fault of the governmnet, there is room for negotiating htere. True, it may be more difficult (you know, as opposed to the take it or leave type of negotiating), but it is there.
But the oo will reframe this into a workchoice debate, when it is nothing of the sort.
From Bob Gosford: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2011/08/04/intervention-sign-wars-in-the-tanami-desert-part-1045/
One sign reads: Welcome to Yuendumu. If u want porn go to Canberra.
Shadow Treasurer gets a mention on Twitter….
latikambourke Latika Bourke by davidbewart
Joe Hockey said Govt was blaming CPI on ‘some natural disaster’, RBA: ‘inflation has been high, affected by the extreme weather events.
AgnessMack Agnes Mack @
@latikambourke Guess
RBA will join Dept of Climate Change on scrap heap when Hockey & Abbott take over. #auspol
24 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply » AgnessMack Agnes Mack
Joe Hockey, which booming economy will investors move to if they
dump Aus shares because of a global meltdown?
Pip, ah yes indeed. That used to be the ‘reasoning’ against the carbon tax and mega miners tax – that everyone will move offshore.
Offshore..where. 😯
Friends of the ABC have emailed about The Australian poll,
here:-
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media
Dear Visitor,
——————————————————————————–
URGENT! Vote in The Australian Poll: Is the ABC right to pursue a strategy of outsourcing internal TV production?
The poll is in the centre column at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media
If the address provided does not work as a link, copy and paste it into the address of your website browser.
Date & time of poll closure is unknown.
* PLEASE vote and forward this email to others
* Further info on what is happening to the ABC is at http://www.fabc.org.au
Sincerely,
–The Team at FABC
Friends of the ABC Vic Inc
GPO Box 4065
Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
I can see a mini series out of this story
Mine sex work a hot bed of controversy
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/mine-sex-work-a-hot-bed-of-controversy-20110804-1idac.html#ixzz1U7kdagwA
Could be: Deep Dark Secrets, Mine Me, Fly In
I did like the line in the article
“sex worker began fly-in, fly-out trading in mining towns three years ago for the same reason as other professionals: opportunity.”
Another thought : Riding he Mining Boom
Thank you for that Sue. 😀
It is not hard to go past what I consider to be a fact, was the cooperation between the workers and the the bosses, that Hawke and Keating put in place led to high rises in productivity. This plus taking protection away from inefficient industries.
As over half the workforce do not have permanent jobs.
I fail to see why those who work in retail should lower their wages and conditions to allow the retailers to make money.
If the industry needs this to happen to survive, maybe it is time they went under.
Sorry, progress demands this. Industries come, industries go. That is a a fact of life.
If this was not the case, we would still be carting our goods by horse and dray. We would still be relying on candles.
When I was a child, we had the local shops, a couple of big stores along our main street.
In the city we had four or five large department stores.
The business slowly moved from the main streets into ever growing shopping malls. The main streets become empty, taking with it our sense of community, leaving the towns and suburbs soulless.
Maybe the large shopping complexes have had their day. Maybe the retailers have read the future wrong in that they are not aware of the change occurring because they choose to keep their heads in the sand. Because of this, they are unable to make the necessary changes to survive.
Looking back to the past and blaming the worker and Labor will not solve their dilemma.
They need to look to the future, acknowledge change and take advantage of what is being presented.
There will still be retailing, it will not be the same as today. Maybe some will survive but only if they are adaptable.
The choice is up to them. Forget blaming the Labor and the Unions. The ball is in their hands, they cannot afford to falter.
“The Reverend Tim Costello, national campaigner for action to reduce problem gambling, said, ”Woolworths the ‘fresh food people’, need to ask some serious questions about why they are profiting so much from poker machines”.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/antipokies-campaigners-want-pm-to-fix-a-problem-thats-close-to-home-20110805-1ifm3.html#ixzz1UDCOkb6m
What a good question from Tim. I wonder if Woolies have thrown their support against pokie reform and to date I haven’t seen Woolies actually advertising their pokies. About all i have seen in Woolies advertising is the “loyal” customer campaign.
Well, looky here….from 2009
Love letters from Godwin
{ to Mr. Planet Janet }
http://www.justinian.com.au/archive/love-letters-from-godwin.html
Love letters from Godwin
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Ozcar – Utegate crisis … Email traffic March-May 2009 between Godwin Grech and Credit Suisse’s John O’Sullivan … Conservatives in manipulative tryst … Leaks from Treasury to Liberal Party apparatchiki
Grech: in love with Janet and leaking frantically to heer hubbyPoor, lonely, weird, little Godwin.
Here are some of his emails seeking the love and attention of right-wing fellow-travellers.
Liberal Party insider and Credit Suisse’s John O’Sullivan strokes the leaking weasel with the alluring offer of a cup of coffee and an audience with his columnist wife, Janet Albrechtsen.
Liberal senators, under the baton of Soapy George Brandis, opposed the publication of these emails on the internet.
Sue,
Woolies are probably using the profits from sales to us, to contribute to the Clubs Australia campaign against the govt. pokies policy.
Lawyer fights Malaysia swap deal
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-07/lawyer-court-malaysia-swap-deal/2828196
Updated August 07, 2011 18:16:14
Photo: Asylum seekers, including 18 children, will be transferred from Christmas Island to Malaysia in the next few days. (ABC TV) Related Story: AFP arrive on Christmas Island Related Story: Malaysia bound asylum seekers ‘on hunger strike’Related Story: UN warns of children’s trauma in Malaysian dealRelated Story: 19 children among group destined for MalaysiaRelated Story: Malaysia swap to be shown on YouTubeA refugee lawyer is seeking a High Court injunction in a bid to stop the Federal Government sending asylum seekers to Malaysia.
The Government is preparing to send the first group of around 50 asylum seekers to Malaysia under its people swap deal in the next few days.
Refugee lawyer David Manne has sought an urgent hearing to stop the action going ahead.
He says lawyers will argue the Government does not have the power to expel the asylum seekers, and that as a legal guardian to the minors it is shirking its responsibilities.
Meet America’s new evangelicals
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/08/01/3282858.htm
Crossing the country again, Randall Balmer, an editor at Christianity Today, writes, “The evangelical faith that nurtured me as a child and sustains me as an adult has been hijacked by right-wing zealots …”
These are a few of the many American evangelicals who have, since 2005, broadened their priorities from those of the Religious Right towards an anti-militarist, anti-consumerist politics focusing on poverty relief, environmental protection, immigration reform and racial/religious reconciliation.
They have distanced themselves especially from efforts to use the state to impose one version of Christianity on the body politic. “Let it be known unequivocally,” declared the 2008 Evangelical Manifesto, signed by over 100 evangelical leaders, “we are firmly opposed to the imposition of theocracy on our pluralistic society.
“The Opposition says” not confined to the Federal Govt, as this story from the Canberra times shows
“Elective surgery wait times drop
The ACT Opposition says the Territory Government still has a long way to go to solve the problem of elective surgery waiting times”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-08/elective-surgery-act-wait-times/2828860
Half way through the article we have a one sentence comment from the ACT Chief Minister, (a comment that praised those who worked in the health area), then once again over to the Opposition for the rest of the article. So a positive, good new story about health is cast in the negative.
http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/08/08/Does-the-media-reflect-public-opinion-or-create-it.aspx
Eddie, the short answer is that they create it.
BER.
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/08/10/crap-from-the-oz/
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/
It’s the people, stupid
The bottom line is this: 3,500 million people becoming wealthier beat 300 million wealthy people stagnating. And the really important news is that we’re part of the Asian 3.5 billion, not the American 300 million.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/its-the-people-stupid-20110812-1ips7.html#ixzz1Um41kxCZ
http://www.theage.com.au/business/its-the-people-stupid-20110812-1ips7.html
This morning most disturbing news item concerns a Queensland Liberal National Party candidate:
“…in which he allegedly said he hopes Prime Minister Julia Gillard “follows the history” of assassinated US president John F Kennedy.
LNP state director Michael O’Dwyer on Friday evening confirmed the party’s candidate for the state seat of Cairns, Paul Freebody, had voluntarily stepped aside while the party conducts an investigation into the email.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-12/lnp-hopeful-stands-aside-over-gillard-email/2837414
If the LNP insists on making these irresponsible comments, can I suggest they do so with a bit of elan, for example:
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.
Julius Caesar Act 3, scene 1, 270–275
Our very own e-news publication, the Canberra RiotACT has the story that a convoy of trucks is heading to Canberra to blockade the streets and force another election.
http://the-riotact.com/truck-convoy-into-canberra-monday-22-august-fyi/52157
Can I take this opportunity to say that Canberrans always welcome the various Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Morons and Vandals that visit our fair city. We need a bit of colour and movement during the long, long winter of discontent.
While you are here, do take the time to destroy something tasteful, after all if you paid as much income tax as the local PAYE working stiffs, you could claim you owned the place.
Well, maybe The businesses of Canberra will welcome the caravan. At least they will have to buy petrol to get out of the place.
I m surprised that the truck drivers of this country can afford to knock loads back to make the trek to our Capital.
Maybe while they are there could take some time to look at the bill that is to be introduced, not the one that is in Mr. Abbott’s imagination.
They might get a pleasant surprised that they are not all going to be rooned.
Who rules in our democracy. Is it the people or the captains of industry.
Is capitalism good for democracy?
Has the economy once again let government know who is boss?
“….:Capitalism can do many wonderful things, but unchecked, it begins to undermine democracy and the will of a nation’s citizens. Look no further than the corporate-aided spill of prime minister Kevin Rudd’s leadership after he proposed a robust mining tax. A popularly elected prime minister was swept from power in a public campaign underwritten by the deep-pocketed resource sector. These mining giants were only protecting their profits. Likewise, even if S&P didn’t know the extent of a market panic they would set off, it was doubtlessly a small price to pay to reinforce the company’s reputation….
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/forget-democracy-its-corporations-that-rule-the-west-20110812-1ipu5.html#ixzz1UrCUA2CR
…and they might also ask what Abbott’s policies will cost them along with if he plans to bring in WorkChoices MkII Mod2 that will royally screw their arses or when he plans to extend 457 Visas to semi-skilled workers like truck drivers as the trucking industry wanted. You know the very same industry that is currently using truckies in this protest to usurp democracy.
Cu the trucks may have to buy diesel but they will stop the locals trying to get to work, to shop, to possibly get to the hospitals.
And on the issues of hospitals Canberra is the area for southern NSW, if you need treatment, so be careful truckies.
And a call to the trucks please show who you work for or who you transport your good for so that the public can decide who to boycott. Trying to bring down an elected government as the saying goes is a two way street.
Sorry I posted this in the wrong thread so will redo it here.
This desperation by vested interest groups to manufacture an election to overthrow a legitimately elected government indicates a couple of things to me.
Firstly they really want Abbott in power, which means they know they can get him to do whatever they want even if it wrecks the country, and secondly they don’t have the confidence in Abbott that he can make it through the next 24 months without stuffing up big time.
As for those who say, business want Mr. Abbott in power. I do not think they do. What they want is the Opposition in power. Mr. Abbott will not be around for long if they win,
Can some one tell what is different, with now is said to be twelve thousand, but an early figure of twenty thousand jobs being lost in the PS to those they claim are in danger in the mining industry.
Why are jobs considered different in the PS to those in the private sector. Is a teacher or nurse seen as being a lesser person than a miner.
Catching Up at 6.17
I reckon you’re probably right about business’ attitude to Abbott, he’s too unpredictable. Business woke up one morning to find (along with the Liberal Party & everyone else) that they would be stumping up $13 billion for Tony’s parental leave vote buying exercise. But who else is there? Unfortunately, Abbott’s cynically pragmatic enough to take his orders & not rock the boat as long as he gets to live in the Lodge & have us pay off his mortgage. He’ll come down hard on opposition (be interesting to see if the media still give him an easy run, I think they will) & trust to buying everyone else except his political targets.
You mention the distinction between PS & private sector jobs. Interesting that Abbott’s quite happy to mention teachers, nurses, policemen etc during his “you’re all doing it tough” rants. I think he’s hoping to create the image of legions of pen pushers who should be kicked out to do some useful work (at rates of pay determined by his mates of course.)
If the Liberals are so popular, why are they having money problems.
It was revealed today that do not have the money to fight a snap election.
Surely all those cashed up mining executives would be happy to fill the void.
Cu it was a money shortage that caused them problems in the last election and some have stated cost them it. Because of the shortage they had to carefully target which seats to spend resources on and some Liberals who lost in NSW said it was a lack of money for their local campaigns that cost them the win.
But then again Labor are also declining in the finances stakes, only not as bad as the Libs yet.
ME. yes but of Labor was so much on the nose and Mr. Abbott was the one to save the country, you would think they would put their money where their mouths are supposed to be.
CU @ 6.17 you wanted to know the difference between 20000 and 12000 public service jobs. When Hockey first started saying that the Public service had increased by 20000 jobs it took a little while for the Unions to understand where he was getting the figure from. The unions then realised that Hockey was including in his figures on “public servants” the Army reserve. Yep people who joined as weekend warriors were in Hockey’s eyes “the bloated public service”. So since then Hockey has conveniently forgotten his previous calls on accountability in the public service and has come up with cutting 12000 jobs.
It would be interesting to know as a cost cutting exercise if the Coalition has sacked any of its parliamentary staff, advisers, media personnel, secretaries.
Chris Bryant, British Labour MP and anti-journalistic corruption crusader
Chris Bryant is a British Labour MP – the first gay MP to marry in the House of Commons.
He is also the man who got the editor of the now-defunct tabloid News of the World, Rebekah Brooks, to admit that her paper had paid police for information. It was the starting point of the ongoing News Corp saga which has led to twelve arrests this year, and which Chris Bryant wants to result in a change in media laws.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/sundayprofile/stories/2011/3292489.htm
This was an interesting interview on sunday profile last night.
Greg Jericho has an article on the Drum about that rally.
Could Gina be abadoning Bolt, maybe so.
Thanks Sue, here is the link:-
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2842656.html
Memo PM: There’s not a lot of love out here on the lawn
As I took a photo with my iPhone of Angry Anderson addressing the No Carbon Tax Rally on the lawns of Parliament House yesterday, a middle-aged woman in front of me turned and asked if I was “from the Kremlin” pointing with scorn towards the House.
When I replied that I wasn’t, she took out her camera and while facing away from me she took a photo of me over her shoulder. It took a couple of attempts for her to get a good picture.
Later when I declined to sign a petition demanding an “election now”, another similarly aged woman wanted to know if it was because “I was Labor”. This provoked a series of murmurs around me. Clearly I was the wrong type. Crisis was averted however when the dextrous photographer let her know that she had got a photo of me so all was good.
It was that kind of an event.
It was an event where both Sky News and ABC were booed equally loudly. Apparently Sky News had said prior to the event fully beginning that there was about 400 people in attendance. Angry Anderson would use this figure as a rallying cry to heap scorn on the media and anyone who would decry those in attendance.
Mobious, it took her long enough to realise she was on a losing streak with the Dolt.
Angry Anderson reminds me of Chubby Checker. Thinks that one song made him eternally famous.
Roswell, but Chubby stayed a nice person..AngryA has gone all strange and peculiar…
Angry is probably angry because he hasn’t had a hit tune for 20 years. But this was a good one.. Suddenly you’re seeing me, Just the way I am.
Here’s a photo of Angry – the Liberals new show pony. Simply inspiring.
Roswell, what a pity that Tooms is still in hibernation. 👿
The crowd would have scattered in no time !
Excellent article by Tim Dunlop over the failure of our media to self regulate, and a first hand account of their faliure at transparency into their own behaviours (which might be of interest to some who have been sinking a boot in recently)
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2844102.html
Tim Dunlop.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2844102.html
Mr Denmore.
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/
Their ABC is just ungovernable….
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/their-abc-is-just-ungovernable/story-e6frg6zo-1226116939458
by Judith Sloan who preaches the philosophy of the Institute of Public Affairs.
THE ABC has been in the news lately as it makes routine decisions to cancel some of its programs.
According to the unions and the Friends of the ABC, the end is nigh.
Taking advantage of this blip on the radar screen of the comfortably padded national broadcaster, questions have been asked about the appropriate mix between in-house and outsourced program making.
But two much more fundamental questions about the ABC are calling out for cogent answers.
First, what is the case for the ABC given the shrinking relevance of the market failure rationale?
Second, is the ABC essentially ungovernable?
I don’t know why she is complaining given the numbers of IPA spruikers who have found their way on to the ABC …very cheap publicity for them !!
Kroger joins call for ban on political donations
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/power-legends/yabsley-vindicated-by-vic-liberal-donors/20110819300
Liberal Party grandee Michael Kroger has joined former party Treasurer Michael Yabsley in calling for a complete ban on political donations from business and developers.
Kroger made the call following today’s lead story in Melbourne’s The Age, which highlights concerns about a proposed rezoning of land on the outskirts of Melbourne that could benefit Liberal Party donors to the tune of $500 million.
“I absolutely agree with Michael Yabsley,” Kroger told The Power Index, “In the modern era, elections should be 100 per cent publicly funded so we can avoid the perception that people can pay money
for favours.”
The block of land in question, which is currently used as a chicken farm, comprises 100 hectares on Melbourne’s south-eastern fringe, 45km from the CBD. Its rezoning is being promoted by lobbyist Geoff Leigh, a former state Liberal MP and founder of a group called Business First, which was recently revealed to have failed to declare thousands of dollars of donations to the Liberal party.
*Lib donors poised to hit paydirt
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/lib-donors-poised-to-hit-paydirt-20110818-1j0j0.html
A FARMER, a developer and former MP – all with close links to the Victorian Liberal Party – are poised to share in a $500 million bonanza from a controversial land rezoning on Melbourne’s fringe by the state government.
The trio, at least two of whom have directed thousands of dollars into Liberal coffers, are set to be among the first beneficiaries of the Baillieu government’s contentious policy to selectively open up ”green wedge” land to housing and commercial development.
This is very noble of Mr. Kroger, but I wonder whether these people are in a different faction.
Nine News admits faking live cross from chopper
http://mumbrella.com.au/did-nine-news-fake-live-cross-from-chopper-55249
Nine News faked a live cross from its chopper last night, when the aircraft was in reality still on the helipad at its Brisbane headquarters. The network told Mumbrella it happened after bad weather forced the helicopter to return to base.
and
The 6pm bulletin in Brisbane featured a live cross between presenter Eva Milic and reporter Cameron Price on board the Nine News chopper. Viewers were told in the caption that he was “neer Beerwah”, the site where murdered Daniel Morcombe’s body was believed to have been found.
Becasue of the darkness outside, there were no external clues as to the helicopter’s whereabouts.
Rival networks Seven, Ten and the ABC are also based near the Nine helipad at Mt Coot-Tha. One of them filmed a Nine News chopper at one end of the helipad, in darkness, as Milic told viewers that Price was “near the search site”.
If these clowns spent more time on serious matters and stopped worrying about walk and talk reporting, hand movement choreogaphy, and beating rivals to the next ‘scoop’, they would discover that the sky won’t fall in.
Jones and the Convoy.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/question-time-sees-jones-fly-off-handle-20110822-1j6ue.html
He’s all class isn’t Eddie. This, from the guy who declares ‘We don’t get personal’
Free and open debate, as long as you don’t disagree.
Whoops, sorry Eddie..I didn’t notice that you had already put the link up over here.
Anal = malignant narcissist…. he’s not the only one !!
Sky TV trumps ABC in China
http://www.theage.com.au/national/sky-tv-trumps-abc-in-china-20110817-1iyax.html?from=age_sb
SKY News has trumped the ABC in the battle to win the $223 million contract to run Australia’s official TV service in Asia by winning a landmark deal for television broadcasts in China.
The agreement signed with Chinese state television CCTV in Beijing yesterday will see live and breaking news stories from Rupert Murdoch’s part-owned Sky News broadcast in China, with reciprocal rights back into Australia.
The deal makes it almost impossible for the ABC to match the Sky News promise in the bid for the official Australia Network service to aggressively expand the audience in the lucrative China market.
”For the first time, Australian major news events will be seen live in China and major Chinese news events seen live on Australia’s news channel,” said a statement from Sky News and CCTV.
An expansion into China was the key reason an independent public service panel set up to evaluate the bids initially backed Sky News in May to win the Australia Network deal – only for the government to intervene and sideline the panel’s recommendation.<
The contract is now expected to be decided before mid-September after the government reopened the tender, blaming the recent upheavals in the Middle East.
The Sky News deal falls short of a much sought-after permanent presence on Chinese television screens – known as landing rights – but it is a major boost in accessing the world's fastest-growing economy.
**Typically clever move by Mr. Murdoch, but that doesn’t mean he should be allowed any more media ownership, given that he already owns 70% of the media in Australia.
ABC keeps distance with Chinese media
http://www.smh.com.au/national/abc-keeps-distance-with-chinese-media-20110818-1j074.html
THE ABC says its independence charter stops it getting too close to Chinese-state controlled media after its rival Sky News gained a strategic toehold in China in the contest for Australia Network.
Sky News has signed with China’s state television, CCTV, for live broadcasts into the world’s most populous market – a deal central to its pitch for the $223 million contract to run Australia’s overseas television service.
The promise of greater access in China was key to a panel of public servants in May judging Sky News the better bid over the ABC, only for the Gillard government to intervene before its final decision and to change the tender rules.
Advertisement: Story continues below The ABC yesterday said it had its own arrangements with Chinese state broadcasters for exchanging news footage, including CCTV. But the deals do not extend to the exchange of live news.
”Unlike the ABC, whose independence and integrity is guaranteed by its charter, CCTV remains a state-controlled media organisation … it must operate within the constraints imposed upon it by the Chinese Communist Party,” the ABC statement said.
Radio Jocks mouthing again.
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/head-to-head/hadley-and-jones-take-on-journalists-politicians-and-former-employers/20110823312?utm_source=The+Power+Index&utm_campaign=890045c93a-The_Power_Daily_23_Aug_2011&utm_medium=email
Eddie , there’s no stopping them is there !
Gee the ABC online is quick off the mark. The post and link I put on the Cafe @ Murdoch at 11.04am has now also been picked up by the ABC @ 20.29
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-23/cameron27s-media-advisor-remained-on-murdoch-payroll/2852198
And here is a reason we need an inquiry into media
No credit card details, no names of escort or name of escort agency, yet these “fresh allegations ” are worthy of an Australian story
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/escorts-files-name-mp-craig-thomson/story-fn59niix-1226121605788
Please note a new addition to the Café’s Blog Roll – this comes from Peter Wicks aka Wixxy’s World. Wixxy is also a member of Migs’ Australians for an Honest Media Facebook group.
http://wixxy.wordpress.com/
I have just listened to the interview with Ms. Jackson. She was clear that no new evidence has emerged.
She stated that she sought police action on the basis on new allegations in the Telegraph.
She was reluctant to talk about Mr. Thomson.
The investigations have been going on for over two years, bases on an audit done when she first took over.
She seem to be saying there is missing money, but the do not know who is responsible.
Something just does not add up.
Talking polls
KEY crossbench MP Rob Oakeshott has rejected a local newspaper poll that suggests his support is plummeting, arguing the editor is an employee of the federal coalition.
Mr Oakeshott’s response today was brief.
“The editor of The Port Paper is still on the Australian parliamentary staff list as an employee of the National Party’s Luke Hartsuyker,” he said in a statement.
“Accordingly, along with referrals to the New South Wales Electoral Commission and the Press Council, anything written by this paper, which only began in March 2011, will not attract a response from my office.”
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/oakeshott-rejects-poor-poll-results/story-e6frfku0-1226122381013#ixzz1W2MZ4Qjy
Ch 9.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-25/reporters-sacked-over-fake-chopper-crosses/2856172
Yes Eddie I had a chuckle at this one.
Yet another sign that we have a really sick media in this country:
“The director of news for Channel Nine in Brisbane has resigned, and three employees have been sacked over the fake-live crosses from helicopters the station aired last weekend.
On separate days, two reporters filed fake crosses from the station’s helicopter, saying they were near Beerwah, over the site of the search for the remains of murdered Queensland teenager Daniel Morecombe.”
What is really surprising is that Channel nine took any action, there are plenty of other fake news stories. At channel ten they would have been praised for showing initiative.
lunalava what is even funnier the “true” reason for being sacked was that for one of the”live crosses ” they were filmed by a rival. So the dishonesty is that they have been caught out.
Golly gosh the report by News Ltd this morning was 100% wrong.
Records undermine Abbott’s latest Thomson attack
News Limited reported this morning that Julia Gillard’s chief of staff called the industrial registrar in 2009 to ask if he was investigating the besieged Labor MP
Official records, however, contradict the reported chain of events, and show an Opposition senator knew of the communications more than a year ago.
Parliamentary records show it was actually the registrar, Douglas Williams, who made contact with Ben Hubbard, Ms Gillard’s chief of staff while she was minister for workplace relations.
Hansard shows the registrar contacted Ms Gillard’s office on April 8, 2009 after a newspaper report claimed Mr Thomson had misused his Health Services Union (HSU) credit card.
The information has been on the parliamentary record since May last year, in response to a question from Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-26/records-undermine-abbott-attack/2857656
How convenient for News Ltd to be wrong, for the Liberal Party to know the facts but based on the “story” Abbott had the opportunity to go on morning TV and spread the lies. And the truth emerges 20.28 on a friday night, with little chance of the facts getting heard
Lets have an investigation of the Media.
Sue,
I just spotted this on the ABC, from hours ago, yet ltd news still has the earlier articles, complete with comments !!
The latest article clarifies but the headline is misleading….nothing ever improves.
Claims Julia Gillard’s chief of staff knew of Craig Thomson affair in early 2009
By Malcolm Farr, Andrew Clennell, Steve Lewis and AAP From: news.com.au August 26, 2011 9:34PM
CLAIMS that a senior adviser in Julia Gillard’s office pressured investigators looking into MP Craig Thomson have been undermined by records which the Liberal Party has known about for more than a year.
On a day that a dirt-covered shovel left outside of a union official was the latest development in the increasingly tense saga, the records cast doubt on attempts to link the scandal to the Prime Minister’s office.
Earlier, it was revealed Julia Gillard’s chief-of-staff rang the Industrial Registrar in early 2009 to ask whether he was investigating the Labor MP.
Former Industrial Registrar Doug Williams last night confirmed the phone call from Ben Hubbard, which came before the fraud allegations were made public.
Mr Williams told the Prime Minister’s most trusted adviser that he was legally unable to provide any information about his investigation.
The Lieberals have been running this bullsh for days with complementary reportage for good measure, knowing it was not true !!
Just for good measure “Richo” has stuck his oar in.
He’s been such a help over the years !!
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/thomson-is-the-pms-ticking-time-bomb/story-e6frgd0x-1226122396641
Pip
I remember the Richo stories of the boat, the prostitutes, swiss bank accounts…..
And they just love him on the networks. Now who does he work for apart from himself?
The frustrating thing about the complete lie in News Ltd is Labor won’t go on the attack.
Sue, I’m still here, but the wireless thingo keeps disappearing tonight !
It would be very interesting to know who is paying Richo these days…..you whistle and I’ll point ….
This link thanks to Ashghebranious is of interest because the subject Mr. Jackson is the former husband of HSU boss Ms Kathy Jackson.
Now Victorian official accused Paul Austin
April 9, 2009
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/now-victorian-official-accused-20090408-a0w6.html
ONE of Victoria’s most powerful union leaders has been accused of using his union credit card to pay for escort services.
The allegation against Jeff Jackson, the secretary of the Health Services Union No. 1 branch, is the latest in a bitter fight for control of the union.
The story details are similar to the Craig Thomson story, but it’s
this that caught my eye:-
The documents are monthly statements from December 2003 to October 2004 for a Bendigo Bank Gold Visa credit card issued to the union.
They show that on December 20, 2003, the card was used to pay $405 to a Surry Hills restaurant, but the company is listed on the internet as payee for clients of an escort agency called Sydney Outcalls Network.
When I discussed this with my daughter she reminded me of the times that my bank statement showed payments to a ….Holdings company which meant nothing to me. It was actually payments to my chemist…Chemart.
My point is that the restaurant in this story could well be owned by the “Sydney Outcalls Network” and customers would be none the wiser.
The same could apply in the Craig Thomson saga.
Factional brawl could sink Gillard
Nick O’Malley and Phillip Coorey
August 27, 2011
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/factional-brawl-could-sink-gillard-20110826-1jebw.html
DIGGING by the Liberal frontbencher, Michael Ronaldson, largely kept the issue alive.
On June 15, in a little-noticed Senate speech, Ronaldson said an innocent Thomson would not have dropped the case. He demanded Gillard publicly refute the allegations against Thomson or ”immediately sack Mr Thomson”.
**An inability to pay any further legal bills would be a genuine reason to drop the court case.
Thomson records missing
Royce Millar and Ben Schneiders
August 27, 2011
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/thomson-records-missing-20110826-1jem5.html
Pip a good read by Hartcher
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/worlds-apart-on-politics-20110826-1jecw.html
So how do the government get the good messages out when 70% of media owned by Murdoch and when new “newspapers” emerge such as the one that has started in Oakshott’s electorate.
The oo continues with it’s mis-direction and fabrication of reality
So, does Glenn Stevens want the IR laws to be ‘reviewed’? Is he blaming them for a decline in productivity? Of course not, although, we should have guessed that already because it is what the paper stated. It really is the ‘opposition oracle’, or more clearly, the ‘opposite organ’. Whatever it says, the opposite is generally true.
According to his own words Stevens’ wants the laws to be better explained to the business sector (or more correctly, for the business sector to become more acquainted with them), as he believes that they are currently flexible enough. A far cry from what the headline tells us, and from what the article tries to sway us to.
Couple this with the above examples of ltdnews running a deliberately dishonest attack on the Government over the Thomson affair, and it is obvious that our current media are harming our democracy far more than any other single entity in the country today. They are deliberately misleading their readers, and obviously ‘barracking’ for one team.
And it is time they were held to account.
A link for luck 😉
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/lucky-to-lazy-country-review-industrial-relations-laws-to-stop-decline-says-glenn-stevens/story-fn59niix-1226123230338
Tom, your comment is worth repeating and in BOLD.
…it is obvious that our current media are harming our democracy far more than any other single entity in the country today. They are deliberately misleading their readers, and obviously ‘barracking’ for one team.
And it is time they were held to account.
I thought it was bad enough that we have to follow the pre-selection trail for USA elections but now we are fed the big news that Ita may stand for election as the mayor of Sydney.
Any more mayoral elections around australia we should know about? The Ita story on ABC Australia Story plus the Mini series was a good lead into her announcement.
Meanwhile at COAG there was big news stories about health and transport. Getting all premiers to agree on reform was the BIGGEST news. Can anyone tell me when this has ever occurred even when the feds and states were of the same political persuasion?
The COAG story has been STATE v STATE v COMMONWEALTH, so congratulations to PM Julia Gillard and her Cabinet.
There was a COAG meeting? 😯
http://www.abc.net.au/news/thedrum/polls/
Current Poll: In its reporting of politics, the Australian media tend to be:
Any guesses which way I voted. 😉
Spotted by a tweep, advertorial infotainment passing as a ‘story’ ??
BrigadierSlog Brigadier Slog
@jonaholmesMW I bet you’ve noticed 60 minutes story for tomorrow, try clothes on with online purchases. Paid for advertisment I think.
I got this link from someone over at (I think) Pure Poison. It is another example of yabots ‘hipocrisy’, bringing up the old “Carbon Tax” lie theme, and then, immediately defending his going back on his written agreement to provide a pairing because the ‘situation has changed’ (It’s about 5 minutes in for those who cannot stomach him for that long)
😯
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-25/interview-with-tony-abbott/2854982
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/unions-escalate-ir-war-with-out-of-touch-rba/story-fn59niix-1226124041820
The oo’s made up story about Stevens saying a review of the IR laws is needed (he didn’t https://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/media-watch-ix/#comment-33762 )
Now a union official appears to have bought the lies they are peddling, and is rightly agitated about it (as he should be IF that is what Stevens had actually said)
They make up a story one day, and then the next day, this manufactured story gets legs of its own. I wonder if Ms Kearney will release another statement once the truth is explained to her? I wonder if it will be reported?
Tom…of course the situation has changed and it’s because Scenario#1 no longer suits Abbott’s purposes. When/IF Abbott takes the Liberals to the next election you can be 100% positive that not one single one of his promises, written or otherwise are worth the paper they are or are not written on.
Just as O’Farrell’s set in stone promises during the election are crumbling one by one, an I believe the other Liberal Premiers aren’t doing much better in the keeping promise stakes either.
This story has been around ever since the PM was the Deputy PM.
It is a story that even the Australian says is one step too far. It was hinted at last week.
“The Australian newspaper published today an opinion piece by Glenn Milne which includes assertions about the conduct of the Prime Minister.
The Australian has acknowledged that these assertions are untrue.
The Australian has unreservedly apologised to the Prime Minister and its readers for the publication of these false claims.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/story-fn7djq9o-1226124281624#ixzz1WNjtvM8I
CU, in order for the OO to have printed this retraction there could be no other reason other than that the original Milne piece was a complete fabrication.
We know that the media can get away with distortions, false claims, misleading headlines so that on the rare occasions that a retraction happens..you’d better believe it, that it was indeed a complete falsehood.
The ABC 7.30 report has the news that the Work Choices Legislation “saved” many small businesses during the global financial crisis. Who invents this stuff? How did it get aired on the ABC? This is Liberal Party propaganda pure and simple.
Stay tuned for how John Howard saved Iraq from Al Qaeda.
Lunalava at 7.48
When I heard 7.30 start with “The Federal Government is coming under pressure…” I thought that the ABC’s even getting the Murdoch mob to write its actual scripting now, but I too was a bit blown away by the statement that WorkChoices was the nation’s saviour. The GFC was the sort of environment that WorkChoices was designed to bite in, using “flexibility” to lower working conditions at the time & weakened bargaining power to keep them that way thereafter. The ABC’s truly going to the dogs, but it won’t save them from the renewed attentions of Concetta F-W & the like if the libs get back in.
But at least 4 Corners & Media Watch were extra good tonight.
Lunalava and BSA Bob, it’s becoming very clear that WorkChoices is still the main item on the Coalition agenda despite their dear leader stating that it is ‘dead buried and cremated’, but of course, as we know, his word is worthless. He is the only one not pushing for it’s revival.
As for the ABC, we need to be writing to our MPs complaining loudly about the way it has been trashed under Howard’s people.
PIp how about writing to Gai Brodtmann the Member for Canberra, Labor and wife of Chris Uhlmann,
The Claytons apology by News Ltd to the PM.
Monday have article that lies about PM, said article missed all editing, has on line correction apologises to PM
Tuesday frontpage headline attacks PM, inside page has printed apology from previous days article.
Sounds like a campaign to damage PM while attempting to hide behind lawyers.
Well the claytons apology proved true
“Ms Gillard contacted Mr Hartigan on Sunday to ask whether Bolt or another journalist was planning to revisit the story. He made inquiries at the Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph and assured her there were no such plans.
But Mr Hartigan did not check with The Australian.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/bombshell-for-gillard-explodes-under-murdoch-press-20110829-1jipb.html#ixzz1WS0Wqjua
Can anyone believe that the chief of News Ltd in Australia didn’t think to ask The Australian its number 1 ? The old saying only ask the question to which you know the answer.
SLEAZE BAGS
It appears the 7.30 null has abandoned the alleged ‘balance’ it pretends to hide behind, running full pelt with the line that the Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens is also calling for a review, going so far as to insinuate that he also believes the new laws are too restrictive. They took this one part of the quote
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3305108.htm
On hearing just that quote, you are easily led to believe that Stevens does in fact believe the laws are too restrictive. But if they had bothered to let him expand on his idea, to fully understand his feelings, you may draw a different conclusion.
http://andrewbartlett.com/?p=7887
Very telling that they missed that bit out. Also telling is that a station, who in their demand for ‘balance’ has become theirabc(theOppositionSays) could not find one worker who actually liked getting penalty rates (I’m sure if they looked hard they could have found one (sic))
And yes lunalava, to claim ‘workchoices’ saved the GFC?? WTF. Is this some kind of new meme that theirabc(tos) is helping to enable.
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/economics/issues/unemployment/Topic3Tutorial1Unemployment2.html
Should have known with ulman in the presenters chair it would become a cheer squad for the neo-cons, ‘balance’ be damned, based in fantasy rather than facts. At least the oo have taken to pulling stories when they are full of shit. It really is theirabc.
I haven’t watched the rest of the show, and doubt that I will. It really is a shame what has become of a once great show.
‘SLEAZE BAGS’
You are being far too kind Sue 😉
‘Milne could not be contacted.’
Did they try the sleazier bars?
An interesting story, from the UK, on the Iraq invasion, makes you wonder what Bush’s mate Howard knew.
“Britain and the US were planning to take action against Saddam Hussein without a second UN resolution five months before the invasion of Iraq, a newly released letter from Tony Blair’s office shows.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/29/tony-blair-iraq-un-resolution
Lunalava. I would be surprised if WorkChoices saved any businesses.
I am sure the Stimulus Package saved more.
What did NOT occur under WorkChoices was an improvement in productivity.
Productivity has been on a downward path for over ten years.
Mr. Howard may have contributed to this downward path, I do no know, but he definitely did nothing to stop it going down.
Whenever Mr. Abbott said that Work Choice was dead, he generally added the rider that it would remain so so, until industry outcry led to him change his mind.
“An interesting story, from the UK, on the Iraq invasion, makes you wonder what Bush’s mate Howard knew”
That was well known at the time. Bush paid high price, or more truly, the American people to get countries to get support in the UN with with bribes.
It would be ridiculous to believe Mr. Howard as deputy sheriff and great mate knew nothing.
Mr. Howard never showed that he liked or respected the UN and would not have cared what they thought.
“five months before the invasion of Iraq”
What was howard telling the parliament during this period?
Tom R, I seem remember many workers and their bosses coming to arrangements to save jobs. There were shorter hours worked in many businesses.
Something that was unlikely to happen under WorkChoices.
What we would have had a high numbers of sackings as the boss had this right under WorkChoices.
I for one would like to say that it was the availability of shift work with penalty rates that allow me as a single mother to give my four children some luxuries. I only work those hours, plus over time for the penalty rates.
As a result, at seventy, I still have problems sleeping normal hours and at night.
I do not know anyone that would work irregular hours or overtime without penalty rates. To say so, would be lying. The family does pay a price when the bread winner work these hours.
I have notice that people who say they would workout penalty rates, do not do shift work and I suspect much overtime.
The boss has two choices in relation to overtime. Put more workers on or give their workers overtime.
I say to those who do not believe in penalty rates on over time, ask the boss why he does not put on more workers.
Th answer is simple, it is cheaper to pay overtime with penalty rates.
“Should have known with ulman in the presenters chair it would become a cheer squad for the neo-cons, ‘balance’ be damned,”
There must be some wonderful arguments/debates in the Ulman houshold.
From Andrew Bolt:
Andrew Bolt – Tuesday, August 30, 11 (12:01 am)
No politics until further notice. Principles to weigh up. Faith to keep. Sorry..
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/
I, of course usually avoid the Blot like the plague..but have a look at the number of comments he is not receiving to his topics.
lol Min. Those comments are priceless. Poor aimless vagabonds with no-one to tell them what to think today. It’s kind of cruel really, to provide them with their thinking for so long, and then just let them wander aimlessly like that.
Leave them alone too long, andd they might end up jumping in a rig and driving to Canberra to …… what did we come here for again?
BOLT AND PRINCIPLES IN SAME SENTENCE ROFL
Meanwhile Liberals and fake emails will they ever learn
Lib red-faced over live animal trade email fakes to Nick Xenophon
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/red-faced-over-email-dirty-tricks/story-e6frfkvr-1226125157791#ixzz1WSo0GMmF
Now be prepared for another laugh. Bolt must write his own comments
“I have left-wing mates who respect your opinions and analysis
Sue, from your link
Corruption and ineptness are fine to bring down a Government he has been led to believe is corrupt and inept 😯
Whoops, I meant to thank Deb for drawing Bolt’s comment to everyone’s attention. One person thought that it was ‘a hoax’. Noo, Bolt actually did write this.
Julia Gillard just had a news conference on news 24, she is in Woollongong. I missed most of the questions but she must have been asked about the Australian.
She said “………I am the Prime Minister of Australia, I can get the telephone numbers of the editors of the newspapers but imagine if you were say someone from the Illawarra and had such things written about you, what redress would you have. It is about ethics and standards. Ethics and standards so I suggest you put those questions to the editors of the Australian.”
I hope someone got the full quote from the PM
Ethics and standards sounds like a good basis for an inquiry.
Understatement from Sky, that there is still ‘tension’ between Gillard and news.com. Oh good, we might end up with that media investigation after all..
And from over at Crikey…
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/08/29/milne/
“….But while the article has been removed, the line continues to fester on fellow News Limited columnist Andrew Bolt’s blog. Interestingly, Bolt has written the following disclaimer directly after it:
“I am not sure that Gillard did share a home with Wilson. My own understanding is that she maintained her own house.”
Late this morning, the Ten Network talk show host issued an “update”, acknowledging The Oz had pulled the story….”
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/08/29/milne/
Reading comments on many sites, including Bolt’s, I feel that the PM is getting sympathy for the first time.
Maybe it is true, that Australians do respect a person for standing up for themselves and not taking shit.
It would be lovely if we were moving into a climate where th media does hold all politicians to account and rely on truth and facts for their stories.
Maybe the media might even get beyond picking sides. That is not their role.
The lie the liar and the story in the local paper
http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/08/hartsuyker-attempts-
to-deceive.html
Hartsuyker attempts to deceive Parliament
One has to wonder why Hartsuyker has such little regard for the Australian Parliament that he would attempt to deceive it in this manner.
CU it will be interesting to see if any of the networks actually run the comment by the Prime Minister.
As she was talking ethics and standards the media may not be prepared to be honest with the public.
Cu @ 3.31pm,
Catching up
Reading comments on many sites, including Bolt’s, I feel that the PM is getting sympathy for the first time.
Or maybe the sympathetic comments are now being published for a change !
Sue, the Hartsuyker link failed so I’m trying again 🙂
http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/08/hartsuyker-attempts-to-deceive.html
Sue, Hartsuyker doesn’t have much of a presence in the Parliament but he wouldn’t given that he can’t even write a speech of his own words!
Bumper August edition: Bolt, Gillard, 4 Corners, Murdoch, ASA, Gunns, Bruce Wilson, Manningham, Cornwall, pokies, Rich List, tweets and much more
http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2011/07/19-1431-9017.html
Noxious Andrew Bolt goes on strikes
Andrew Bolt appears to be considering walking away from the Herald Sun after being embarrassed that News Ltd executive chairman John Hartigan called the dogs off Julia Gillard and his Saturday blog tip that the PM would be forced to resign turned into an open joke.
Hartigan rather pathetically collapsed after taking Gillard’s call complaining about Glenn Milne’s Monday column in The Australian and I’m guessing this is why Bolt spat the dummy and posted the following on his blog at 12.01am this morning: “No politics until further notice. Principles to weigh up. Faith to keep. Sorry.”
All we’ve got so far are these comments on 2GB this morning:
continue…
Then there is the UPDATE…
UPDATE
After pouting and striking for the day, Bolt returned with the following mid-afternoon update:
UPDATE
Afrer discussions, I now feel free to speak my mind. So I shall. In tomorrow’s column. I apologise for the mysteriousness, but I did not want to act in anger or before matters had been resolved. I had to be fair to my employer and to my readers, and I apologise if you think I’ve had the balance wrong over the past 24 hours.
Thank you to everyone who has rung, emailed or commented on this post, here and on radio.
He’s kidding right ?
I apologise if you think I’ve had the balance wrong over the past 24 hours.
Only the last 24 HOURS ?
An interesting snippet from this article that should be broadcast to the residents of the Latrobe
“a senior federal source said the Baillieu government had refused to even discuss measures to help Latrobe Valley communities, making it ”very unlikely” that the fund would be Melbourne-based.”
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-losing-as-heat-rises-over-energy-fund-home-20110830-1jk6z.html#ixzz1WXwaGH1h
So while Tony Abbott wrings his hands and claims the Latrobe will suffer with job losses his buddy Baillieau is content to let the anxiety rise.
Also Sue there was a snippet I saw that green energy jobs could go and industries closed down in Victoria because of a woeful decision Baillieu has made on wind farm siting.
But these are green jobs so to the likes of Abbott and Baillieu don’t count, only coal and mining jobs are important to bash the voters over the head with, and even then they have to lie about the job losses in those industries. The right and lies are synonymous.
Well as for the new Energy board the governments for Qld,SA,Tas and ACT appear to be pro alternate energy. So they should be ahead of Vic and NSW for head office location.
Yes, I am quite happy with that decision in Victoria
More Wind Farms in SA I guess 😉
Grog has a good article up about the media and their navel gazing. I also liked it when he highlighted how afraid of actual scrutiny the opposition is to its own ‘policies’
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2863372.html
Interestingly, it is the oppositions own policy that the opposition are attempting to modify 😯
But as he states, this is all lost in the maelstrom of irrelevance the Thomson affair has turned out to be.
Stephen Mayne gives an account of the latest smear campaign against the PM.
Past comments about AWU embezzlement
http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2011/08/29-1202-7942.html
August 30, 2011 In light of News Ltd pulling and apologising for Glenn’s Milne’s column, this package tracks what The Australian, Glenn Milne and Julia Gillard have said about the embezzlement of AWU funds by the PM’s former partner Bruce Wilson.
Today Andrew Dolt is back and it’s all about the PM’s poor judgement in her choice of partner !
No link from me, why give him another online click.
Pip,
I agree wholeheartedly, why give the Dolt a click. I got that, 17 years ago the PM made a poor choice in a partner. When do you ever read that a male politician has made a poor choice in a partner.
Absolutely…point taken Antony.
Anthony and Min,
the same could be said about some of us [one] here 🙄
No surprises here. Abbott describing Workchoices Mk2 as “freedom”.
Abbott backs Howard on IR laws rollback
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-31/abbott-backs-howard-on-ir-laws/2863890
Asked if he meant deregulation of the labour market, Mr Abbott said: “I think we need freedom. I think we ought to be able to trust the businesses and the workers of Australia to come to arrangements which suit themselves.”
Told that it sounds like “a version of WorkChoices” Mr Abbott moved to distance himself from the description.
“Look, we’ve gone over this time and time again. The fact of the matter is that it’s in the past. It’s absolutely in the past. We want to
tackle the problems of now, not to dwell in the past.”
What are they going to change, given that Labor haven’t really abolished all of Workchoices anyway ?
Min, I’ve moved the Mayne Report @ 12.19pm over to your False Australian post where it belongs 🙂
Pip, remind me to call on you whenever I want to rearrange the furniture. 😉
The Bolt Report (aka Gina Monologues) Encore has plummeted below 100,000 and the main show has declined to just above 100,000.
Chalk up another thing el gordo has gotten horribly wrong.
That this would happen was widely predicted before the show aired but what must be really worrying for Ten is that Bolt is dragging down Ten News that follows to the point it might become the lowest rating news on FTA TV.
So where is all the right wing outrage at the jobs Bolt might be costing at Ten?
Does anyone belive that Mr. Abbott has the ability to govern.
Is it time to go back in history the DLP and Mr. Santamaria.
“…AT a time of exacting economic challenge for Australia the issue for Tony Abbott is not the carbon tax – it is whether Abbott has the policy agenda and convictions to duplicate the economic success of the Howard-Costello era.
For the nation, the major unknown about Abbott is his economic beliefs. Yes, he is a protege of John Howard. But before Howard, the spectre of B. A. Santamaria’s regulatory economics hangs over Abbott’s history. Indeed, among Abbott’s frontbench colleagues there is real uncertainty about his economic philosophy, notably whether his faith in pro-market policy outweighs his instinct for government intervention. It is a subject of wide and growing contention. If Abbott’s colleagues are unsure about his economic mettle, is it any surprise the public are unconvinced?….”
…..In a sense Abbott captures and reflects the nation’s ambivalence. The bigger question is whether he aspires to offer economic leadership or merely exploit the flaws and difficulties of Gillard Labor. The answer should be obvious: no Liberal leader can duck the obligation of economic leadership. This is embedded in the Liberal Party’s DNA.
Moreover Abbott, if he wins, needs to bring expectations and reality into some consistency. Winning only as a populist dooms Abbott PM to loads of problems from dashed expectations. While invoking Howard is smart, it cannot suffice. The caravan has moved on. Abbott’s task is to devise a policy agenda that integrates the terms of trade boom, the productivity challenge and the need to address climate change.
…
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/abbott-must-walk-away-from-economic-populism/story-e6frgd0x-1226125879103
The High Court has not ruled the Malaysian solution is not posssible.
It has ruled that the Ministers existing declaration is invalid. It’s Up to the Minister to issue a new declaration.
In other words, it is down to words.
I would say no one has won.
It is open for the government to change the act. Unlikely in this climate.
The Malaysian Solution does not now exist. It is open to the Minister to revive it.
It is up to Malaysia to enter into a more binding agreement.
I suppose it depends on how badly Malaysia wants the agreement.
It might be an opportunity for Malaysia to lift it’s reputation in this matter.
It was not a unamious decision. Two judges dissented.
“Workchoices Mk2 as “freedom”.
Freedom for who?
There appeared to be enough freedom during the GFC for many bosses and workers to come to an agreement to get through without anyone being sacked.
If Mr. Abbott claims that WC increase productivity, he is either lying or misinformed. Both is probably the answer.
ME. another broken promise by Mr. O’Farrell. He is taking more money from Hunter Water, in spite of a promise that he would not take money from Utilities.
This affect the Central Coast as well as the Hunter Valley. A new pipeline is being opened this week, and we rely on the Hunter for backup in times of drought.
If Mr. Abbott was real about fair work laws, he would not leave Ms. Mirabella in charge.
Another laugh today was Mr. Scott at the Press Club. I missed most but what I seen was a joke.
“It is up to Malaysia to enter into a more binding agreement.”
So it looks like a good thing the challenge was raised. It removes any wiggle room from either party
He doesn’t want to say the word “flexibility” as that is too closely associated with the failed WorkChoices Mk1. So as is typical of Abbott he wants to have his cake and eat it to and then some.
He’s attempting to walk the tightrope between big business on one hand who still want and have always wanted WorkChoices MkII, and the voters on the other who don’t want a bar of WorkChoices in any other form than the watered down and altered version it now is in Fair Work Australia.
So as he does with Climate Change, where he says he both believes it and he doesn’t, he’s attempting to say WorkChoices is dead but it isn’t.
And remember how many of us predicted that WorkChoices is far from dead with Abbott and he will bring it in only not calling it WorkChoiices. So flexibility has been replaced by freedom and bit by bit we will see other mealy terms come in to describe what will essentially be WC but not called that.
Standby for FreedomChoices, and not surprisingly it will look very much like the draconian WorkChoices MkII industry has yearned for.
I see the Work Choices is back on the Liberal Party agenda (not that it really ever went away):
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-31/abbott-backs-howard-on-ir-laws/2863890
It seems that dead, buried, cremated and in writing is still not enough to trust Abbott.
He has the hide to call the PM a liar
“What are they going to change, given that Labor haven’t really abolished all of Workchoices anyway ?”
The PM retained much more that people realise. I wonder if he is going to go back the the old awards.
It appears to me that under Mr. Abbott, the desires of Mr. Reith will reign strong. No union rights whatever. No unions.
That is what it is all about abolishing unions, along with workers rights. They do not believe that workers have any.
Many dislike unions, and much of the criticism is valid.
What we must not allowed is the baby to be thrown out with the bath water.
Only a small minority of workers have connections to unions.
All workers benefit from the efforts of these workers and unions. Without unions, there would be no awards There would be nowhere to compare wages.
Employers have strong employer bodies that allow them to combine, to keep wages down. The Opposition have no problems with these bodies.
The ones that they hate are workers unions and student unions. They see them as a danger to their birth right to rule without any dissent.
Lunalava, it’s all about giving us back our “freedom”, cough cough.
It would appear from the High Court’s ruling that NO current offshore processing would be valid and this includes the Liberal Party’s preferred option of Nauru. There are apparently 100 pages of this ruling, so I’m not certain of the finer points as yet.
Cu, Employers have strong employer bodies that allow them to combine, to keep wages down. The Opposition have no problems with these bodies.
That’s right. They’ve got the Mining council, Murdoch, Big Tobacco, Murdoch, Clubs Australia, Murdoch,Hotels Association, Murdoch Australian Retailers etc.,
“So it looks like a good thing the challenge was raised. It removes any wiggle room from either party”
Tom R, you are correct. Maybe it is time we went back to basis and stop playing games with these people.
It is time to assess them and get them quickly established in the community to become worthwhile citizens and productive members of our society.
What has occurred for the last decade or so has been wasteful and expensive. It has not stopped one person from ending up in Australia. It has just made a few people who care not for the rights of others, feel superior.
The stopping of the boats could possibly be curtailed by simply taking more of our refugee intake from Malaysia and Indonesia.
I am watching ABC 24. They have given two different numbers for the decision. They have said six and one, five and two. Not too sure what is correct.
The ruling itself can be found at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCA/2011/32.html
Read up on what WorkChoices MkII really was as Minchin let the cat out of the bag by releasing the draft when industry were stating the WorkChoices MkI didn’t go far enough.
WorkChoices MkII was so toxic Howard immediately disowned it and an American businessman known for his shoddy treatment of workers said they were draconian.
There was no equivalent to WC MkII in the world. It was radical departure from standard employer/employee relationships and did far more than just get rid of the workers’ unions completely.
Ever since having a hand in drafting it and seeing that draft massaged by the Howard government and in print industry have been salivating for it. They will offer all the support in their power to any party that has a chance of implementing it, even if that party may not be competent or economically good for them. WCII is worth that much to their bottom line.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/bob-brown-renews-call-for-media-inquiry/story-e6frf7jx-1226126535622
Hey..Bob has been reading opinions at the Café 🙂
Mobious, There was no equivalent to WC MkII in the world. It was radical departure from standard employer/employee relationships and did far more than just get rid of the workers’ unions completely.
The old Liberal war horses are out and about making big fellas of themselves and looking decidedly chuffed about being ‘back’.
Reith seems to be everywhere and the Rodent acting out the role of benign elder statesman last night.
It’s thanks to him that the ABC is awash with schoolboys spouting the gospel of the Institute of Public Affairs, who are the paid spruikers for the employers who want Workchoices back on the agenda.
I reckon that the ABC’s Mark Scott, in his latest sermon from the mount, has cloned concepts from the work of William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar”.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-31/scott-defining-the-modern-abc/2863920
In the play Brutus rises before the mob to explain and justify his assassination of Julius Caesar. The dialogue starts with a eulogy and then goes on to explain how the actions of the conspirators where noble and justified because of Caesar’s “ambition”
Likewise, Scott seeks to stir his audience by mentioning anyone of note who has died at the ABC for the last twenty years. From this base, he launches into a sermon on “Trust and Relevance”. Not only is this very tacky but very few people who have watched recent changes at the ABC would buy this bullshit any more.
Oh, and by the way, in the play Brutus’s speech initially won favor, but was ‘blown away” by the next speaker.
lunalava, the ‘blown away’ aspect has some merit !
She’ll be right, her colleagues have broadcast her ‘depression’ defence well ahead of her court appearance !
Senator due in court on assault, shoplifting charges
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-01/mary-jo-fisher-shoplifting-assault/2865132/?site=melbourne
Tim Dunlop.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2864816.html
http://hydeparkheckler.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/political-pundits-commenting-on-legal-issues-what-could-go-wrong/
“Now, the ABC has sacked Glenn Milne from Insiders for allegedly not meeting its editorial standards. The trigger for that decision was Milne’s column in The Australian on Monday, now removed from the Internet, in which he detailed some of the material”
From Bolt’s site/
Some sites are giiving a link to the ABC, suggesting they complain about the sacking of Milne. I suggest that we do the same, praising them for their commonsense actions.
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/contact.htm
The comment I left.
I hope from now on we are going to see qualty journalists from all sides of the political fence.
I hope the days of the shock jocks appearing is over.
I have turned off a show I used to like too many times in the last few months.
I wonder if Cassidy and the Insider panelists read the article on the Drum by Jay Rosen, if they haven’t they should. The article by Rosen highlighted why Insiders is pathetic these days.
Eddie @ 9.48am, 2nd Sept., just a small detail, Annabel Crabb is married to Adelaide lawyer Jeremy Storer !
What both Grattan and Crabb’s pieces show is that there is a tendency amongst political commentators to simplify everything to winners good, losers bad. The problem is that in the law, things are
rarely that simple.
The other problem with Grattan and Crabb’s pieces is that they leap to conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence and, apparently, without knowledge of how the legal profession works. Grattan assumes that just because legal advice is proven wrong by a subsequent case, it must be bad. Crabb assumes that any criticism of counsel necessarily demonstrates inherent problems with that party’s case. Neither assumption is correct
Catching up @ 11.35pm, thanks for the link ….letter sent to ABC 😀
Catching up, for visitors to the Cafe who may not have seen this before, lets give it one more airing 😀
Meds and booze behind Walkley barney
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/11/30/1164777725446.html
The columnist who attacked Crikey founder Stephen Mayne during last night’s Walkley Awards ceremony says he laments the “shocking consequences” of mixing alcohol and migraine medication.
Mayne had just finished awarding the best business news report to The Australian Financial Review’s Morgan Mellish when Glenn Milne, a columnist for The Sunday Telegraph, rushed up onto the stage and accosted Mayne, pushing him off the platform and onto the floor.
Milne then began berating Mayne from the stage as the audience, which consisted of a representation of Australia’s top journalists,
looked on bemused and surprised.
Better still it’s on YouTube
ABC dumps Milne from Insiders
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-dumps-milne-from-insiders-20110903-1jrsa.html
It’s a shame that articles like this don’t go a few steps further, and point out that Mr. Milne tried very hard to connect two entirely different stories with the specific intent of dragging the Prime Minister into a ‘scandal’, when in fact, the whole thing is a ‘non-story’ as commented on the Insiders this morning.
the ABC was right to dump Milne who lost all credibilty long ago.
Right-wing radio falling on deaf ears in Melbourne
MTR finished second-last, with just 2 per cent of Melbourne’s audience.
Modelled on Sydney’s 2GB, home to Alan Jones
The fate of its staff and presenters – including Steve Price (pictured), Andrew Bolt, Sam Newman, Steve Vizard and Martin King –
Mr Tebbutt, a senior journalism lecturer at La Trobe University. ”They didn’t ask Melbourne what they wanted, they simply pushed a format. And people won’t tune in to that, particularly when that format is just blokes talking at them.
”Even the way they addressed the gender issue – or rather, didn’t address the gender issue – shows they weren’t being inclusive. They came in with a very closed approach and now Melbourne has closed the door on them.”
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/rightwing-radio-falling-on-deaf-ears-in-melbourne-20110903-1jrmn.html#ixzz1Wx3GfCmM
MTR and Bolt report both failing in the ratings sounds like good news to me.
“The ABC’s head of policy, Alan Sunderland told The Sun-Herald, last night that Milne had not been “sacked … because we don’t employ him and never have” but confirmed the column had been the catalyst for the decision to cancel his scheduled appearance on the show this morning.
“We have in the past occasionally used Glenn as a guest panelist on Insiders, and he was due to appear again this week,” Mr Sunderland said.
“Given the issues surrounding his journalism this week, ABC management felt it was not appropriate for him to participate. His column, which led to a withdrawal and apology by his employer, was the obvious catalyst for this decision, but it was not the only factor.”
Mr Sunderland said it was unlikely the ABC would “be calling on him in the future to participate in Insiders” as it was essential that participants could be relied upon not to compromise the ABC’s editorial standards.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-dumps-milne-from-insiders-20110903-1jrsa.html#ixzz1WxFVvVtP
“……Speculation from where? The media. But that doesn’t matter, by this point the idea of media speculation is so entrenched that they don’t need to justify it, they just need to say it. The Age is reporting on the media’s own speculation.
The only reason that Gillard has even commented on matters of leadership (or anyone has commented on it, for that matter) is because the media has asked about it.
Then the article come crashing to a close almost contradicting the first half of the article,
http://www.groupthink.com.au/2011/09/04/the-imagined-but-very-real-leadership-crisis/
I know you may find this hard to believe but today on Insiders Annabel Crabb gave the viewer a wonderful example of the “media manufactured crisis within the Labor Party”. Annabelle said the organisation within the Labor party was so disorganised there would be no challenge to the PM, Gillards leadership was safe for now.
I interpreted that as the Labor party is so bad they could not organise a coup just for Annabelle. Or there was no story but it gave Annabelle lots of time to think up some witty things to say in her next Drum article.
For those of us with a fast broadband connection here is a link to “Albanese Addresses the Mob” (it goes for 25 minutes):
This rabble is a disgrace to Australian democracy, I can only assume that some of them were off their medication.
For those currently suffering bandwidth poverty, you will have to rely on News Ltd’s coverage.
200 hours community service Guilty of perversion of justice Judge says her actions were “annoying”
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/hours-of-community-work-for-liati/story-e6frfkvr-1225710701091#ixzz1X3Ee0zjg
lunalava about 15 minutes into the albanese rant there was a shot of one of the annoying crowd. her picture had me guessing and i am wondering that she looked like the “annoying” witness who was guilty of perjury.
also of note in the demo was the hopeless (sic) sign. hopess or not some care should be taken if you care enough to protest
I reckon Mal Brough is being parachuted into Peter Slipper’s seat as the next Liberal Party leader. The smart thinking is that Tony Abbott is a one trick pony who will fail to get across the line. John Howard always liked Brough as leader and he is still calling the shots from the sidelines.
What are the odds of Brough being the next Liberal Party Prime Minister?
You’re onto something here luna. Brough was the tough ex-Army hero who led the Intervention at Howard’s behest.
Peter Slipper is constantly ‘written down’….makes sense….he threatened to leave the Libs if Brough was parachuted in but has been stepped on from a great height .
From Twitter, Mike Stuchbery….not the ltd news StuTchbury…
He has a question for sophie Mirabella for Q+A tonight and needs support to have the question asked.
mikestuchbery Mike Stuchbery
If you like my #QandA question for @SMirabellaMP, let @abcqanda know. – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klrw8YSdPdw #auspol
“This is a question for Sophie Mirabella, as the representative of a very muliculturally diverse electorate what are you doing marching with people marching with signs that say ‘tolerance is our demise’?
I would have thought that that ran counter to everything that you do
as an MP. Thanks.”
Those who cannot stand the PM, seem to dislike this post.
It does attempt to explain what is going on in our society today. Some makes a little sense. It is brushed aside as blaming the media, I believe it examines more than that.
It tries to explain why people have the beliefs that the government is incompetent, at the same time, they polling shows the same people are are positive when told what has been achieved.
It attempts to analyse this disconnect between the two attitudes.
es, it does show the media as guilty but want to know why they succeed.
“How has the impression of incompetence been generated? Some would say the Government itself generates this because it is incompetent. Yet the more thoughtful journalists, the respondents to the Essential poll, and Independents such as Tony Windsor, Robb Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie see the Government not only as competent but achieving, except in a few contentious areas.
My thesis is that the Coalition and its media fellow travelers have generated the image of incompetence and has fostered this repeatedly with almost every utterance.
Last Thursday 2GB’s Ray Hadley began his interview with Tony Abbott about the High Court ruling by asking: “Is there one thing they could possibly not stuff up”. Now we don’t expect anything else from Hadley or his shock jock mate Alan Jones who malevolently berates the Government and PM Gillard at every opportunity. But it does illustrate how easily this impression of incompetence can be promulgated. Of course Abbott quickly picked up on the incompetence theme, as did Joe Hockey on 774 ABC radio Melbourne the same day, something those two, with help from their Coalition mates, have done repeatedly, dating back to the early days of the Rudd Government.
Moreover, a level of hatred and loathing towards Julia Gillard and her Government, which has reached pathological levels, has been generated not just by Tony Abbott and his Coalition confreres, but also with unparalleled vehemence and vitriol by the shock jocks. Will we ever forget the dressing down Alan Jones gave our PM for being ten minutes late to his infamous show where he called her ‘Ju-liar’? Can we ever erase the sight of him, and of Tony Abbott, with Sophie Mirabella and Bronwyn Bishop, standing in front of the ‘Ditch the Witch’ and ‘Bob Brown’s bitch’ placards at the Canberra rallies? Reflect on the endless images of Jones berating the PM that we have seen repeated on Media Watch….”
http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/09/05/The-media-the-polls-and-the-Labor-brand.aspx
Spite and spittle Cu.
The tactics are exactly the same as those used by the ultra wealthy funders of the Tea Party in the USA.
All of a piece with the propaganda from the Heartland Institute
Bernardi: Malcolm misled us
http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/06/01/bernardi-tells-america-turnbull-misled-my-party/
Bernardi went to the US in May to address the Heartland Institute’s “4th International Conference on Climate Change” in Chicago, one of the world’s premier climate change denial gatherings.
It was quite the do, with Bernardi joining other Australian flat earthers Bob Carter, Ian Plimer, Alan Moran and William Kininmonth, as well as serial fantasist “Lord” Chris Monckton and a host of other speakers.
and
But most of all, Bernardi related in detail — excruciating detail — how he personally saved Australia from Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull’s emissions trading scheme:
The video of Bernardi can be found on this page,
Quadrant magazine reporting on Heartland…
Vaclav Klaus, [who was upset about security screening at Parltiament House recently] said
“Today’s debate about global warming is essentially a debate about freedom. The environmentalists would like to mastermind each and every possible (and impossible) aspect of our lives.”
Blue Planet in Green Shackles
Report from Heartland-4
by Bob Carter
May 23, 2010
More than 700 scientists, social scientists, policy advisers and others attended the conference. Following the path blazed by independent Australian senator Steve Fielding in 2009, which resulted in his exercising a decisive vote against the ETS in the Senate, this year two serving politicians attended from the antipodes; they were Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi from South Australia …
Bob Carter is well known for not presenting his unscientific articles to the scientific community for review!!
Bachmann “open” to eliminating corporate taxes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/04/ftn/main20101506.shtml
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann offered muted support Sunday for Sarah Palin’s recent call to eliminate all corporate taxes, noting that she’s “open” to the idea of cutting corporate tax rates to zero percent – but not calling for it outright.
The Minnesota Congresswoman, appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, said “we could go that route” on corporate tax rates, but she noted that “we’d have to have a fundamental restructuring of the tax code” first if taxes paid by companies were to be eliminated altogether.
“What we would have to do then is re-jigger other elements to define revenue and what revenues would be needed to the economy,” Bachmann told CBS’ Bob Schieffer. “We certainly could get down to a zero percent corporate tax rate.”
I didn’t think the big corporations paid very much tax under
Bush tax scheme.
And the average Americans…….
From Mr. Denmore at The Failed Estate
Anti-Social Media
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/
The Nine Network’s recent staged live crosses to a helicopter “in flight” tell you all you need to know about the state of much of our mainstream media – cynical pretenders that see news as entertainment and their audiences as idiots.
Pip, thank you for that one…excellent as always from Mr. Denmore. A portion that I like..me having a bit of a bee in my bonnet against the copy and pastes that local media is inclined to indulge in:
“………….The Nine Network’s recent staged live crosses to a helicopter “in flight” tell you all you need to know about the state of much of our mainstream media – cynical pretenders that see news as entertainment and their audiences as idiots.
Of course, faking live broadcasts is an age-old ruse in the infotainment business that commercial radio and television calls ‘news’. The classic was Media Watch’s 1996 expose of Today Tonight hack Dave ‘Sluggo’ Richardson, who, in the hunt for fugitive businessman Christopher Skase, used Barcelona as the set for an imagined showdown with police in Skase’s Majorca hideaway………….”
“…….Over at the Limited News Deathstar, the trick is to force foreign affairs coverage through their Never Ending Culture Wars blender – which is why Greg Sheridan (the man who spotted Iraq’s WMDs from the American club in Macquarie Street) can describe Tony Abbott as having “the right stuff to master the world” because he sucked up to some Israeli diplomats at a Sydney luncheon.
And, remember, these are the “professional” journalists – the ones who patronise respected names in social media as “unedited bloggers”, and claim they themselves are the only ones with the skills and discretion to know news when they see it and provide useful and insightful analysis around it.
I prefer Jeff Jarvis’ take on what journalism is in a social media age. It is no longer defined by who does it – he says – but what they do and how they do it. The community – through Twitter or other agencies – can share information among themselves, which means journalists are going to have to find new ways of adding value……..”
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/
Sorry PIp, I did not realise you put it up. Great minds think alike. I should have read the site first.
I like the crack at Mr. Sheridan.
“The community – through Twitter or other agencies – can share information among themselves, which means journalists are going to have to find new ways of adding value……..”
Never a truer word. We can also put our own slant on it, like they can.
Problem is that it is harder to lie on the blogs, or at least get away with the lie.
That’s OK Cu, better it’s on here twice than not at all.
I’ve done that before too and it’s not a hanging offence 🙂
Miss it the first time, meet up the second time around..excellent theory. 🙂
A now defunct Port Macquarie newspaper gets caught out in yet another conflict of interest
The Port Paper shutdown with suspicious alacrity once its connection to The National Party of Australia began to surface
http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/09/now-defunct-port-macquarie-newspaper.html
This is Rob Oakeshott’s electorate, which hasn’t been in Nationals hands for some time and that’s just not right !! 👿
[ sarcasm alert ]
Most of the Cafe regulars are aware of the transformation of ABC News, ‘the Opposition says’ being a big bone of contention, but it’s even more serious when the other aspects of the ABC are being dismantled just as the likes of James Murdoch/BBC, and here News Ltd., and the Institute of Public Affairs, and other right-wing establishments, along with many Coalition MPs, have been demanding for years now.
URGENT: STOP the ABC’s PRIVATISATION by stealth
Send a note to the Senate Inquiry NOW
Let the inquiry know :
I expect the ABC to be a producer of innovative quality programming in all areas. I want:
the ABC to be less dependent on outsourced programming
the ABC to be funded and rebuilt so that it has strong specialist units to produce high levels of high quality and genuinely local in-house programming in all program genres on radio, TV and online
a public broadcaster that is focused on diversity and quality, not ratings
Submission deadline THIS Friday 9 September. (Submissions will be accepted if they are a few days late.)
Please forward this email to others.
Send your submission to the Senate Inquiry into recent ABC program decisions:
Email ec.sen@aph.gov.au (provide your full postal address and contact details); or
Post to: Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600
Inquiry information http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ec_ctte/abc/info.htm
What’s happening to ABC TV
Having already closed its acclaimed Natural History Unit and outsourced all TV documentary and drama, the ABC now plans to sack program-makers and outsource more television production to the private sector.
ABC management plans to axe The New Inventors and ‘rest’ Collectors. It will axe Art Nation (its only TV arts magazine program) and disband its TV arts unit. This act of cultural vandalism will also seriously diminish the ABC’s role as an archivist of important Australian artistic achievements.
The ABC plans to close TV production units altogether in some states.
Australia’s public broadcaster is being transformed into a platform for programs that are made by the same companies that make commercial television content, and with an eye to commercial sales after first screening on the ABC. The community is rapidly losing the ABC as the innovator and producer of diverse programs of cultural value and intellectual integrity that it is meant to be.
Radio Arts: Changes that will reduce Radio National arts programming by almost one-sixth are also being considered at this time.
Sincerely,
–The Team at FABC
Friends of the ABC Vic Inc
GPO Box 4065
Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
Phone: (03) 9682 0073
http://www.fabc.org.au
Thank you for that Pip, will do.
When the Power Index popped up a few weeks ago, it seemed like a reasonable idea to give them a go.
Not any more, looks like it’s just the same old…
There was a story about the Salvos and Clubs Australia, thoroughly dissected here:-
Clubs Australia hits a new low
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2867948.html
It was widely reported in yesterday’s papers that the Salvation Army has pulled its support for the Federal Government’s mandatory pre-commitment proposal for poker machines, instead backing a voluntary pre-commitment scheme such as the one supported by the Clubs industry.
Naturally enough, this has been hailed as a “victory” by Clubs Australia… but there’s much, much more to this story than meets
the eye.
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/crystal-ball/centrebet-were-still-up-for-first-half-2012-election/20110902361
The Power Index is reporting on Centrebet predictions on an election. Nothing wrong with that.
What is very wrong is the vague mention and misrepresentation of the Salvos statements regarding their policy on the pokies legislation.
Is this just lazy, unchecked guff or is it intentional….can’t ask, as this week there is no comment space.
now that the Salvos are raising doubts about the proposed legislation.
This is an absolute scandal Pip..from your link:
Pip @1.37 I think Oakshott referred that paper to the electoral commission. The editor was still on the federal list as an employee of the nats even though hartsukyer said he had resigned for a career change.
Sue, hartsuyker always looks like a drop-kick to me, even on a good day !
MP refers press complaint
The Australian – 25 Aug 2011
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/mp-refers-press-complaint/story-e6frg996-1226122414306
Mr Oakeshott last night released a statement, saying the editor of The Port Paper, Sharon Davidson, worked for NSW Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker and …
Business targets kingmaker MPs
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/business- targets-kingmaker-mps/story-e6frg6xf-1226088394118
http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/09/now-defunct-port-macquarie-newspaper.html
The close proximity of yet another Nationals MP (whose electoral office is only approximately four street corners away from the newspaper office and who is a Facebook friend of The Port Paper editor and its website registration contact person aka ministerial policy advisor) probably didn’t smooth the feathers of the publishing company’s handful of unidentified shareholders either.
One has to wonder if they are also connected to the National Party in some manner, as The Port Paper paper often reads like those political campaign leaflets or MP newsletters not uncommonly found in NSW North Coast letter boxes.
At least one of the newspaper’s advertisers (also quoted in a prominent anti-Oakeshott article) may possibly be one of these
shareholders.
There must have been a lot of dirt associated with the port paper to have it close so quickly.
Sue, I don’t know what the rules are about a political party setting up a pretend newspaper, and publishing results of dodgy polling, but hopefully there’ll be some scraps left for the investigators.
Yes for Oakshott to refer the matter to the Electoral commission, there must be some rules that have been transgressed.
I hope we get to hear about it.
Sue, I’m sure we will… if we subscribe to Mr. Oakeshott’s email or something.
Go for it Albo.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/media-needs-to-lift-standards-albanese-20110831-1jlea.html
This is incredible!!
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/48712
“Sue
Yes for Oakshott to refer the matter to the Electoral commission, there must be some rules that have been transgressed.
I hope we get to hear about it.”
Oakeshott has sent the matter as a formal complaint to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption as well.
I imagine that any new information will make it into the MSM eventually.
Note to Café readers: if you click onto clarencegirl’s name it will bring up a link to her site North Coast Voices.
clarencegirl
Thank you
I won’t rely on the MSM though, have any of the main media outlets reported this or is it just local. i try to keep up with the news of the independents electorates to try and gather what is happening in the communities.
clarencegirl
thankyou. i like to read what is happening in the communities of the independents to guage what is really happening.
as for the msm even “eventually” can not be relied upon to reach the papers.
i have just read a response to barry’s first budget and i was pleased to see that the comment on road funding for the pacific hwy acknowledged that it was federal funding.
i noticed that barry has said there was money for additional nurses but how much of that has come about because of the federal government funding and other federal initiatives
Yes, Min, it’s good to see Clarence Girl here. I love her posts which I was first introduced to by Lyn’s links at TPS.
Which reminds me, talking of visitors, I had intended to mention this to you yesterday when there was a fraught exchange going on here. For obvious reasons I thought better of mentioning it then, and it slipped my mind. Apologies.
Good one Patricia, thank you for sharing this.
Two news stories about the same thing, but two totally different lines on what was very positive news on the economy.
Spending survey busts struggling families myth ABC
Snapshot of a nation under stress Ltd News
Read the ABS survey and make up your own mind as to which story is accurate.
Another story on the figures diametrically opposed to Ltd News’s take.
Spending survey shows we are better off than we think
Mobius, how amazing an ABC and Fairfax story telling a completely different story to the Murdoch media….
“The supreme irony in the Government’s High Court disaster over the “Malaysia solution” is that it results not from its own incompetence but from that of the Coalition.
What’s more it looks like Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will get a big political free kick by helping Julia Gillard to fix John Howard’s mistakes.
The amendments passed hurriedly in 2001 to support the Howard government’s “Pacific solution” following its refusal to allow Afghan refugees on board the MV Tampa into Australia were poorly drafted.
As Mary Crock and Daniel Ghezelbash of Sydney University have explained, it set an objective standard for deciding whether a particular offshore processing facility met human rights standards, rather than allowing for ministerial opinion.
On that basis Nauru probably would have failed in the High Court as well, except it was never challenged, probably because Australian refugee lawyers were never allowed anywhere near the place.
In the end the High Court didn’t have to get into Malaysia’s actual treatment of asylum seekers, it simply had to agree that the Migration Act requires a declaration that it abides by the principles of refugee laws and human rights conventions, which can’t be provided….”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-07/kohler-labor-asylum-disaster-a-coalition-mistake/2874526
,….
I wonder what it feels like to be a witness in Court of Law, just an average citizen up against a top QC, and being warned that you might be fined $20,000 for giving evidence.
Not too flash I imagine !!
Guard could stop senator, court told
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/guard-could-stop-senator-court-told-20110907-1jwzj.html
Back in court on Wednesday, police prosecutor Brendon Beh agreed Ms Groot’s licence was restricted but said she had done nothing unlawful.
Ms Groot’s licence empowered her to leave a store, go into the car park and ask someone to return to the shop, he said.
“If the person being asked to go back has property that they shouldn’t have, then yes,” Sergeant Beh said.
Mr Abbott reiterated his belief that Ms Groot should be “generally warned” she didn’t have to answer questions that may tend to incriminate her.
Claiming to have powers she didn’t have could attract a $20,000 fine, he said.
Pip, normal tactics. I would be fairly certain that the court won’t wear it as it would mean that no security guard would have the power to detain anyone suspected of any unlawful activity.
Min
i think the counsel would like the courts to consider that
no security guard would have the power to detain any LIBERAL suspected of any unlawful activity.
Min, normal tactics of course, but it sounds a lot like bullying to me !
Senator Brandis won’t be pleased:-
Police drop probe against Labor MP Craig Thomson
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/police-drop-probe-against-labor-mp-craig-thomson/story-fn7x8me2-1226131722586
NEW SOUTH WALES police have dropped their investigation into embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson over allegations he illegally used a union credit card to pay for prostitutes.
The Herald Sun can reveal detectives have ended their internal assessment of claims against Mr Thomson and have found no evidence of illegality.
Senior police were last night liaising with their counterparts in Victoria about the matter and are expected to officially refer the case for their assessment in the coming days.
“Bottom line is – a crime hasn’t been committed,” a senior police source confirmed yesterday.
“We went through a lot of documents and assessed criminality, but it hasn’t reached that threshold.”
It is believed fraud squad detectives found several reasons why a formal investigation could not proceed and, on that basis, decided to drop their review.
TomM is going to be disappointed, So is 7.30 They were subtly trying to reunite it.
Mr. Brandis is not is having much luck with his legal advice.
It is lucky he decided to go into politics, that is for him, not us.
Cu, 7.30 was determined to dig up some dirt weren’t they !
With the union-funded brothel saga still gripping federal Parliament, the Opposition says union members deserve a better account of union finances.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3312543.htm
No surprise that the Electrical Trades Union is having a dig.
From various news reports, there’s no love lost there.
NBN Co fibre in first new housing development
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2011/251
Residents living in Bunya Estate in Sydney’s west will be the first people in a new “broad-acre” development to enjoy the benefits of the National Broadband Network (NBN), the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, announced today.
Visiting stage one of the Bunya Estate near Doonside in Western Sydney – which comprises 112 lots and dwellings and will ultimately have around 730 homes – Senator Conroy said the residents living there would be able to receive high-speed broadband over the
NBN.
How about this Pip from the SA advertiser
Andrew Robb, who was at the SA press club yesterday
“He also touched on colleague Mary Jo Fisher’s court case, saying the senator appeared to have suffered a panic attack when she allegedly stole groceries, and that the pursuit of criminal charges “beggars belief”.”
Jeff Kennett , Beyond Blue
“When asked to comment on Mr Robb’s revelation that Senator Fisher had sought help from him for depression long before she was charged, Mr Kennett said: “We have to be careful that we don’t use a depressive illness as the excuse for all human errors.”
Mr Kennett said he did not want to prejudge the Fisher case, but said: “Most people who suffer a depressive illness feel low or high but they do not lose the definition of what is right or wrong.”
So here we have Robb and Brandis, 1 case before the courts, 1 alleging a crime dismissed by the police, no evidence, what is the Coalition up to and how is the media reacting?
“He also touched on colleague Mary Jo Fisher’s court case, saying the senator appeared to have suffered a panic attack when she allegedly stole groceries, and that the pursuit of criminal charges “beggars belief”.”
Common reaction when one is caught out in a crime.
Sue, there I was happily avoiding my local ltd news.
Robb needed to be shot down and Kennett is just the man to do it.
The one in five people who will suffer depression at some point do not need to be tarred with the Mary Jo Fisher label.
As for the clever Senator, his arrogance and pomposity are cringeworthy.
Catching up, yes it is a good thing he went into politics instead of staying in a law practice !!
Good for people needing legal advice, bad for the rest of us !
A good read
“If you haven’t figured out by now that The Australian is not, in the conventional sense, a newspaper, a vehicle for the objective dissemination of news and information, but rather an instrument for peddling influence, the vanity power project of an aging media mogul and his trusty, idiosyncratic offsider editor, then you are either in denial or inside News Ltd”.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2875686.html
Pip
a great read courtesy of norman K at TPS
“Communication key in Outback: Abbott
Mr Abbott expressed his concern about the inadequate telecommunication infrastructure in remote and rural communities, including Mount Isa.
He said Mount Isa should have access to fibre optic cable as soon as possible and should not be excluded from the National Broadband Network due to its remote location.
“It would significantly improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in the region,” he said.
“It’s the sort of thing we could get cracking on straight away.”
sounds good doesn’t it, but alas Tony just showed how stupid the mouth can be:
“Mount Isa was the first place on mainland Australia to receive fibre optic cable, which will allow much faster internet connections, last year after Melbourne-based company Nextgen won the contract to lay 3825km of cable from Darwin to Toowoomba at a cost of $125.5 million.”
http://www.northweststar.com.au/news/local/news/general/communication-key-in-outback-abbott/2280203.aspx
My complaint the journalist Amanda Wright should have led the article showing that Abbott was totally uninformed . So I have decided to let my local MP know the facts of this gem of an article.
I have just had a look at the 2UE homepage and it appears that Smith is still off air, must be those pesky lawyers.
But the interesting thing about 2UE is that they have 20 presenters.
18 men , 2 women
and of those 2 women, 1 is a guest host, and the other wait for it, wait for it a psychic, only on the radio sunday evenings.
Now for the convoy of no consequence this is a rally
Unions are claiming victory in their campaign against the state government after an angry crowd of about 30,000 marched on State Parliament today.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-teachers-strike-as-police-firefighters-nurses-join-mass-public-sector-rally-20110908-1jyec.html#ixzz1XKpHityk
Yep Liberals so according to your rallies O’Farrell should go back to the electorate.
Not bad for a government that was vote in record numbers less than six months ago.
It appears the parents are supporting the teacher.
This is a dispute that will keep on going. The action to take away worker rights is similar to what WorkChoices attempted to do.
We have a government that is not willing to negotiate with it’s workers.
It is a take it or leave it, no negotiations entered into.
The north west star article has now made it to the SMH, through Stephen Conroy’s office.
Agreed Sue, When do we in NSW want another election, We want it NOW!!!
More proof that excess wealth does not buy happiness (or good taste) comes with the story that Gina Rinehart is being sued by her daughter “Hope”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-08/gina-rinehart-sued-by-daughter/2877334
“The details of Hope Rinehart Welker’s lawsuit remain a mystery…”
I reckon she is suing her mother over ugliness, or maybe her mother has lost hope.
I’m waiting for the dolt in the HS to have an opinion on the rhinehart case. why worry about the no media report order, he must know the real story. he must have an opinion he must stand for the right of the free press he must shout for us all.
Go for it mate
Peter slipper may have been given a reason to move to the cross benches, time will tell:
“Nearly 3000 voters in the Deputy Speaker’s Queensland electorate have signed a petition calling for a “full audit” into his entitlement claims – which regularly outstrip those of ministers.
The grassroots revolt comes just days after Mr Slipper was rolled by Liberal National Party members who backed Mal Brough – a likely pre-selection rival – for a key party role.
In a test for Opposition leader Tony Abbott, Liberal MP Alex Somlyay, will present the petition to Parliament next week. It will then be considered by the House of Representatives Petitions Committee which has the power to refer such matters to the relevant Minister for further action.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/voters-ready-to-sink-slipper-into-mp/story-e6freoof-1226132591380
“Senior LNP sources said Mr Slipper was “dead meat” and would be ousted – most likely by Mr Brough – at the next pre-selection contest.”
Mr Smith told to sign up and shut up.
“Yesterday, 2UE management issued Smith with a document requiring his undertaking not to broadcast material from the interview unless the station has evidence to support any claims that will be made.
“This country’s pretty screwed up if decent, working people can’t turn to a free and open media to have their say,” Smith said last night.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/talkback-host-michael-smith-told-to-sign-gag-order/story-e6frg996-1226132649767
“Decent, working people” would love to have an open, unbiased media Mr smith, let’s have a media inquiry
Sue, yet another revenge scenario coming from the Liberal camp..first the Independents for siding with Gillard and now Slipper for taking on the Deputy Speaker’s role.
Deja vu all over again, Slipper may be the new millennum Mal Colston. For those young people reading this and who can’t work goggle:
“In 1996, Colston resigned from the Labor Party when it refused to nominate him to become Deputy President of the Senate. In a bid to win him over, the Coalition offered to support him and he was elected to the role. While he did not support much of the Coalition’s legislative agenda, including opposing much of its industrial relations package, he did vote for the sale of a third of Telstra.”
The game appears to be that Mr. Slipper resign and parachute Mr. Brough in. They forget that Mr. Slipper does have another choice, that of the one Mr. Coulson took.
The attack on Mr. Thomson continues. Maybe Mr. Abbott should be reminded to use the word, ” allegations” can be prudent.
He has raised new allegations, using the word maybe.
I think I know why that dirty shovel was left, it was to assist the union in digging for more dirt.
It was sickening to hear Mr. Abbott talk about those poor unionist. He is correct, they are poor and low paid, due to government policies, mainly from his side of the fence over the years. It does not help that most are women. It does not help them that they do important work.
What is Mr. Abbott on at his daily press conference. Saying she now knows the Nauru is available. When did anyone think Nauru not available
He expects to feature in the next TV series. Wants Atkinson to to portray him.
The 13 bills are not the most important thing that this parliament has dealt with now or in the past.
The 13 bills are important to Mr. Abbott because he has put all his eggs in one basket. When he loses this one, he has no cards left to play.
The majority still wants climate change to be addressed. The Opposition’s Direct Action Scheme will cost much more.
It is not about whether climate change exists or not. It is about whether we have Mr. Abbott’s plan or the present one being presented next week..
Listening to Mr. Abbott, the only important matter is reopening Nauru and putting the boot into Mr. Thomson.
Gina is being sued by her daughter for some of her fortune. She is an only daughter I think. The daughter has a good teacher. Did not Gina sue he father before his death. Did not she try to have his will reversed.
Maybe the daughter is getting in early.
My error. Gina had twin daighters.
Maybe whiny pyne can explain how parliament is not functioning.
All they can do is pull stunts, nothing else.
The bills will go through.
They could contribute to the debates but they choose not to do this.
I believe that Mr. Abbott has said that Mr. Thomson will be allowed to attend the birth of his baby. That occurred towards the end of his daily press conference at another work site, somewhere in Australia. Someone must have given him a prod. I suggest that Mr. Abbott tells Mr. Pyne to shut up.
The Opposition needs to know that pulling stunts in parliament does not mean it is dysfunctioning.
It means that we have a disruptive Opposition that has to pull stunts to be heard, as they have little power.
They have little power, not because they were cheated out of government but because at the end of the day, they did not and do not have the numbers where they count.
“Decent, working people” would love to have an open, unbiased media Mr smith, let’s have a media inquiry”
Decent people are only interested in news that is facts not gossip.
Decent people do not believe it is OK for one to destroy another to get what they want.
Decent people feel that that is bullying.
I wish that when one looks at the allegations flowing from this mob, that they take into account the agenda of the Opposition and some media.
The agenda is to get rid of Labor, using whatever means it takes.
Use whatever dirt you can find or create.
Mr. Slipper’s alleged crimes that are not new.
This is dangerous territory for the Opposition, but is does not matter to them, they are desperate.
The government might just oblige, adding other names to the list.
Because the government has refrained from fighting dirty, does not means they do not have the dirt or ability to
Yes, TomM, I continue to put the boot into the Opposition. Mainly because I think, the field is too crowded where they are putting the boot into the PM.
I do not like running with a mob.
Get rid of Slipper. Labor one down, if they cannot find another to take his place. Ugly politics.
To go this far, proves that Mr. Slipper did not bow to their bullying.
I know it is illegal to bribe someone to give up their seat?
Is it a crime to blackmail or threaten a sitting member and force their retirement?
It is being inferred by Mr. Abbott that Labor is guilty of using bribes to convince Mr. Thomson to remain in parliament. It is hinted that is a crime. The inference is that Mr. Thomson want to leave parliament.
I am sorry, Gina has four children. A son and daughter from her first marriage and twin girls drom her second.
“…Another family fight for Rinehart and it’s lawyers at $10 billion paces Louise Hall
September 9, 2011
Gina Rinehart … prefers privacy. Photo: Bloomberg
AUSTRALIA’S richest person, Gina Rinehart, is embroiled in another court battle with her own family, after her daughter Hope Rinehart Welker launched legal action in the NSW Supreme Court this week.
Mrs Rinehart, 57, heads Hancock Prospecting, the iron ore business she inherited from her father, Lang Hancock, and is estimated to be worth $10 billion.
She is being sued by Mrs Welker, 26, one of her twin daughters with her late husband, the American lawyer Frank Rinehart.
Advertisement: Story continues below The notoriously private Mrs Rinehart fought an 11-year court battle with her stepmother, the socialite Rose Porteous, after Mr Hancock’s death in 1992.
In 2004 her eldest child, John, from her first marriage to Greg Haywood, planned to launch legal action against her in the West Australian Supreme Court. The case centred on his share of the trust fund set up by Mr Hancock to provide for his four grandchildren.
John, who changed his name by deed poll from Rinehart to Hancock, has reportedly reconciled with his mother. However, his sister, Bianca Hope Rinehart, 34, remains favoured to take over the family empire. Mrs Rinehart also had a nine-year legal dispute with the children of her father’s business ..?
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/another-family-fight-for-rinehart-and-its-lawyers-at-10-billion-paces-20110908-1jzyw.html#ixzz1XQ4UgLkg
At the 2010 federal election, the Qld LNP had at the polling booths pictures of Anna Bligh. Now for a southener I thought this bazaar, were the LNP trying to confuse some of the voters but may be this is the reason why it was possible
Queensland places 6th in NAPLAN results
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-09/queensland-places-6th-in-naplan-results/2878574
Well Mr smith must have chosen not to sign as according to the homepage of 2ue, he is not on air today.
It is clear that the Department. did not say 600 a month were coming. They did not say we are facing racial riots.
Keane
“……..The Secretary of the Immigration Department, Andrew Metcalfe, has found himself under quite extraordinary attack in the last 24 hours following reports he linked asylum seeker processing to Paris or London-like social problems.,,”
“…. was also claimed that Metcalfe has predicted 600 arrivals a month.
The alleged remarks promptly exploded within the echo chamber of the Left. Asylum seeker advocates lined up to attack the comments, and Metcalfe. The UNHCR weighed in. Bob Brown took the remarkable and unjustified step of labelling Metcalfe a “turkey” who should be sacked. The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils was reported as calling the remarks ”inflammatory” and ”devastating”.
Problem was, Metcalfe never said what he is reported to have said. But what he did say wasn’t totally divorced from the reports. His comments might have been grossly simplified, almost to the point of distortion, but he wasn’t misquoted or outright misrepresented…..”
http://media.crikey.com.au/dm/newsletter/dailymail_dab0adb0421398875ca5d79e92072b1a.html
Now this article reminds me of talk at the time, when the foreign affairs minister Downer’s daughter, got a UK scholarship to go to a prestigious UK university, even though her results were supposedly not as good as other applicants.
“Documents found in the office of Gaddafi’s now-defected spymaster, Moussa Koussa, reveal that the former British prime minister Tony Blair went to some trouble to help Gaddafi’s eldest son and heir, Saif al-Islam, with a PhD thesis at the London School of Economics in 2007.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/greek-tragedy-that-is-the-real-julia-show-20110909-1k1kk.html#ixzz1XUQqfvtj
I think a few additional chapters will need to be added to Tony Blair’s biography.
Sue, I am waiting for the list of those captured after September 11 and sent there for interviewing. (sarcasm)
Mr. Howard might also need a extra chapter or two.
Sue, I’ve just caught up with your links from the 8th, thank you 🙂
Yes the north west star article was picked up by Conroy and for a half day was an article in the SMH but as the story dealt with facts and not sensationalist gossip it disappeared.
Nikki Savva has jumped to the defense of public servants who when offered a pay rise say it is not keeping up to the cost of living. According to Nikki, and her outrage, the CPI is 4.5% and they have only been offered 3%.
Stop the presses Barry O’Farrell has only offered 2.5%. My mistake Nikki is only talking about soldiers and a federal pay offer.
Nikki fancy any one thinking there is a double standard here.
Karen Middleton just said that Abbott can sniff the Prime ministership. ohh ahh just how wide spread is the liberal/ troy buswell type behaviour
Nikki has inside (r) knowledge on Rudd.
People have told her that Rudd’s best thing is to keep working away and eventually the job will come to him.
Nikki is so certain that Labor insiders would be looking for their friend Nikki. This must be how she gets on the ABC show Insiders. She has gone to the program and told them “i am an insider, really and truly”
http://www.avaaz.org/en/last_push_for_media_inquiry/?copy
“……..The comments will provoke resentment in the Press Gallery, but Savva is not being holier than thou. She is brutally honest about the way she herself operated as a political journalist.
“I learned to slice and dice anyone who deliberately fed out misleading information, or who spoke to others and not me,” she says.
If a backbencher refused to leak information to her about party meetings, she never mentioned that MP’s name in a story again – “unless they had done something wrong, of course”.
Another confession: “As a journalist I lied often, usually about my sources, but about other things, too. Journalists can and do get away with lying; politicians and staff can’t. Nor should they.”…”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/peter-costello-press-secretary-niki-savva-reveals-all/story-e6frerdf-1225824827654
More of previous post.
“Savva reveals that various journalists went into a “losers’ file” that she kept as Costello’s press secretary.
But cuttings on some Liberal MPs went in there too – including Tony Abbott.”
Lovely profession.
Listening to Insiders talking the usual crap prompted me to add to Eddie’s link to
http://www.avaaz.org/en/last_push_for_media_inquiry/?cl=1264799069&v=10206
If poor old Barry doesn’t have a new election to play games with by next month he’ll implode.
Urgent push for a media inquiry!
Posted: 9 September 2011
Write a message to members of the government — here are some suggested points to raise:
I believe that there should be a robust inquiry into Australia’s media because current regulation doesn’t foster a diverse, informative media, and News Limited controls 70% of what Australians read in the news every day.
I encourage you to remind the Prime Minister that she has an overwhelming public mandate to call for this inquiry — 60,000 Australians have called on her to do so.
I believe we need a “fit and proper person” or public interest test to determine if media acquisitions are in the interest of our society.
Australia needs a balanced privacy law that protects people from invasive and ruthless journalism without stifling free speech or public interest reporting.
The concentration of media power in just a few hands undermines the heart of a democratic society. People need to have access to a variety of viewpoints and form their own opinions.
+++++++++++++++++++
In 48 hours, PM Gillard will decide whether to support a full inquiry to clean up our media — and an urgent outcry from all of us now could swing the decision.
Last week, The Australian, Murdoch’s flagship newspaper, was caught publishing lies about the Prime Minister — proving that we need to look deeply into the state of our media. And powerful Labour MPs are supporting the inquiry, but Murdoch’s press is rabidly campaigning against it. We can drown out their lobby and bring an overwhelming call for change.
Let’s send our MPs a flood of messages calling for a robust media inquiry — and help our MPs and the PM take this critical first step to save our democracy from manipulation and lies at the hands of media moguls. Send an urgent message directly to Parliament now and forward this to your friends.
CU thank you for that article. I loved this quote:
According to Savva: “It’s like that here. Charmers and bullies. Bribers and blackmailers. Blabbers and users. First, a journalist will ask nicely; then, if that doesn’t work, intimidation might.”
And now she works for the Australian
Sue, I do not believe the lady has any skills at all. Her knowledge of politics leaves much to be desired. It says a lot about Mr. Costello that he hired her.
She was put in her place this morning by the other two ladies on Insiders.
“losers’ file” I wonder how after she filed herself, that there was any room for anyone else. I know I should not attack the person, but she is not slow in doing so herself.
Her judgement and insight is so lacking, that she does not see that the book tells us more about her than those she is writing about.
Cu, thanks for the link.
Savva got one thing right .
Having seen the relationship between politicians and journalists from both sides, Savva describes it as “symbiotic, parasitic, narcissistic and toxic”.
Vultures ?
Sue, And now she works for the Australian. That says all we need to know.
Cu, She was put in her place this morning by the other two ladies on Insiders. Very enjoyable !!
Pip, she got much right. I am not sure where she hopes to work in the future.
Did you notice hapless nikki, didn’t get “the seat” on insiders.
What is the old saying, it goes something like “be aware of a greek bearing gifts”.
They are scraping the bottom of the barrel. I got a feeling shock jocks are no longer welcome.
Listening to ABC’s Marius Benson talking to pollster Martin O’Shannessy about the PM’s dismal polling.
Hearing Nikki Savva’s account of how journalists operate, it beats me why they have to keep asking themselves why the polls are so bad.
Promote a lie about a ‘lie. That helps their Tony campaign!
Catching up, maybe the bosses at the ABC don’t want to look like the ‘Bolt Report Lite’. That might have prompted them to clean out the trout mouths.
There could be such a thing as Bolt Lite 😯
I note that the Nauru President said he did not make a habit of talking to Tony Abbott.
I though from what Mr. Morrison and Mr. Abbott, that they were on regular talking terms.
Maybe the President did not appreciate the visit to his country, using him as political football in this country.
Otherwise why would he make the comment.
Min, they would be so lite, that they would float away. They have to carry an anchor around with them.
Whatever the reason is, it is nice not to have them on the show.
There could be such a thing as Bolt Lite
isn’t ulman trying to get that title?
A tweet about the Avaaz media campaign 😀
SteveGibbonsMP Steve Gibbons
So far received 2,894 emails since 6:30 am all worded the same ‘We need a robust media inquiry” part of an Avaaz campaign
If we want the government to have a wide ranging inquiry into the media skulduggery a la Savva revelations this morning signatures are the way to go .
Tom R
you are right, now when i watch 7.30 i will be able to chuckle
Hiya Tom, Uhlman is working on it !
Update on Climate Change Minister Combet’s observations of…
Abbott Absurdities On Climate Change – Bulletin No. 13
Greg Combet posted Friday, 9 September 2011
http://www.alp.org.au/blogs/alp-blog/september-2011/abbott-absurdities-on-climate-change—bulletin-no/
The worst thing about Mr Abbott’s claims is that they are a deliberate exercise in deceit, not mere accidents or slip-ups. That is why I will continue issuing these Bulletins to correct the record and hold the Opposition Leader to account.
What is most telling about that link pip, is that you have to go to Labors web site to read it, and not a ‘media’ outlet.
You know, the sort of places you would expect ‘media’ releases to be run
and yet, for every utterance from the Government (or even not) we get the accompanying ‘the opposition says’
Finance Minister Penny Wong is also keeping tabs…
Hockey Walks Away From $70 Billion Savings Task
http://www.alp.org.au/blogs/alp-blog/september-2011/hockey-walks-away-from-$70-billion-savings-task/
Penny Wong posted Thursday, 8 September 2011
Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey has contradicted himself – and his colleague Andrew Robb – on the fiscal task facing the Opposition.
After minutes from the Opposition’s budget meetings were leaked to the Seven Network detailing a $70 billion black hole, Mr Hockey told Sunrise the Opposition was looking at a shortfall of “$50, $60 or $70 billion’’.
His colleague Mr Robb has repeatedly confirmed the $70 billion figure, including on the weekend, when he said the figure was “not a furphy, we came out with the figure”.
Now we see Mr Hockey back at square one – refusing to own up to the hole in the Opposition’s budget figures.
TomR, that’s the thing… and the journalists spend most of their time talking for our benefit about their little games, no space for the relevent items.
PM Gillard, when asked what she’d like the media to consider did say “Don’t write crap” and nothing has changed.
One could conclude that they are doing what their boss wants.
Like the Little Red Hen, we can do it ourselves….
Your Daily Brief inside the Gillard Labor Government
The Brief: Friday September 9
http://www.alp.org.au/blogs/alp-blog/september-2011/the-brief–friday-september-9/
As the name suggests The Daily Brief is posted daily to give you an inside look into what the Government is doing direct from the source. It is here that you can find out the Government’s agenda for the day, what announcements were made as well as facts and comparisons on our policies.
Pip
The Daily Brief all the news articles that the media and particularly “insiders” cannot find.
Headline writers at the Telegraph must be on leave because Barry o’farrell is doing yet another backflip and this is the headline:
State power sale on Barry’s agenda
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/state-power-sale-on-barrys-agenda/story-e6freuy9-1226133898019
Why not:
BARREL O’LIES AT IT AGAIN or
VOTERS SUCKED IN AGAIN or
FIRST OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND NURSES NOW YOU THE VOTER BETRAYED
Oh just one other point the picture of Premier O’Farrell accompanying the story has a hint of the smirk
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/state-power-sale-on-barrys-agenda/story-e6freuy9-1226133898019
The Age has the story that a Kevin Rudd lead government would win the next election:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/labor-win-if-rudd-was-leader-20110911-1k4ay.html
Let’s seen, swap Kevin Rudd for Julia Gillard and swap Abbott for anyone.
All the media outlets this morning are running main stories on that poll, it only being pushed to second by the September 11 2011 commemoration in the US.
Richard Farmer also has a piece extolling Rudd and denigrating Gillard. Apparently Gillard is being criticised by Farmer in an oblique way because she hasn’t done what he has told her she should do. Go figure.
Only trouble if this poll were to become reality is that within days the media would start a rolling attack on Rudd and ramp that up until his popularity plummeted. They will do this for anybody who becomes leader of the Labor party. All the while they will bring out polls saying how unpopular that leader is and A, B and C are more popular than that leader.
At the same time Abbott is not the most popular Liberal leader but that gets nowhere near the same run in the media and he isn’t constantly attacked.
Only trouble if this poll were to become reality is that within days the media would start a rolling attack on Rudd and ramp that up until his popularity plummeted.
precisely
And, to continue with my whine about the media and ‘perceptions’, compare the photos again in the article linked to by lunalava.
Says it all really
I wonder how negotiations are proceeding on a media inquiry?. hopefully we will know this week.
All we ask is for a level playing field and the media withdraw as biased participants.
I refused to believe she is hated for the alleged lie. I refuse to believe that getting rid of Mr. Rudd effect is long lasting. Removing a leader is normal in politics. There is no nice way to do it.
I heard an interview this morning on News Radio ABC when I was half asleep.
It was with the woman who is liaising between Malaysia, Australia and UNCHR. She let it be clearly known that they support Australia’s Malaysian Solution. They seen it as part of the regional solution that they want est. They were waiting to see how it was implemented before giving it the final tick. She said that the hope was that the standards for all refugees in Malaysia would be lifter.
When she was asked negative question, along the lines that they did not like the solution, she was quick to say this was not the case. She said that they would like to see Malaysia to join the convention but this was not a hurdle that could be managed.
I suggest we really look at the options closely, not what we believe they are before we condemn.
Sending people back by plane must be more humane than turning boats around. Locking people up in prison without access to work etc. for indefinite periods is cruelty.
If it works, it maybe the cheapest solution. Not one I am afraid many of us would like. Sometimes what we like in life is not always the best for us.
If a queue could be created and we took the largest numbers we can afford, this would be a fair outcome for all.
http://www.alp.org.au/blogs/alp-blog/september-2011/sale-of-non-financial-assets-by-future-fund/
Eddie the opposition lying yet again. It has become so ingrained into their party makeup that they will always lie, even when there is no need to.
Hockey saying that even if Mickey Mouse was running the Labor party it would make no difference. He should know as Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck are running the Liberal party.
Mobious don’t forget Uncle Scrooge, still blathering from the sidelines 😀
Shadow for Finance, Andrew Robb rewriting history of Coalition budget costings assumptions.
They were fitted up by Treasury The government politicised the process. Oh dear.
The Independents were influenced by the Treasury.
Treasury couldn’t even give a reason for the differences in assumptions.
Hockey, notes from Twitter
crazyjane13 Marian Dalton
Hockey is actually trying to threaten the government. #hor
22 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply »
mwyres Michael Wyres @ @crazyjane13
At least he’ll be able to use it as a demonstration of a “kept promise”… 😉 #hor
24 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply »
crazyjane13 Marian Dalton
Hockey’s ultimatum: pass my bill or the Coalition will refuse to submit ANY costings for scrutiny at election time. #hor
26 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply »
This is ridiculous from the Party which relied on Treasury leaker
Godwin Grech…..
BrigadierSlog Brigadier Slog
Gotta love the Lib Jedi mind control thing RT @crazyjane13: Andrew Robb now: There was no black hole in Coalition’s election costings.
» mrumens Marian Rumens
Andrew Robb using The Australian articles to legitimise his argument Ha Ha #whatalaugh
I am so angry and have lodged a complaint with ABC News24.
The PM had a news conference where she was talking about changing the laws for the migration act.
After the news conference we went back to the news presenter who said
“there you have it it is malaysia or bust”
it was not about malaysia it was about any government having the executive power to enable its policy.
how on earth is the government to get the actual words spoken to the electorate when a news presenter verbals the PM.
it will be interesting to see how the papers write this up there were plenty at the news conference.
Sue how on earth is the government to get the actual words spoken to the electorate when a news presenter verbals the PM.
That’s the plan, judging by the consistent pattern.
New ABC Charter when Howard’s Chairman came on board
Be nice to Coalition, bag Labor….
Pip
1 newspaper has got it right, where i couldn’t even post my comment correctly, it is in the friday on my mind area.
Hockey and Robb are trying to get the legislation they bought in when in government changed or removed so they won’t have to submit any costings of policies, ever.
So in all this get the government and bash them at all costs why isn’t the opposition being held to account for actual usurping of the process, and processes they implemented to supposedly instil fair and open government.
I have said before this opposition is trashing the Liberal brand in this is an example of it. They will do so much damage to it that they will never be able to be trusted or thought of as fair and honest again.
Duty cut fails to help first home buyers
Will you see widespread criticism across the Victorian media of this failed State Liberal policy, and would the same subdued reporting of a major policy failure be happening if this had occurred under a State Labor government?
The answer is self evident.
Across the Liberal States the governments are doing as bad or worse than the Labor governments they replaced, but if you look at the MSM or the polls you wouldn’t know it.
…and get this nonsense from the vested industry groups:
They want to substantially increase the very thing that has caused the current bad situation whilst at the same time depriving governments of much needed revenue to build the infrastructure needed to support the new housing estates the industries want built.
In NSW O’Farrell, on a broken promise, is releasing pristine land to developers to build even more estates and resorts and is going into large debt to appease these developers whilst trashing the environment at the same time. He’s doing this because the same vested industry groups that in Victoria are calling for the exemption of stamp duty whilst handing out large swaths of tax payers money to first home buyers for nothing have called for a massive increase in housing construction and developments.
I suppose when Australia looks like any of the other overcrowded and irreparable widespread ecological damaged countries and cities around the world, then the developers and industry groups having nothing left wring out of the tax payers, will move onto another country and leave the tax payer to live in the mess.
Listening to Australia Talks, and regular “Nicholas”, who claims to have driven a taxi for ten years, was giving a rundown on asylum seeker matters…… he still sounds a lot like Nick Minchin 🙄
Now watching Leigh sales on 7.30 and comparing it to when she was on Lateline is annoying as there appears to be a different style to her questions. Is it the program director and if so does it annoy Sales as it annoys me..
On a completely different issue I noticed tonight that Leigh Sales is pregnant, how lovely.
Wake in fright news this morning is:
“One person has been killed and four injured in an explosion at the southern French nuclear plant of Marcoule.
But France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) says there was no radioactive leak and the incident caused by the blast “is over”.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-12/one-killed-in-french-nuclear-site-explosion/2882314
Why is it that I just don’t trust the Nuclear Industry when it comes to warning the public?
They could always try joking about their nuclear leaks, like the now ex Japanese minister.
How about:
“Did you hear about the French Nuclear Safety Officer who went to the West Indies?”
“Jamaica?”
“No, she went of her own accord” Boom Boom
http://hydeparkheckler.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/fairfax-distributing-infamy-again/
Look at the crap News Ltd is up to now
They have decided the parliament of this country cannot examine legislation.
It is now for news ltd hacks and there mob to run the country
“At news.com.au we want you to help us sift through the fine print and tell us what you think.
So take the time to go through the bills – there are links to them all below – and let us know what you find.
Please send your email to news@news.com.au. Include the name of bill, section number and your comments on it.”
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/the-carbon-tax-we-link-you-decide/story-e6frfkvr-1226135952182#ixzz1XpaoXfVj
News Ltd has just admitted their golden boy Abbott is not up to the job. And News want him as PM. is it because they feel he can be manipulated?
“We link you decide”- Open slather for any ratbag with any axe whatever to grind, astroturf heaven, bush lawyer’s picnic & limitless exposure for every special pleader under the sun, all to be selectively massaged, distorted, exaggerated & generally beaten up into sensationalist headlines by today’s Parallax Corporation the Murdoch Press.
Interesting that their slogan here is as near to Faux News as makes no difference.
Holy Carbon based flight batman, our Foreign Minister travels…OVERSEAS!!
They show a travel diary for 14 trips totalling 140 days, with each trip costing an average of $80,000 – more than the annual average family income.
http://www.news.com.au/national/foreign-minister-kevin-rudds-1-million-power-trip/story-e6frfkvr-1226136290779
Guess they couldn’t wait until he became PM before sticking the boot in.
Or they woke up to the fact that the PM takeover is pie in the sky, and didn’t want to waste daylight hours from bagging him?
(apparently, he spent more than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has only left the country a few times in the last nine months)
News Ltd must believe its own dribble.
After leading the “news polls” with Rudd more popular than……and will replace …. and an election is imminent. News is so worried it now has to knock off Rudd ( just in case he gets the nod to lead labor) with the old usual “747” tag. Yes back to the future with the attackdog headlines:
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd’s $1 million power trip
FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has set a new international benchmark for travel, clocking up more than $1 million on flights and hotel suites in his first nine months as Foreign Minister.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/foreign-minister-kevin-rudds-1-million-power-trip/story-e6frfkvr-1226136290779#ixzz1XsByZpoZ
Tom R
our thoughts crossed over the ether
Sue and Tom R and of course I expect News Ltd to point out that when Rudd gave all that money to hospitals, he knew he would need hospital treatment, so he was just looking out for his own needs.
News Ltd can spin it any way they want and without a media inquiry there will be no change.
Bloody ABS has jumped on the News Ltd headline bandwagon
“Jet-setting Rudd gets back to work”
Only if you bother to read the article would you know Foreign affairs Minister Rudd will be doing the job he is paid to do.
The ABC must have in their employ a Murdoch man , to do the headline writing.
Sue, at least on Sky they had the good graces to state that Rudd stays at Embassies when these are available, these being FOC.
Lunalava, and here is another of Kevin Rudd’s initiatives..to encourage philanthropy which is sadly lacking in Australia.
Click to access ADC%20Philanthropy%20Report%20-%20final.pdf
Help is on the way 😀
Grog’s Gamut joins The Chaser
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mediadiary/index.php/theaustralian/comments/grogs_gamut_joins_the_chaser
His role involves closely watching the worlds of politics, media and the bureaucracy and feeding what he gleans into the show’s scripts.
According to the ABC, The Hamster Wheel will “examine the contemporary media landscape, where everyone from journalists to political fixers is perpetually at risk of spinning out of control’’.
Pip, that’s fantastic news. 😀
I just watched Sen Conroy press conference on the announcement of a media inquiry, my first impressions:
1. Journos have no clue about technology;
2. Journos are sensitive about what you nasty bloggers say about them (poor dears);
3. The self- regulators at the Press Council will be looking for a new job (just like in the UK)
Just watching churnbull now. He is claiming he is Thomas Jefferson, and the press should be free to say what they want.
I’m not sure that was what Jefferson was alluding to?
Pip
great news about Grog
from the Oz article there is the most memorable sentence, it does need to be rewritten, with this correction “media” substitute “narky Australian journalist, with a bad attitude.”
“Jericho used to work in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in the office for the arts and blogged anonymously until his identity was controversially revealed by Media a year ago”.
Sue, ltd news insist on referring to Greg as an ‘anonymous’ blogger.
No, he wrote under a pseudonym, but they aparently don’t understand the difference !
Min, I think it’s the best thing to happen for some time.
I was just a bit worried that editors might trim his writing to suit themselves, but the Chaser will let it rip and good on them.
Media release from Senator Conroy
Government announces Independent Media Inquiry
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2011/254
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced an independent inquiry into the Australian media.
“A healthy and robust media is essential to the democratic process,” Senator Conroy said.
“The Australian Government believes it is incumbent upon government to ensure regulatory processes and industry structures are sufficiently strong to support the continuation of a healthy and independent media that is able to fulfil its essential democratic
purpose, and to operate in the public interest.”
Don’t often fully copy and paste but this from Crikey is worth it as it shows multiple duplicity in the carbon debate. (Guess whose side eg is on, the one that is being honest presenting science or the one that constantly lies, deceives and distorts?)
Now am I hearing things or has the ABC left part of a statement out of a report.
The priest accused by xenophon made this statement as reported:
“I have made it clear in writing to the inquiry that I categorically deny the allegations, which, I note, are said to relate to events that occurred some 45 years ago.”
But on the tele he also said (I think) that they were “adults” time at the. Now if I heard right was he suggesting “sex with consenting adults”. If so why has the ABC cut this bit from the news article?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-14/priest-denies-abuse-allegation/2899130
This is the story from Archbishop John Hepworth
Abused Archbishop John Hepworth ready to forgive
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/abused-bishop-ready-to-forgive/story-e6frg6n6-1226133531732
Despite what he suffered over a 12-year period from 1960 at the hands of two priests and a fellow seminary student who went on to be ordained, Archbishop Hepworth said he was determined to continue his mission to bring the churches together.
Monsignor Dempsey is now going on “pre-arranged leave for a month”.
I don’t believe Senator Xenophon should have made THAT speech in the Senate, because Archbishop Hepworth said in an interview yesterday that he had told Xenophon he didn’t want him to do so.
He’s the man at the centre of this sorry tale and his wishes should have been accorded more respect.
Pip, I agree. If Archbishop had told only a few close friends and family then it’s not up to Xenophon to make it public.
Yes, it appears to me that Xenophon has lost much of his former morals since hanging around in Canberra. He used to be quite fair, but since he has moved out of his comfort zone of gambling (where he did lots of great work) he seems to a little unhinged.
News Limited response to media inquiry
September 14, 2011
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPGpPtvN_oySkKPFjvWpuvlPOpobDmRb4h8wySJ2ulo/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1#
Note the little blue sidebar for viewer information…
Apparently, it’s all because of a witch-hunt by the Greens.
Or not !
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2010/09/09/the-australian-announces-that-it-wants-to-destroy-the-greens/
The Australian announces that it wants to “destroy” the Greens
September 9, 2010 – 6:00 pm, by Jeremy Sear Until today, I’d never seen a national broadsheet with pretensions to fair and balanced reporting actually admit that it wasn’t just biased against a party supported by 14% of the country, it wanted to “destroy” it. But that’s just what The Australian did in its editorial today:
Greens leader Bob Brown has accused The Australian of trying to wreck the alliance between the Greens and Labor. We wear Senator Brown’s criticism with pride. We believe he and his Green colleagues are hypocrites; that they are bad for the nation; and that they should be destroyed at the ballot box. The Greens voted against Mr Rudd’s emissions trading scheme because they wanted a tougher regime, then used the lack of action on climate change to damage Labor at the election. Their flakey economics should have no place in the national debate.
Tweet from Laura Tingle
latingle Laura Tingle @
concentration-ship?@latikambourke
Bob Katter says no other country would allow the media concentration-ship Murdoch enjoys in Australia. .
Another outstanding piece form Tim Dunlop on the Drum:
“An inquiry that ignores media ownership is pointless”
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2899052.html
Tim you are spot on when you say “Yes, we can collect a bunch of submissions pointing out bias and shoddiness and neglect and trivialisation and bias and inaccuracies and distortions and bias and sensationalism and irrelevance and bias, but to what end?”
and then “You can’t legislate against people doing a crappy job, no matter how many fine words you enshrine in codes of conduct”
This is a “must read” for followers of this thread. Well done Tim you captured in print my long held concerns on this issue.
Thank you Lunalava, I’ll spread the word…
On News 24 they had an interview with Flint on the media inquiry.
Flint said as they had appointed a Matthew Ricketson, who was associated with the Fairfax media, it meant the inquiry was nothing but a witch hunt on Murdoch.
So I googled Ricketson, from his bio
“Dr Matthew Ricketson is a journalist and academic who has worked on staff at The Age, The Australian and Time Australia magazine, among other publications, and has run the Journalism program at RMIT for 11 years”
Of course the Australian is not a Fairfax publication, the journalists should do their research and challenge Flint and an apology should be offered.
So good to see a media enquiry being announced. So sad to see the very limited scope of the enquiry.
Australia suffers from so many monopolies in so many areas of our lives.
When it is a government monopoly big business scream that it is inefficient and could be better run by them.
When it is a private monopoly it is claimed by big business that we are a small country which cannot sustain multiple competitors.
When it is not a monopoly big business slowly swallows up their competitors without a whimper from either major party until such time as there is a duopoly.
Unions which are simply a membership of people in the same industry paying fees to a body representing their interests and according to big business are evil and should be smashed and destroyed at all costs.
Associations which are simply a membership of people in the same industry paying fees to a body representing their interests and according to big business are a necessity and essential to mantain independence and political representation and prerssure to ensure their desired outcomes are achieved.
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy ?
Those owning the media should be forced to relinquish some of the ir assets to ensure that no empire controls more than 25% of the media. At least then we would have 4 opinions and hopefully 1 would report news as truthful and actual news rather than opinions.
In addition legislative requirements to report news as factual and honestly like they have in Canada would go a long way to the media reclaiming some of the respect it used to have.
I wonder why News Corporation doesn’t own media assets in Canada ?.
Self imposed standards are smply a diversion by big business to avoid actual lawsd and have been proved totally inadequate in so many industries, with Finance and Insurance being 2 that come to mind where actual laws have been needed to clean up these industries and force plain english policies and documents.
So I googled Ricketson, from his bio
And they wonder why we need an enquiry?
Well done Sue, pwning a paid journo 😉
Here is a story in the Australian
“PM accuses NSW Premier of media conspiracy after carbon tax story
There’s more in today’s Sydney Morning Herald about a plan, basically, involving Premier O’Farrell’s office and The Daily Telegraph (owned by News), where a story was run striking fear into people’s hearts about public transport fares rocketing up,” she told ABC radio today.
So I went to the SMH, where earlier today I read the story but the article titled
“Bureaucrat altered briefing on pollution tax” by Josephine Tovey, September 15,2011
has disappeared from the web page. So i checked the Lenore Taylor article in case it was linked. No not there, I checked breaking news no not there. I had to check my History, to make sure I had read it in the SMH and there it was.
so here is an address if you want to read it
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bureaucrat-altered-briefing-on-pollution-tax-20110914-1k9s7.html
I saw in the question time thread on the abc yesterday
Sorry if it old news already
Tom R it is a good ad, very similar to the industry super funds ad, which were very effective.
And as a side issue Howard introduced “choice” for super, in an attempt to break the industry super funds but the opposite occurred.
As Tim Dunlop points out shane that’s not feasible.
The print media is running at a loss and is an asset nobody really wants except for Murdoch as it’s a propaganda platform to spread his narrow ideological views and to influence governments. To that end Murdoch doesn’t mind if he gives the newspapers away, and much of News Ltd circulation figures are in giveaways.
So legislating for a portion of media control is more or less saying shut down whole sections of the media, which means some areas would get no print media at all.
Good one Tom, thank you for that!
Oh dear I just turned on the radio, parliamentary broadcast and Sussan Ley, the member for Farrer, was speaking on the Carbon Bills. And guess which expert she decided to quote on this big occasion, as the PM has said this history making occasion, no other than……..Alan Jones. Yes the honorable MP quoted from Jones’ radio program.
Golly gosh, it may help her for her next election campaign , it may please the convoy protesters, but was her speech writer thinking.
ME
Are you sure about the losses ?. Are they real losses or book figures to avoid paying any of money to that pesky ATO ?
From Bloomberg: “News Corp.’s publishing division, which includes newspapers and books, posted a 38 percent jump in profit to $270 million on 11 percent higher sales”.
I see Tony Abbott is once again having a media conference at yet another business.
Do we the taxpayers pay for each and every one of these political stunts. He announces no alternative policy and nothing new whatsoever each and every time.
Shane…no he doesn’t does he… 🙄
shaneinqld
i flicked on that press stunt to notice that when questions got a bit hard, abbott just walked away. the camera tried to keep up but abbott hid behind someone else to get out of camera shot.
Sue
I tuned out as his voice and laugh have become an irritation. The man has such limited vocabulary. It now is the same thing day after day after day. Only attend a business where we have support against the carbon fine. Run away as soon as any questions become difficult or devierge from our intended aim of brainwashing.
Today,like yesterday and the day before it was Nauru.
He didn’t like being asked about why bother with a briefing by public servants in Melbourne if his mind was made up. So he didn’t answer.
The same with Tony’s demands about debating the carbon legislation. The carbon proposal and legislation has been in the public arena for months and months. I think the debating is over and people have taken sides. Time to get on with it.
Are they Australian figures shane?
http://tinyurl.com/3p6txue
The newspapers are bleeding money and running at a genuine loss, Crikey often points this out. So as to charge advertisers by having higher circulation figures, a large number of papers are given away to venues like Maccas, hotels, motels etc. and in other areas.
http://www.crikey.com.au/free-newspaper/
The problem is that if you forced the print media to carve up nobody other than Murdoch with very deep pockets and willing to take the loss would want to buy it. Maybe you would get the likes of Gina Rinehart entering the game but that’s just compounding the current situation and she would work with News Ltd anyway to sing from the same song book.
“Do we the taxpayers pay for each and every one of these political stunts. He announces no alternative policy and nothing new whatsoever each and every time.”
I am sure the money does not come out of Mr. Abbott’s or the Liberal parties pocket.
I do not know of any air line that gives free tickets, allowing one to visit up to three states in one day.
In NZ, the Nauru President made a point of saying that he did not make a habit of talking to Mr Abbott, as well as he did not appreciate his country for politician gains in another.
Has Mr. Abbott been asked his opinions of these comments, as he gives the impression of having close contact with the man.
I believe being in full election campaign for three years is one impost on the taxpayer too far.
Cu Howard started properly electioneering 18 months out, though many will argue most things he did was with an election in mind, and it arguably cost him the election.
I honestly don’t see how Abbott can do this for two years whilst avoiding elucidating any policy or even the framework of a policy. So far the couple he has given a framework for have turned into utter turkeys and it is only the media glossing over them that has allowed him to get away with it.
It’s why he’s doing everything possible to manufacture an early election. He cannot pull off two years of stunts in a policy free vacuum without brain farting or walking out on one press conference too many.
Catching up, the likelihood of Abbott NOT being in close touch with the President of Nauru is very remote.
Nauru quickly agreed to take asylum seekers the first time around. because they could not afford $300,00.00 to pay for oil.
Former Foreign Minister Downer said his staffer suggested Nauru for that reason when the Coalition government was desperately looking for a place to put the asylum seekers, and the Coalition government promptly gave them the $300,00.00.
There haven’t been any reports of Nauru’s finances improving in the interim, and I’d really like to know if or what Mr. Abbott and his entourage offered them when they visited Nauru complimets of Mr. Lindsay Fox.
Pip
among other things a desalination plant?
Pip, this is a different President, than the one that Mr. Downer dealt with, that was attending a forum that was handing out largess.
It was our PM along with the NZ who control the purse strings, not Mr. Abbott back in Australia.
Any self respecting President would rather access to other money than turning his Island into a prison.
The President was as capable of self interest as Mr. Abbott is.
ME, we all know that Mr. Abbott only aim is to create the impression of a illegitimate and unstable government. I am not sure he should be using the tax payers money to do this.
Sue,
Abbott’s Nauru resurrection draws job-hungry disciples
http://www.theage.com.au/national/abbotts-nauru-resurrection-draws-jobhungry-disciples-20110612-1fzbv.html
Broadcast: 08/11/2001
Nauru in crisis
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2001/s412308.htm
Nauru is completely without fresh food tonight and its electricity and fresh water supplies are under threat. A vessel carrying supplies for the tiny island nation is refusing to unload its cargo because of the Nauruan Government’s unpaid shipping bills.
and
Australia agreed to pay Nauru $20 million to take care of the asylum seekers and help clear some of the tiny nation’s massive debts, run up after years of corruption and mismanagement.
While some supplies were initially flown in, Canberra would also pay to ship most food and fuel the hundreds of kilometres from Brisbane to Nauru, one of the most remote island nations on earth, which, with one aircraft, relies on a monthly shipping service for all its food, fuel and essentials.
Food for the Nauruans, and now the asylum seekers, is meant to arrive on this ship, ‘The Captain Fern’, but for the past four weeks, ‘The Captain Fern’ has been drifting and ordered not to off-load because the Nauruan Government owes the shipping company $600,000.
Cu, I understand that, but I don’t believe that would prevent Mr. Abbott and Mr. Morrison from making promises of largesse, what with an election about to happen any day now 🙄
We know how yabbott fibs !!
When the media inquiry gets under way, I sincerely hope that they can put a stop to pictures of grieving citizens outside of the Courts, or at funerals or anywhere else.
The public does not need to see what should be very private moments for anyone.
Injured patients and bodies being carried away from crime scenes and accidents deserve to be shown the utmost respect, and not used as commodities for the news industry.
Brother weeps as accused triple killer appears
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-14/kapunda-murder- court/2899060
This very sad young man had just been face to face with the alleged killer of both his parents and his sister and no pictures were need to understand his grief.
10am Anti Carbon Tax Ad Brainstorm
Love it Pip
esp. the guy with the phone at the end.
Sue, don’t know who Ms Sales is thinking of here 🙄
Tweet from
leighsales Leigh Sales
Mulling over the many things I hate in TV writing, I realise I’m destined to become a crusty old woman who rings TV station switchboards.
Sounds like me, when the idiots on the news sum up a news conference.
Monday, PM Gillard explaining the Migration Act to be amended so that the executive of any government can proceed with its policies.
Cross back to the news reader, where Kim Landers summarised
“there you have it, it is Malaysia or bust”
Yep I am a crusty old woman who rings a TV station switchboard ( where the policy is they will telephone back within 2 days, but do not) because I would actually like the ABC to report WHAT IS SAID.
Sue, that’s the worst of all this nonsense.
The ABC has become Murdoch lite !
It’s not just Uhlmann, it’s the majority of them, all glammed up, and being very “witty and entertaining”. Not.
Is it possible that crusty old women are not called back because they are dismissively judged to be crusty old women?
Pip
They can’t handle the truth, them young’uns
Tweet by Mathias Cormann
Not sure what he means; it’s not as if the coalition weren’t invited
to be part of the processes.
Nor am I sure what he means by the “Biggest Party”….compensating for something Mathias ?
MathiasCormann Mathias Cormann
ALP Chair, Green Deputy Chair of rushed ‘Joint’ Carbon Tax Inquiry. Biggest Party in Parliament not represented in leadership of Committee.
Pip
I heard Albanese in QT say that the coalition chose not be part of the “joint” committee. He was encouraging them to take part.
So possibly Mathias is now having a whinge because the committee didn’t leave a prime (leadership) spot for the coalition.
Perhaps the coalition left the negotiating for positions up to abbott, like how he negotiated the coalition into government,not.
Monsignor David Cappo has resigned from his government posts
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/monsignor-david-cappo-has-resigned-from-his-government-posts/story-e6frg6nf-1226138088488
“While I emphatically reject any suggestion that I or the Church handled the complaint by John Hepworth with anything other than proper and due diligence, this matter has the potential to distract from the important work of the newly formed Mental Health Commission,” Monsignor Cappo said in a statement.
ME
I think they are global figures for News Corp but still it shows that the p;rint media is far from the loss making global enterprise it is claimed.
As for making a loss with its Australian newspapers, I really am sceptical of these type of loss making claims. Being a credit assessor for many years I have seen far too many financials of businesses officially running at a loss on paper but actually making a fortune when you consolidate all the root trust and companies back to the actual tree.
There is a Liberal , Paul Fletcher with an article on the Drum, of the 46 comments only about 4 were for his argument, this is a change.
The carbon tax: not a good bargaining chip
Michelle Grattan, political reporter, opinion piece today, does she discuss the political debate of this week, NO, she writes on an opinion poll.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/rudd-riding-high-but-mps-need-more-time-to-map-their-course-20110915-1kbrf.html
Michelle any hack could write on a poll, they could write one every week, but a week sitting in parliament and all you can do is this, pathetic.
Sue Michelle Grattan is one of the Australia’s longest serving political reporters. For her to put her name to this piece of tripe is very, very sad – time for her to consider retirement.
time for her to consider retirement.
if they all retired on the basis of irrelevance, we’d only have MegaGeorge left
Maybe the problem they have is that they would have to write about something positive about the PM.
It would be a shame if the were forced to report the stupid antics of Mr. Abbott.
The response is to write crap.
Apparently the PM is wrong, it is too hard not to write crap.
On the news a National Party MP from NSW has resigned, news conference 2pm, something to do with a false statutory declaration. He is a minister assisting the Police minister.
When were they elected? Hasn’t taken long for first to resign, by-election due.
National Party MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services NSW, resigns
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national-party-mp-for-clarence-steve-cansdell-resigns/story-e6frfku0-1226138886307#ixzz1Y59kZS1X
Government sources have confirmed Mr Cansdell had signed a false statutory declaration in relation to a speeding offence
The question for Brandis and O’Farrell
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”
If you are the police Minister who polices the police.
Wrong Sue, as Brandis couldn’t tell you, it’s about separation of powers; that is, separating corrupt Liberal/ National Party Politicians from power.
Sue, there must be some mistake, Coalition good, Labor bad 😀
4Corners next week
The Carbon War
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2011/09/15/3318364.htm
Will they concentrate on the divisions?
Will they show the latest ad from Labor?
http://www.alp.org.au/labortv/
A good read on the media inquiry
Paper trail could lose its way
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/paper-trail-could-lose-its-way-20110915-1kbre.html
Does Murdoch own papers in Denmark ??
Denmark to Be Led by Its First Female Premier as Leftists Win
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/world/europe/denmark-to-be-led-by-its-first-female-premier-as-leftists-win.html
Letters from Home
Judith Brett reviews Heather Henderson’s collection of letters from her father, Robert Menzies
http://inside.org.au/letters-from-home/
And he described one-time editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Angus Maude, as “just a little louse, and it is a louse’s destiny to bite.”
I would highly recommend putting down one’s cup of coffee before reading this one…
The Oz aims to provide a range of news and opinions, not make decisions for its readership
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/the-oz-aims-to-provide-a-range-of-news-and-opinions-not-make-decisions-for-its-readership/story-fn59niix-1226138628128
Min
Thanks for the good laugh. Kenny opening with AWB and the Iraq war, classic and not a ‘we will destroy the greens’ in sight. Then the pathos of the conclusion, nothing like a bit of ‘good sense of the public’
A more enlightening opinion piece today, is by Peter Hartcher
Gillard’s insurance policy
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillards-insurance-policy-20110916-1kdz7.html
That’s interesting Sue, that’s two anti-Abbott articles that the SMH are running, one by Hartcher and the other by Hartcher and Tim Lester.
Is Simon Mann accompanying the Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministers on a trip to the USA? Is he a USA based journalist? ( could be next to his name it says San Francisco) who knows but the article he has in the press today could have been written from tweets, it has so little information about the Ministers and their reasons for being in the USA
.
I lift my heart in San Francisco, sings Rudd
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/i-lift-my-heart-in-san-francisco-sings-rudd-20110916-1ke4o.html#ixzz1Y9rJYips
This morning the Insiders became an Info-mecial for the Murdoch press,
Malcolm Farr, a News Ltd employee, is a panelist and what is his big Sunday news stories form the papers, and the story highlighted on the screen.
A big, fat non- story from the Telegraph , Julia Gillard supposedly having elocution lessons.
Yes the Tele banner headline for its Sunday paper is what, nothing, BUT Farr can run it as free advertising on the ABC.
Be ashamed ABC, out done once again for letting News Ltd push their agenda, of destroying the government.
Farr is confusing the issue on the migration act amendments. Farr is saying Gillard has confused the issue to Nauru v Malaysia. wrong Farr I heard the PM over and over again, say it was about executive govt, where the govt of the day can chose where ‘offshore’ is to be.
Farr it is the Media that is confusing the issue and in one article you actually said as much.
Just looked at the front page of the Telegraph.
Sorry, the PM. is not stilted and wooden.
The PM has a problem lying and dealing in bullshit than the talented Mr. Abbott.
CU
I wonder how the readers of the Tele would feel if the Tele printed a front page picture of Abbott hiding behind someone when he didn’t want to answer questions. I certainly saw it at one of Abbott’s ‘news’ stunts this week in Canberra. If the journo’s out there are wondering where it occurred it was at the roof truss business.
Headline could be ; Action man Ducks for Cover
Sue, that is normal behaviour for Mr. Abbott. He answers the question that focus on his stunts then walks away with a look that says “ain’t I clever”
Why does the media accommodate him. They can do what they do with the PM. Ask the questions they want first. The PM duly answers then they move onto what the PC has been called about.
When is the media going to wake up to the fact they are being manipulated by Mr. Abbott.
Min from yesterday at 6.26 AM. Thanks for the warning, it was needed.
John Howard prevailed despite an antagonistic gallery.
How we laughed.
I have just downloaded Mannes essay (I couldn’t find a hardcopy anywhere), and have just started reading it. I have finished the chapter on the Iraq war, and that alone is damning assessment of barracking the oo did for howard.
http://www.quarterlyessay.com/issue/bad-news-murdochs-australian-and-shaping-nation
I clicked on the buy it now link. It is only about $10 for the epub, and reads in any browser from the bookish site, which I have found to be a fantastic application. Fantastic, because I can read it anywhere on any device with a browser. That is all it needs. No plugins, nothing.
Oh, and did I mention, the essay is looking very good so far too from what I have read
Tom R you can also get Calibre for nothing. It is the best ebook manager/reader I have come across and it’s free. It has the added bonus of also running my Sony ebook reader and cataloging the books on that.
Thanks for the heads up on Manne’s essay. Will look at getting it.
Yea, but I gotta install calibre ME (I already have it for a kobo I have, which is quite shit imo)
I just like the idea of reading in a browser. Why install more crap, when a browser will do it
And, any smart phone these days will display it (when I finally get one lol)
I read in browser but found there are drawbacks with that form of reading ebooks as well. There are pluses and minuses in everything but I have found Calibre to be the best all round program for managing ebooks. It does far more than just display them for reading, though it is excellent at that as well.
I like my Sony Touch PRS-650 and will buy they new Sony PRS-T1 when it comes out here in October.
Yes ME, I must admit, I have only just started reading on bookish, so haven’t really had any time to start finding the faults. Unfortunatley, with the Kobo, it was faults from the start, from trying to connect it, (the disconnect), to it freezing, to losing places, to not being able to browse rapidly (page load is terrible)
I still have an old Palm tungsten i read books on, which is fantastic. it is just getting a bit long in the tooth. Even some of the buttons are wearing away now. And the screen is quite small
I am going to have a look at that Sony you put up, although, I fear a new ‘toy’ might be a while off yet. Just window shopping 😦
I’m a convert to electronic book reading and that includes online browser readers.
I believe the new Kobo Touch has the same new infrared finger reading technology as the new Sony. It means you get crystal clear white paper screens whilst still allowing touch. These new readers are cheaper than the old models as well. The new Sony that replaces my PRS-650 is $50 cheaper for a far more capable reader.
Anything that encourages reading is good in my books.
http://kobobooks.com/touch
A link to the new Kobo. Like the Sony it has wi fi, another big plus though it shortens the 30 day battery life but you wouldn’t use wi fi that often.
Sorry to continue on this but did you know there are now 11,000 libraries around the world you can borrow eBooks from. I’ve signed out a couple from the SA State Library and the ACT Public Library.
Yes ME, I love the ebooks, but the kobo, to me, didn’t really emulate hardcopy reading. too hard to browse (too slow) and you cannot be sure how far into each book you were. Small things perhaps, but a little thing like the Palm Pilot had it, the Kobo I have (it is a bottom of the range) lacks all of this.
I also like a device to do lots. I browse as I read, and I’m known to just abandon it all and watch a movie 🙂
I was looking at this for a while, until, well, this happened 😦
http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/23/entourage-edge-dual-screen-ebook-reader-is-dead-and-gone/
I’ll stick with my cheap little netbook and bookish for now, until I can find something that offers a bit more than a tablet, but isn’t as restrictive as the netbook (ie a keyboards that folds away).
I know Sony remembers every book you read and exactly where you are up to in each, and the new Kobo might as well. More than that the Sony allows you to bookmark to a word on a page and then go back to that word at anytime even after you have finished reading the book. I don’t know if there is a limit on the number of bookmarks you can have.
The Sony also has a neat earmark feature that bookmarks a page with a triangle if you touch and hold the corner for a couple of seconds.
Fear and loathing is alive and well in the unbiased media today I see
950,000 workers in danger with carbon tax
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/workers-in-danger-with-carbon-tax/story-e6freuy9-1226140331684
Research commissioned by the alliance claimed 950,000 workers were employed by companies which would be exposed to the tax without compensation or government assistance.
Of course, the reason that most of these companies will not receive compensation appears lost in the article, you know, cos any increase will be minimal (if at all), which kind of scraps their headline in one fell swoop.
Expect a lot more of this over the next couple of years, as reason leaves the ‘debate’ further behind, and as we continue on unscathed (except from within the media.)
Tom R, it’s just the same old from the smellagraph, the headline
is deceiving.
The carbon tax will cost how much?
http://www.petermartin.com.au/2011/09/carbon-tax-will-cost-what.html
See the Treasury modelling below
Releasing the calculations in the midst of parliamentary debate on the bills set to last until November Treasurer Wayne Swan emphasised that the government would provide assistance to cover the increased costs averaging $10.10 per household per week, slightly more than the higher costs themselves which would average $9.90 per week.
and
Further modelling to be released this week will show the economy continuing to grow strongly under a carbon price with both incomes and employment climbing.
Asked yesterday to give an “iron clad” guarantee to repeal all of the compensation measures along with the carbon tax on taking office shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he would “have to”.
and
Mr Hockey also confirmed he would bypass the new costings process in the election having his policies costed instead by the private sector rather the new Parliamentary Budget Office.
Asked whether the government would say he was “running away” because his costings had holes in them, he said they would say that in any event.
“It doesn’t matter what we do, we can stand on our heads in Martin Place and have the world’s leading auditors and accountants
there, and I’m sure the Government would make that claim, but we will put them down on the table for the Australian people to see.”
****The accountants who Mr Hockey said audited the Coalition’s policies during the 2010 campaign remain the subject of an ethics investigation by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
****Mr. Hockey said they were audited, but they were not.
http://www.petermartin.com.au/2010/09/coalition-costings-inexcusable.html
“…….New Treasury estimates show the carbon tax will hurt, but is unlikely to break budgets. The first line-by-line estimate of price impacts finds the price of milk will climb by less than 1 cent per litre; the price of a packet of breakfast cereal by less than 2 cents.
Takeaway food and restaurant meals will set us back somewhat more – Treasury says they will cost an extra 20 cents per week. Rent will cost an extra 40 cents per week and the cost of housing for a purchaser will climb 90 cents per week.
Energy bills are the only prices to set to soar. Treasury says an average household’s water gas and electricity costs will climb $4.60 per week, an increase of 7.9 per cent.
Releasing the calculations in the midst of parliamentary debate on the bills set to last until November Treasurer Wayne Swan emphasised that the government would provide assistance to cover the increased costs averaging $10.10 per household per week, slightly more than the higher costs themselves which would average $9.90 per week…
“Households that improve their energy efficiency – by doing things such as turning off appliances at the wall or switching light bulbs – can end up coming out in front,” he said. They can help the environment and their family budget at the same time.
Further modelling to be released this week will show the economy continuing to grow strongly under a carbon price with both incomes and employment climbing.
Asked yesterday to give an “iron clad” guarantee to repeal all of the compensation measures along with the carbon tax on taking office shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he would “have to”.
“We have committed to removing the carbon tax,” he told Sky News. “We have said that you do not need to have compensation if you don’t have a tax.”
Mr Hockey also confirmed he would bypass the new costings process in the election having his policies costed instead by the private sector rather the new Parliamentary Budget Office.
Asked whether the government would say he was “running away” because his costings had holes in them, he said they would say that in any event.
“It doesn’t matter what we do, we can stand on our heads in Martin Place and have the world’s leading auditors and accountants
there, and I’m sure the Government would make that claim, but we will put them down on the table for the Australian people to see.”
The accountants who Mr Hockey said audited the Coalition’s policies during the 2010 campaign remain the subject of an ethics investigation by the Institute of Chartered Accountants…..”
Published in today’s SMH and Age
http://www.petermartin.com.au/2011/09/carbon-tax-will-cost-what.html
hy stony faced? QT was also unusally quiet.
“”This new set of draft amendments has the same ultimate legal effect – that is it would enable executive government … to make the arrangements it needs to or believes desirable in relation to offshore processing.”
Mr Abbott was unusually silent after the meeting, declining to make any comments to the media as he left the Prime Minister’s Parliament House office…
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-abbott-asylum-meeting-lasts-just-15-minutes-20110919-1kh77.html#ixzz1YO4h6PJy
Now I am admitting I do not listen to 2GB and ray hadley but I would be interested to know if he lambasts the NSW govt.
“THREE years ago, when RailCorp planned to close lines for trackwork on NRL grand final weekend, the opposition transport spokeswoman, Gladys Berejiklian, did not hold back. ”It is just going to be sheer mayhem,” she told Ray Hadley of 2GB, 10 days before the game. ”It is just unacceptable the state government has bungled such a weekend.”
But guess what has happened the current NSW Coalition govt has raised the “mayhem ” stakes by
“not only trackwork but also construction work on the M2.
Not to worry because even though it will be ”the mother of all interruptions”, the Roads Minister “said there would be early warnings and an extensive information campaign.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/rant-returns-to-haunt-berejiklian-20110920-1kjlr.html#ixzz1YWl8dZGD
.
Come on Ray give the voters your honest opinion.
Don’t hold your breath Sue.
Another horror story on NSW health, crickets from the media about the State government. When Labor was in power every hiccup and ingrown toenail that wasn’t attended to in less than a minute made headline news in condemnation of the State government.
Same for traffic congestion. Every traffic jam, accident that blocked the roads and major delay was laid squarely at the feet of the State Labor government.
Public transport failures were constantly highlighted and in the headlines.
Crime was another area that had every criminal act being blamed on the government.
In all cases it was O’Farrell and/or one of his ministers front and centre in news bulletins and newspaper articles condemning the Labor government for their incompetence and not fixing these things.
During an election that consisted of O’Farrell mostly saying he’s not Labor, he promised he would fix it.
>> Fast forward
The health system has deteriorated considerably.
Traffic congestion is far worse and is compounding almost weekly.
Public transport efficiency is static at the levels it was under Labor.
Crime has significantly increased and incidents of drunken behaviour, a key platform of O’Farrell’s and a priority fix, have gotten worse.
In the meantime his government is turning out to be as dishonest and corrupt, if not more so, than the one it replaced, and that’s a broken promise.
The list of broken promises is increasing so fast it’s hard to keep up with them, and that’s a broken promise in itself as O’Farrell promised he would be honest and not break promises like Labor did.
Yet for all that, apart from the odd small negative piece buried on page 5 or beyond, O’Farrell is not getting anywhere near the scrutiny or criticism the previous government did. I thought the media leaders stated it was their job to scrutinise governments and hold them to account. So why aren’t they doing this with the Liberal State governments?
ME
“I thought the media leaders stated it was their job to scrutinise governments and hold them to account. So why aren’t they doing this with the Liberal State governments?”
They might have to fess up that as “journalists” they are better at selling steak knives.
Crikey under subscription is reporting that they have a leaked document showing that News Ltd is out to rebrand itself in Australia and spend several millions on spruiking up their now battered image.
To add my opinion to that Crikey revelation is I have stated previously that News Ltd in its behaviour is trashing its brand and no matter what they might believe ideologically they are achieving in the long run they are destroying themselves.
The same goes for what Abbott is doing to the Liberal’s brand. He is trashing it and unless they dump him soon and go back to the pre-Howard Liberals irrecoverable damage may be done to the brand, which in the long run is akin to self destruction. Abbott’s short time in the spotlight is sentencing the Liberal party to a long time in the darkness.
ME
Will the rebranding coincide with the paywall? The sooner there is a paywall possibly the better the news coverage, as hopefully less bias will be spread.
ME
My question is answered, the change comes after the first of the paywalls.
Look what is happening at 2UE, Michael Smith the guy who wanted to view his beliefs and the lawyers didn’t want him to
Radio host Michael Smith challenges dismissal, claiming political victimisation
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/radio-host-michael-smith-challenges-dismissal-claiming-political-victimisation/story-fna5r3l7-1226142798163
The matter is in the federal court @4.20
Sue, exactly..whatever happened to the paywall?
http://www.smh.com.au/business/murdoch-to-cement-pay-wall-around-news-ltds-australian-fortress-20110605-1fnaw.html
And so June has turned to approaching October..where did the paywall go?
And where is the Poll.
Would you be prepared to pay $20.00 per month to read absolute cr*p from news.com?
Ans: choose ONE.
Oh Yes definitely, it’s a brilliant piece of journalism and is worth every cent.
No it’s a little expensive but if I can convince my family to change to generic toilet paper then I’ll be able to afford it.
Definitely No, I’m a greenie gay tree hugger high on drugs and the only thing that newspapers are good for is cutting into squares and hanging on the toilet door. Ahhh, oh you mean online..well that isn’t going to work because how can you cut it into squares and hang it on the toilet door..ah look I think I’ve spotted a drop bear.
On the subject of Smith, 2UE , dismissal, hypocrisy
Isn’t Smith lucky that Gillard got rid of Work Choices and implemented the Fair Work ACT.
“The 2UE afternoon presenter told The Australian Online today: “We are seeking an injunction to restrain my employer from dismissing me.”
Later this afternoon, a federal magistrate in Sydney granted an order restraining 2UE from sacking Smith on the basis that such a dismissal would contravene the Fair Work Act.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/radio-host-michael-smith-challenges-dismissal-claiming-political-victimisation/story-e6frg996-1226142798163
Sue, do you think that Fair Work Australia will consider it unreasonable that the boss asks one to refrain from making statements that cannot be proven as facts.
Do we live in a world that one is free to make statements, that destroy another, without having the responsibility to ensure what they are saying is truth.
Yes, we have freedom of speech to tell the truth. We do not have the freedom to spread lies, that destroy another.
There will be time in the future, to tell his story, when and if the allegations become proven facts.
So News World in Australia is changing its name to News Australia.
I think it should go further and change its name to.
“Opinion Australia” as most of its publications are full of opinions and not news which is the reporting of facts without bias to allow the public to form their own opinion.
I certainly will not be subscribing to a paywalled publication by any media owner.
Shane, you’re certain right there. I would say that News is not only an over-exaggeration but possibly grounds for False & Misleading advertising!
spend several millions on spruiking up their now battered image.
They could save several million and just stop ‘writing crap’!
ABC Unleashed has another article up about Mannes essay, and Tim Dunlop gets a mention too
.It is a testament to his scrupulous attention to detail, wide-ranging knowledge of the issues involved and commitment to concretely uncovering systematic (rather than incidental) biases that the paper’s collection of responses by its editorialists and opinion writers limps along using isolated anecdotes and non sequiturs against mountains of evidence marshalled by Manne.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2910204.html
Addendum to Shane, no I wouldn’t pay a brass razoo to read news.com either because as TomR states, it’s basically ‘crap’.
stutchbury is such an incompetent, partisan tool
Moreover, the BER hit the ground too late, partly because it was not “shovel ready”. When it ramped up by the third quarter of 2009, the surprisingly strong rebound in our big new Chinese export market already had saved Australia from recession.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/reforms-not-rampant-spending-saved-us-from-the-global-crisis/story-fn59niix-1226138625546
He forgot this minor detail, from early 2010
The main prop for the economy in the first quarter was the government’s national school’s spending program, which added 0.9 percentage points to GDP. Consumer demand held up, despite the impact of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/mining-sector-investment-to-speed-up-recovery-from-slowdown/story-e6frg926-1225874550046
So, the third quarter of 2009 may have been propped up by Chinese exports (to claim it alone prevented recession is a long bow, and, considering the source, I would question the statements veracity also), but in 2010 ‘The main prop for the economy in the first quarter was the government’s national school’s spending program’.
Also, the BER and related programs were not designed to prevent the initial onslaught from the downturn, that was the role of the handouts. The BER was to support industry in the recovery, which, by all accounts, it did extremely well, and the timing was almost picture perfect.
It is the height of (wilfull?) igorance that, in an article designed to trash Manne’s accusations of partisan, biased, false reporting, stutchbury sinks to partisan, biased, false reporting in order to defend himself.
Have I mentioned yet; WHAT A TOOL!
Tom, re “stutchbury is such an incompetent, partisan tool”. Hang on a moment..why were things not ‘shovel ready’, surely that is because of the various States not having it the aforementioned ‘shovel ready’. Excuse me, Stutchbury but BER = education = the States.
Speaking of Tools here is an article about Hockey, unbelievable, the extract will give you an idea:
Hockey’s jibe at Swan backfires
“Labor MPs immediately hit Twitter to complain about Mr Hockey. Leader of the House Anthony Albanese said Mr Hockey had insulted a number of nations with which Australia had relationships. He had ”moved on to tell the same sordid year 7 joke about female genitalia that goes on in a boys’ school”.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/hockeys-jibe-at-swan-backfires-20110921-1klas.html#ixzz1Ydek0kxT