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 previous two Media Watch discussions:
Café Whispers 
Murdoch to cement pay wall around News Ltd’s Australian fortress
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/murdoch-to-cement-pay-wall-around-news-ltds-australian-fortress-20110605-1fnaw.html#ixzz1OS6pGAM5
Well that is an outlook I look forward to. It will be interesting to see just how the numbers of visitors to the Oz are when payment is involved.
I suppose I will still unfortunately get the OZ news for nothing as thanks to our ABC, that is where they go for stories.
Oh by the way, yesterday I had a look at Insiders and now not only do they have Murdoch press but b……. Skynews.
Where is the balance, where is the journalist from say a blog or alternative news?
Barry Cassidy how pathetic.
Just heard Virginia say why talking to Katter. “rising numbers of asylum seekers”
I was under the impression that the number has halved this year. This is very much like what followed the sinking of the Siev 10. After that they cease altogether.
This seems to be an ABC practice when interviewing. Make misleading comments before asking questions.
Much of the imbalance is subtle. As Mr. Brown commented the other day, the aim of the haranguing is to interfere with the thought process and put you off balance.
Sue I laughed at the description of the ltd news readership.
It is widely expected to go first, given it has a national readership that is generally wealthier and more engaged than those of its state tabloids.
There is no good reason why the ‘state tabloids’ have to be tabloids, unless their purpose is to dumb down the plebs.
The dangers of bone-headed beliefs
Each generation of people has a job to do; a burden that falls to their time. Sometimes, it’s a war or depression. Sometimes, it’s the work of building the first railways and roads. Sometimes, it’s a plague that wipes out half the population or a fire that destroys a whole city.
Looked at through this lens, our generation has it easy. Already wealthy and armed with new technology, we need to front up to the challenge of building a low-carbon economy.
The tool we’ll use is a carbon tax that seeks to subtly redirect some of our choices. Cut your power bill by more than the compensation offered and you get to keep the change.
Is that really so onerous compared with a depression or war?
Our grandparents didn’t fail us, even though the challenges they faced were so much greater. So why
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-dangers-of-boneheaded-beliefs-20110602-1fijg.html#ixzz1OTHL2tWf
Nicely put, doesn’t sound to hard to do.
http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2011/06/newspaper-sales-crisis-enters-sixth.html
Glover asks: Is it possible to get the politics out of the climate-change debate?
Not until the politics is settled, will we get sanity on climate change.
That was very well said Sue.
And Eddie – that surprises me not at all..why bother paying for expensive newspaper advertising which reaches only a limited audience when you can reach a far greater number of people via the internet.
The best analogy I can think of is when movie theaters faced the introduction of TV (mid 1950s in Australia).
TV shows were in no way “better entertainment” but they were available 24/7 and home delivered.
TV is now in self-distruct mode as they poison viewing with ads.
Both TV and Movie theaters are being seriously challenged by the internet and DVDs.
Print media (both newspapers and book publishing) are now under pressure from a changing market.
So the existing media player’s business models are under pressure. What do the rich and powerful do when threatened? They start throwing their weight around.
Just watching Christopher Whine on Q & A, after constantly interrupting Roxon and everyone else, he then accuses her of constantly interrupting.
This is obviously a well scripted media technique and one that I find most annoying.
Always accuse the other side of the same obnoxious behaviour you are guilty of and constantly perpetrate.
Excellent observations lunalava and one I think that Mobius has likewise noted on several occasions.
At this particular stage I think that I should mention the fact that I am hearing impaired (for those who may have missed it when I’ve mentioned this previously) – and so I am going to have to rely on you good folk to provide interpretations of what you hear via the media.
It’s amazing just how quickly that embarrassing footage of Tony Abbott proposing a carbon tax was whipped off the ABC Drum page.
Obviously the ABC does not what to offend its de facto political masters (Federal Liberal Party).
This footage shows just how phoney Abbott is on this and related issues.
Luna, it’s getting additional media coverage on Fairfax.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/abbott-dogged-by-old-carbon-comment-20110607-1fprb.html
What I am currently getting is a bit of a turn around from Fairfax..reason..unknown. But a possibility is that the powers that be at Fairfax have decided on ‘brand differentiation’ rather than follow the supposed leader.
Phony Tony, Weathervane Tony, He-Liar Tony and the 2009 Skynews interview promoting a carbon tax has even made it to the Murdoch press.
From a comment in the SMH, how come the MSM could not “find” this interview? This important piece was located by a climate scientist.
Surely if journalists were doing their job they could find similar interviews and challenge Abbott. Afterall if Abbott is prepared to shout doom scenarios he should be shown up for being a hypocrite.
In fact although the MSM is running the story NO journalist has asked / challenged Abbott for comment. WHY?
Sue..re “NO journalist has asked / challenged Abbott for comment. WHY?”
Maybe because Mr scaredy-cat Lycra has run away
From the link: “I haven’t seen that video [before], but I enjoyed it, I must say,” Health Minister Nicola Roxon, also on the panel, said. I’m absolutely positive that Roxon did…. 🙂
Sue, Abbott is so predictable I can provide the answer(s) to this question:
1. say nothing, walk away; or
2. turn on the journo and accuse them of using Labor Propaganda;
3. I was just supporting the former leader, I did not “really believe this”
4. I did not put it writing;
5. This is just more Labor Machiavellian bastardy;
6. Gillard is a liar, what about the pink bats.
Min
Roxon is one of my favorite Ministers. With her Doc Martens firmly planted she can get her message through. Last night, Pyne, Tony Jones and even a Tweeter tried to disrupt her answer but she politely waited and then continued with her positive reply.
Sue, yes I like Roxon too. When you start doing a tally Labor has quite some depth of talent..and the Liberal opposition consists of..who??? Abbott, Hockey, Barnbaby, J. Bishop (who went missing in action about 2005), Turnbull and Pyne.
What a dreadful dreary bunch that lineup is. Have I forgotten anybody?
Typo Barnbaby..actually I think that I’ll keep it..Barn-baby 😀
Min
Sophie Mirabella has tickets on herself. She can yell across the table and flop into her seat.
Scott Morrison who is concerned for child refugees being transported to Malaysia. So caring is he for child refugees he attacked the decision for a child refugee being flown to Sydney for his parents funeral.
But then Min maybe we should just forget them.
Sue…
Min goes slightly cross-eyed at the thought that Mirabella and Morrison are ‘the other’ Liberal talent.
Min
Don’t blame me I didn’t vote for them, or promote them to the opposition front bench.
They are Abbott’s talent and he will take them to the next election.
Says a lot about the back bench. hehehaha
Sue..for some strange reason I guessed that you didn’t vote for them 🙂
Oh dear, ABBOTT’S TALENT..that’s worthy of a Topic on it’s own. Whatever ‘Abbott’s Talent’ is, t’aint the back bench.
For my sins, I watched the local ABC Adelaide news & 7.30 last night. The political coverage (local-health costings, & federal- cattle exports & asylum seekers) was as usual mostly negative for the ALP but what struck me was the absence of Federal Liberal representation- the ABC simply running critical lines on their behalf. Plus our local Lib opposition leader was allowed to get away with an amusing interpretation of our last State election, implying Labor had misled the electorate. Anyone following S.A. politics would know that Labor could’ve promised free beer for life & two BMWs in every garage & not got its message across, as the media in its virtual entirety was obsessed with a certain female personage, since conveniently forgotten. Rambling a bit here, but I think it might be worth watching to see if the ABC absolves the Libs from attendance in future, in case they make the mistake of actually committing to something
BSA, I’m a lucky duck..I cannot hear the news except snippets when I concentrate which isn’t too often.
That sounds to be a Topic – what would Labor have to offer so as to obtain positive press?
Should an Australian Opposition Leader, interfere with the government’s negotiations with other countries.
What extremes will this Opposition Leader goes to to sabotage government policies.
Is it in Australia’s benefit for an Opposition to trash Australia aboard.
Is this genuine scrutiny of the government or is it electioneering. Who should pay for the Opposition Leader to visit Nauru and Malaysia.
Catching Up
Rather than the headline in the paper “Abbott off to Nauru in rush for asylum fix” why isn’t the headline to the story
Abbott wants taxpayers to pay for his political scaremongering
“(Abbott)
has requested a government jet so he and his immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, can fly to Nauru.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/abbott-off-to-nauru-in-rush-for-asylum-fix-20110607-1fr55.html#ixzz1OcvbMP6W
Tony Abbott just cannot help himself… “illegal arrivals”…no the boat is an unauthorised arrival and the people themselves are perfectly legal having the right to claim asylum.
Good morning Sue..it seems that we were reading the same thing at the exact same time 🙂
This is the truth about the people smuggling trade. “He said gangs were charging asylum seekers $US20,000 ($18,700) per head and people would sometimes die during the voyage.
“To me it’s all the same. Just like goods,” he said.
“Even if the person dies halfway, we still get our money.”
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/member-of-organised-crime-gang-alleges-on-a-current-affair-asylum-seekers-smuggled-into-major-australian-ports/story-e6frfkvr-1226071263615#ixzz1OXCAn8Zy
I wonder how much has changed at Nauru since last August?
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/this-time-asylum-seekers-float-tonys-boat-20100810-11y8z.html
Abbott turned up with his spokesman on immigration, Scott Morrison, fresh back from a trip to the broken-down island of Nauru.
The ABC AM program on 7th May this year revealed that the centre at Nauru is now being used to house government officials.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3210428.htm
ALISON CALDWELL: So what does Nauru do with the facility that’s sitting there, not being used but which is ready to go?
DAVID LAMBOURNE: Well the facility is being used. We have some of the government officers relocated up there after the centre closed a couple of years ago. There was a nearby primary school burned down last year and while we wait for that to be rebuilt, the students are using the facility that was formerly the processing centre.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: That’s David Lambourne, Nauru’s secretary of justice and border control speaking to Alison Caldwell.
Abbott is sounding as if he expects to be in government any day now, which makes me wonder what he’d offer to Nauru in return for taking refugees?
The whole point too Pip is that Nauru is not going to stop the boats..just the same as it always has been what you cannot see you cannot care about.
How interesting. The ltd news report on The Herald Sun made no mention of the request for a government plane.
It’s possible that the government had some inking of impending trouble on Nauru:-
A spokesman for the Nauru opposition told the Herald that while there was broad support for reopening the centre, a political dispute over mining and land rights was threatening to explode.
Pip it seems the same as per always with the media continuously presenting any and all of Abbott’s ideas as The Easy Option. All of Abbott’s ideas are very very minimalistic…when is someone going to ask him But What If…..
Agree, Catching up, that
But last night Ali Moore did everything she could to do just that with Wayne Swann and couldn’t win a trick. What a nasty piece of work she looked. The ABC aren’t looking for information from this government, just another chance to help pull it down..
Good morning Min
I wonder if Abbott would take us on a fantasy flight to Nauru.
I suppose a government jet is required so that he can take all the journos but if some would prefer their families to Abbott/Morrison, I would fill a seat.
It is so cold to day a weekend in the sun would be nice.
News of the World.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/08/3238224.htm?section=justin
Malcom Farr at News had the story on Abbot going to Nauru but they have quickly whipped it off the front page and no comments printed.
So freeloading off the taxpayer for political gain must be getting a response out there in the blogosphere.
Abbott, Morrison fly off to pacific bird midden. Same dung heap, different flies
I wonder if Mr. Abbott’s bribe be as generous as Mr. Howards.
Photo op for Abbott, nothing more…
Not sure why you people are upset at Opposition politicians visiting detention centers. Labor pollies in Opposition visited Christmas Island
http://www.theage.com.au/national/mp-labels-island-detention-centre-a-waste-of-money-20080708-3bwi.html
“THE head of a parliamentary committee visiting the new $396 million detention centre on Christmas Island says he is flabbergasted at the waste of public money spent on it.
Melbourne Ports Labor MP Michael Danby said the 800-bed facility — which is currently empty — resembled a stalag, a German prisoner of war camp. “I think all of us from the delegation are frankly flabbergasted about the enormous expenditure of public money by the previous government on this,” Mr Danby said from the island. “It just looks like an enormous white elephant.”
hmmm – Established detention centres in Australia vs redundant centres in a foreign country. Of course, there’s no difference there 🙄
The point I was trying to make was that it would cost to send Danby to Christmas Island just like it would cost to send Abbot to Nauru.
People were complaining that taxpayers money was being used to fly Abbot to Nauru
And you still can’t detect a difference Neil? Open the other eye…
Such an excellent headline to read early in the morning 🙂
Cane toads of the air thrive on stupidity
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/cane-toads-of-the-air-thrive-on-stupidity-20110608-1fsuj.html#ixzz1OicbFAm0
‘These climate-change rants deliberately ignore everything about eco-balance, homeostasis, the greenhouse effect and tipping points we’ve all been taught since primary school and instead raucously promote a red herring.’
That’s a matter for further debate, Min, the propaganda drummed into the young from primary school, meanwhile Flummery’s work has been found ….wanting.
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/political-climate
Last week I posted a link to an article by Richard Glover, “The dangers of bone-headed beliefs”. I sent an email of support to Glover as I thought he would attacked. To day he replied and suggested I watch out for the article this week for what happened next.
So check this weekends SMH
Thank you for that Sue!!!
More from The Guardian.
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sgCQGjMVGKs1W3bRWsSxM0Q/view.m?id=31&gid=media/rupert-murdoch&cat=media
Glover’s story went viral on the blogosphere after Watts picked it up.
In this article “Katter demands compo after MLA admits we knew”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/09/3239294.htm?section=justin if you read on then half way through they have a heading ” Box ‘misused’. That is it, the heading is not referred to. So am I as the reader have to surmise that the heading is a statement of fact.
Sloppy journalism /editing.
Well it looks like Abbot was denied a government flight
http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-diary/a-big-night-for–star-treks-20110608-1fteb.html
Tony Abbott wanted to fly to Nauru this weekend………………………….(gillard)knocked back his request because his mission was not government business. In fact, its aim is to denigrate official foreign policy. The solution? Abbott has chartered a plane, never a cheap exercise. His office said the Coalition, not Clive Palmer nor any other wealthy donor, would foot the bill, including free seats for the media.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-diary/a-big-night-for–star-treks-20110608-1fteb.html#ixzz1Ok78JPnJ
And sooo…
Dunno, but if I want to get somewhere I just book a flight and go.
“Abbott has chartered a plane”
And so he should, if he wants to go off on a party political jaunt…
I see what you were trying to say Bacchus. Danby was on govt business whereas Abbot was on party political business.
But it can’t hurt to ask.
I actually remember when in Opposition Rudd used donations from Chinese friends to pay for his travels overseas because Opposition members do not have the resources of govt.
How can Tony Abbott afford to Charter a plane.
Afterall he could not live on an opposition back bench salary after they lost government.
Who is bankrolling him this time. ?
Neil @12.21 now that Tony Abbott has made a saving, by having a non- government paid flight. Tony Abbott can add the flight to the list of Coalition Savings.
I can hardly wait for Hockey or Robb to tell the MSM of their “savings” initiatives.
“Tony Abbott can add the flight to the list of Coalition Savings.”
Too funny coming from a supporter of a political party that has just produced a $50B budget deficit during the biggest mining boom in Australian history.
You actually have to go back to 1989 to find an ALP govt which ran a surplus budget.
Oh and Gillard just spent $66,000 on a new hot water system in Kirriblli House
$66,000 – chicken feed! Try:
“Other major expenses incurred by Mr Howard and his wife Janette include:
$161,000 air-conditioning upgrade for the Lodge.
$1.18m in gardening costs for both residences between 1998 and 2004.
$101,272 for a refurbished Lodge dining room.
$24,103 for new first-floor air conditioning at Kirribilli.
$82,000 for a 20-seat table and 20 chairs at Kirribilli. This includes 10 horsehair chairs, worth $45,000, as well as 10 replicas, worth $15,000.“
Even Mr Rudd’s friends’ largess pales into insignificance when compared to the Liberals…
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/liberal-michael-johnson-sought-12m-windfall-with-secret-china-deal/story-e6frg6nf-1225868416025
Nothing stacks up to a $50B deficit and no budget surplus by the ALP since 1989.
Plus billions wasted on who knows what and now this
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/nbn-560-customers-132m-bill-for-staff/story-e6frg90f-1226072180275
“THE cost of staff for the National Broadband Network has reached $132 million a year against revenue of only $3 million this year.
Executives are on big salaries – 34 NBN Co staff are on between $300,000 and $400,000 a year, putting some of them ahead of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.”
I clicked on on your link, and then on “Tell us: Is the NBN worth the money?” under related coverage, Neil; and it took me here…
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/nbn-560-customers-132m-bill-for-staff/story-e6frea8c-1226072075670
I’m not sure who was supposed to tell us question-mark, or what they were supposed to tell us question-mark.
Apparently, you do or did, Neil; and that’s a worthy achievement, to be commended with a wolf-whistle.
Do you think the staff are worth 300K-400K/year???
We all know what is going to happen. the taxpayer is going to pick up the tab eventually. I would prefer it if the party of deceit was not building it.
Another anti-NBN beat-up by the Awfulstralian. Let’s take a comparable company – I’ll pick SP AusNet (the company that owns and operates the Victorian electricity transmission network). The executives in this company earn between $470,000 and >$2,000000.
Perhaps Telstra is more to your taste. Executive salaries (fixed remuneration only) range from $650,000 to $2,000,000.
How about Austar? The top 5 executives receive total remuneration between $1.1million and $2.2million.
Perhaps the NBN executives should ask for a pay rise? 😉
Do I have to concentrate..or can I play music 🙂 This is one that someone played for me a Christmas or so ago..
Yes but Bacchus, Telstra has a product to sell.
You may be right about the salaries but 34 executives does seem a large number for the size of the company.
It would be much better if all this was not so secret.
Richard Glover, some time commentator, has suddenly found international status.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/06/09/silly-nazi-hijinks-lets-tattoo-deniers-for-the-grandchildren/#more-41154
“t would be much better if all this was not so secret.”
Does not appear to be secret. The facts are across the media.
Neil, are you saying those executives that build a new massive shopping centre cannot expect salaries until the shops are let and are paying rent.
Building a big complex takes skills and ability. A mining executive receives a sizable income planning mines that may take a decade before earning money.
It is important that those building NBNCo project get it right. It is a big technological project that is using the latest technology available. It will serve us well far into the future.
Do you people ever think before you write?
Cu, Neil of Sydney is best ignored. T-r-o-l-l.
http://www.broadbandexpert.com.au/broadband-news/broadband-news/wozniak-claims-nbn-is-a-good-model_773383
According to reports Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple has dubbed the National Broadband Network in Australia as a great model, which other countries should follow.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/national-broadband-network-a-huge-boost-to-landing-the-25-billion-ska-project-says-csiro/story-e6frfro0-1226072407234
FORGET about how quickly you can download porn, the real reason the NBN is awesome is because it may make the world’s biggest radio telescope network a reality.
Dr Brian Boyle of the CSIRO said the fibre-optic broadband network was one of the reasons Australia was suitable to host the $2.5 billion SKA project.
.
I wonder if we should be demanding a new election in NSW. They have been in a couple of months and are shaping up as a bad government.
They cannot get what they want through parliament, in spite of a massive majority.
They have back tracked on legalisation, they considered important for the state economy.
They have fibbed to the electorate and have introduced legalisation they have no mandate for.
Most of all, a new election should be called because I do not like them.
“In their first ten weeks the Coalition has been appalling. They have a large majority in the lower house, and the support of the Christian Democrats and the Shooters and Fishers in the upper house. The Environment Department has been abolished and there have been moves to abolish environmental protection in marine conservation parks. They have reneged on the Solar Bonus Scheme. The ferries are to be privatised. The ability of unions to prosecute negligent employers over workplace injuries has been attacked. And the government will not support moves to redress the woefully inadequate remuneration of workers in the female-dominated community services sector.
But worst of all has been the government’s attack on public sector workers, the Industrial Relations Amendment (Public Sector Conditions of Employment) Bill 2011. John Robertson, the former head of Unions NSW and now Opposition Leader, has rightly described the changes as “worse than WorkChoices”. Others have made comparisons with the attacks in Wisconsin in the USA…………
http://enpassant.com.au/?p=10419
“Neil of Sydney is best ignored. T-r-o-l-l.”
After saying I should be ignored you then post two links which i guess you want me to read.
i will give the ALP some credit when they do something useful.
Your two links are giving credit to the ALP for something that has not even been built yet.
Why don’t you wait until it is built and then you can say how wonderful it is.
A bit like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House..nobody said it was going to be wonderful until after it was built.
Really Min?? If so that is news to me. I did hear about cost blowouts re: Opera House. i never heard anyone say what you just said.
I have noticed all the ALP has to do is to announce that they will do something in the year 2025 and you lot start acting like giggling schoolgirls.
How about we wait until the NBN is at least partially functioning before we start giving credit.
I reckon the NBN is already a fantastic success, it kept Abbott out of the top job yeah!
Neil, I suppose I have a bit of an advantage in that youngest daughter who is completing her PhD at UQ has been using super-fast broadband for a number of years. Institutions such as universities cannot complete without it.
Good point luna 😀
“Institutions such as universities cannot complete without it.”
Well if they already have it why do we need to build it??
I do not think anyone is saying that broadband is a bad idea. Is it worth spending who knows what for perhaps a small increase in speed compared to something much cheaper??
By the way the regional areas of Australia would have had broadband by now if Howard had been re-elected.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEL_Networks
“OPEL Networks Pty Limited was a telecommunications provider that was to establish wholesale broadband services in regional areas of Australia in the form of WiMAX and ADSL2+ via a network of DSLAMs. The network was also to include terrestrial and undersea backhaul. The project is now defunct.”
Conroy abolished this as soon as Labor was elected.
Because only the top universities can afford it – hence the reason that the rollout on the mainland started with New England..that’s where the university is.
“Really Min?? If so that is news to me. I did hear about cost blowouts re: Opera House. I never heard anyone say what you just said.”
Yes Neil, you are correct. there was so much misinformation, that Labor was deposed. The Coalition completed an inferior building that I do not recall saving much money, The Coalition insulted the architect so badly that he left the country.
Millions are being spent to correct the changes the Coalition made at that time. Given time the building will be the wonder that it should have been from the beginning.
The result is, in spite of the Coalitions action is a wonderful building that sells Sydney and enhances the harbour. I do not think there would be a person alive today would say money was wasted.
You mentioned UQ not UNE. And UNE is not a top University
But I make the point again. We may be able to get something similar to the NBN but costing 10 times less for only a small reduction in speed.
And the regional areas of Australia would have had broadband by now but Conroy cancelled the contract
Neil, Labor wasted time attempting to put Opel or a similar scheme into place. The simple fact is that there were no takers. Mr. Howard spent a decade and I think up to eight different schemes without no success.
Labor had the guts to face reality and go with a completely new network, that in the long run will be cheaper to run.
Sometimes you can refurbish a building and get a few more years of use. Other times, refurbishing is just waste of money. That is were we are at with our telecommunications. A worn out system that has come to the end of its life.
Neil, no UNE is not a top university it’s a regional one. Are you saying that country kids should have to have inferior tools and equipment than city kids.
I wonder if Neil thinks before he writes. I attended two uni’s. Western Sydney and Macquarie. I give my tick to Western Sydney.
The snobbery at Macquarie was sickening.
Just returned from regional NSW where I visited an Electrical Appliance store. I was saying to a local how happy I am having a high speed optic fibre connection back home.
This guy said “yes well, we will all have one soon”
My reply “Not if you vote Liberal you won’t”.
It’s well known that Abbott thinks things like policies, financial planning and climate change are bullshit. So it is his own pigheaded ideas that will keep him out of the top job.
Ain’t kama a bitch.
Tim Dunlop in The Drum.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2752402.html#social_bookmarking
Is it my imagination or did Mr. Abbott look a little uncomfortable yesterday, down that mine.
CU, and I went to Southern Cross Uni in Lismore..likewise a big tick.
Oh Neil, I forgot, Mr. Howard’s many schemes left Telstra in charge.
Neil,
OPEL was crap from the beginning – we’ve been over this before (like just about everything else you ever raise). Talk about cost blowouts – the cost of OPEL increased by 60% before the contract was awarded (but after tenders had closed). Initially it was to use public spectrum (competing for “air-time” with other uses), and would never have reached anywhere near the claimed population base it was contracted to do. Another excellent example of a wasteful Howard government failure…
“for only a small reduction in speed”
Now I know you have no idea what you’re on about (surprise, surprise 🙄 ) 12Mbps (max, not average or committed) is more than a ” small reduction” when compared with a network initially capable of 100Mbps, but already able to be upgraded to 10 times that speed without changing the medium…
“Neil, Labor wasted time attempting to put Opel or a similar scheme into place.”
They made no attempt to put Opel into place. They cancelled the contract because it would have competed with their own scheme which they then cancelled as well.
This new NBN was then dreamed up on the back of a postage stamp on some plane flight.
By the way Min I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I doubt the NBN was started in Armidale because UNE was there. You may be right but it is Windsors electorate and he may have had some say.
“we’ve been over this before”
Bacchus. I do not believe your points. We will never know because Labor cancelled the OPEL contract. And forgive me if I think the current ALP knows anything about anything.
Neil, that furphy has been repeated ad nauseam across the wingnut blogs since the election – fact is though, the decision to roll out in Armidale was made BEFORE the election (and hence before any balance of power or support of independents was even thought of.)…
Eddie, thank you for the link to Tim Dunlop. Of interest to a number of us here and at GT is that Tim linked to Blogocracy…good grief Midweek Meltdown. Where we weren’t allowed to discuss politics!!!
I am not against broadband but i wish the ALP was not building it. Their original election promise was to cost $4.7B and be built over 5 years which means they have one year left to fulfill their election promise.
Sorry Min – this “debate” is clogging up the Media Watch thread with a non-Media Watch topic. Neil, how about we take this over to the Midweek Momentum thread or maybe Min will have a weekend thread up soon 🙂
Gee ta Bacchus, and here was I thinking that I should get some housework done 😉
A woman’s work is never done 😆
Now yet another reason why Murdoch should not get the government news contract.
Met confirms it is considering new inquiry into ‘NOTW’
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/met-confirms-it-is-considering-new-inquiry-into-notw-2295561.html
The latest information in the papers, include hacking to find bank accounts of Kate (the latest royal) and numerous MPs, also information from intelligence organisations .
And to think that an ex NOTW editor was the one time press guy to PM Cameron.
I hope that you like it Bacchus 🙂 It’s indepth and full of insight into the current political situation.
Neil, please do not insult us with your old tired rumours or made up stories.
Mr. Rudd took Mr. Conroy along with him to New Guinea, I think it was to discuss the final draft of the NBN Co. The plan was near completion at that time. It was not hatched on a plane flight.
The plan that the government dumped was similar to Opel. It was dumped after private enterprise showed little interest. If you recall. Telstra put in a very poor offer. Telstra wanted all or nothing.
What we are getting is state of the art that will stand us in good stead as long as copper wire has, yesterday’s technology.
Neil, that is your main problem at the moment, that Labor is building it and not the Coalition.
Mr. Abbott needs it to be a failure, as well all the Labor government does, for him to be a success. He cares not for fact that if Labor fails, the whole country suffers. All he cares for is his obsession with taking his rightful place as PM.
If you look through history, federal and state, it is Labor that has the imagination and guts to build the big exciting projects.
If the two arms of Telstra were separated, we might have reached this stage years ago.
I will be very glad when Telstra has their hand out of my pocket.
CU, the NBN cannot by definition be a failure as it will deliver COMMUNICATION…but then who knows, the Murdoch press was able to make a failure out of nothing more than school halls. I felt like screaming..it’s a school hall..school halls = GOOD.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdoch_3/?twi
Thanks, Eddie! One small thing we can do is to get that address distributed as widely as possible.
Min, yes we all despair about Murdoch’s influence here. He’s just as powerful elsewhere in the world. Eddie’s suggestion above is one constructive thing we can do, meanwhile satire helps a bit! In a rhymed exchange at the Political Sword, some of which I’d posted here, Talk Turkey came up with this description
Biggger than Walmart, bigger than Myers,
Friend of Bush’s, Howard’s, Bliar’s,
He whom Zion most admires,
He who pulls all global wires,
He to whom all power aspires,
He who bigger fish to fry has,
He whom none has been as sly as,
He whom none can fly as high as,
What I can’t work out is why has
God not lit his funeral pyres?
Oh – Rupert’s bought God’s heavenly choirs!
I hope my own conclusion is proved wrong.
Don’t hope for this to change if he expires.
He will survive. Just look how well he sires.
Yes! Know, this man who built these press empires
Plans to be the first whom not even death retires.
Patricia, Pip has put the link up on Migs’ Facebook group Australians for an Honest Media so that is a wonderful initiative of Pip’s.
Another day another Murdoch mess emerging.
Lawyers stifle another attempt to discover Mulcaire’s legal funding
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jun/10/glenn-mulcaire-medialaw
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/12/phone-hacking-rupert-murdoch-news-international
Another one about Rubert,Sue.
Eddie thanks for the link. I hope that someone in our government is watching this appalling story of the Murdoch press in action in the UK. I also wonder if the full story will get out.
Last night I was watching 9 news and in the cross promo “news story” on gillard/mathieson. There was a question to Tim on the personal attacks on Julia, his response was that he was he didn’t like the disrespect to the office of Prime Minister.
Now I looked at 60 minutes and to my observation that part of the interview was cut.
Am I wrong?
This article is worth reading.
Fair and balanced discourse – is that what we want?
http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/06/13/Fair-and-balanced-discourse-is-that-what-we-want.aspx
http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/anti-news-unlimited-continues-campaign-against-gillard/
news ltd paywall,lol.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20070714-1/chrome-extension-allows-users-to-hop-wsjs-paywall/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Hey we bloggers are journos in pyjamas 😀
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/?spref=fb
U beat me at posting this Min.
It’s a good one isn’t it Eddie. Hands up who pleads guilty of blogging in pyjamas 😀
Min, my hands are neatly folded 🙄
You sleep in the raw too Pip 😀
hands up
I notice that none of the blokes have owned up yet…
I used to snooze naked, reclining on my grape leaves, but that offended King Rat at the Gutter, so I put on a few leaves and jumped up on my barrel 😆
I thought that was a rather sexy pose Bacchus..you should come to a blog with more wimmens 🙂
Wimmens 😯 – I have enough problems with them already…
Bacchus:
Scary stuff…
Interesting view on blogging and the media.
”
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/?spref=fb
Humans are not far removed from apes, yet it’s hard to know if this is kindness or curiosity.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002745/Incredible-moment-orangutan-saved-abandoned-duckling-drowning.html
This article appeared to be Statistically Significant to me.
Even though grodo has googled frenetically for that missing link of his.
TomR I have decided to give up discussing climate change, unless it’s directly on topic with the post.
The divisive nature of the debate and the general weariness from ‘climate change fatigue’ has left me mentally exhausted.
On this particular subject let’s agree to disagree on whether the world is warming or cooling, it’s academic and we all know how you struggle…
el gordo, that is a very wise decision. Now you can spend your energy joining in on discussions on other worthy subjects. Good luck.
‘I have decided to give up discussing climate change’
YAAAAY!!!
Denial (not Dissent) Silenced!!
Yayyy!! Let’s Party!!
A plug for a member of Migs’ “Australians for an Honest Media” Facebook group..Bob Gosford. Fantastic pics Bob! http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2011/06/14/of-welsh-born-women-and-arnhem-born-men-the-pm-goes-to-yirrkala/
Just been looking at the Lateline interview with Ms. Julie Bishop. Ms. Bishop did not answer one question put to her. She was asked continually what was the Coalition stance on many issues.
On cigarette advertising. Accusing the Labor minister of sending a letter six years ago is infantile. No money was received at this time.
On what they would do about the Malaysia solution. Would they bring the people back.
On Mr. Reith and the state of the Liberal Party..
On the cattle bans to Indonesia. Whether she agrees the MLA should pay compensation.
We have know idea of what they would do on anything.
As for the live cattle bans, I believe it is the cattle producers responsibility to fix this problem. If they want to export, it is up to them to ensure the industry is up to standard, not the government. The fact that the cattle growers paid a levy backs up my argument.
Ms. Bishop had a lot to say, but in reality said nothing.
The interviewer did ask her more than once to answer the questions. Ms. Bishop continued to ramble on with her tripe.
If this is the interview CU I have to agree that JB handled herself like a professional politician.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3243888.htm
Very professional, that if you are not interested in what the Opposition stands for and what they intend to do if voted in.
I believe it would have been much harder for her to answer the reasonable questions asked.
She had nothing new to say and what she is saying is becoming a little boring and a little out of date.
It looks like Nick Minchin’s family no longer needs him, as he now wants to be the president. In a years time that is. So with the support of Minchin’s faction, the current president gets his support for the next year. I suppose we will all then be singing ………
“It’s just a step to the right”
Nick Minchin denies deal over Liberal Party presidency
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/nick-minchin-denies-deal-over-liberal-party-presidency/story-fn59niix-1226075503424
A bit more on the phone hacking case. It appears the police and phone companies disagree on who was responsible for not telling the victims. This story appears, while in the next couple of days Murdoch will seize even more power in UK media.
Phone firms dispute Met’s hacking role
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/phone-firms-dispute-mets-hacking-role-2297518.html
Jeremy Hunt to shun Murdoch party ahead of Sky announcement
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/14/jeremy-hunt-murdoch-sky-deal
The nonsense being whipped up by Tony Abbott on the carbon tax scare campaign underlines just how easy it is to stir up the not so intelligent voter.
The real scare campaign is that we have a political leader who is prepared to take this irresponsible path to win political power.
Has anyone got any news on Hurley and Windschuttle,their contract with the ABC Board finished Y’day?
Hi Eddie. I read recently that Windsbluster wasn’t renewing his contract but I can’t find it now.. I’ll have another look.
luna_lava Agreed. I have a sense that Abbott’s scare campaign is a big factor in low consumer confidence spending on retail and higher levels of personal savings to hedge against all the feared cost increases and likely unemployment.
Mr. Abbott’s campaign of gloom and doom must be having an effect on how people see the future in Australia,
His continual down playing of what ever Labor does, cannot promote confidence in the people.
In the distant past, an Opposition that behaved in such a manner would have accused of talking down the economy.
That is what he is doing. Mr. Abbott by offering no policies of his own is adding to this doom.
You only have to see the glee on Mr. Abbott’s face and those of his party anytime bad figures are produced.
Mr. Abbott does not care or understand, it is the people, not the government that pays the price for his destructive actions.
I am not saying we have never had it better, but the truth is, at this time, we are not doing too bad.
I see one of our biggest problems being the lack of and extreme cost of housing, especially for the lower income earners. This is not being addressed by either party.
It is the people who have to pay high rents for over priced housing that are struggling the most.
We need to look at the politics of the last couple of decades of governments withdrawing from providing public housing and stop as the are going, providing subsidies instead. It has not worked.
The market cannot and does not meet the needs of the low income earners when it comes to housing. Only governments can provide affordable rents and more important, stable housing.
What was ignored by those who oppose government housing, is that by doing so they increase th housing stock, taking pressures off the rest of the markets.
All the present system of providing subsidies increase the rents by the same amount.
I am not saying we should go back to the old system of housing estates, that would be disastrous. I not even saying the government should build the houses. A little imagination will come up with new ideas.
What other reason can anytone find for people lack of confidence in the economy, when all the figures are good.
A message for Patricia WA, the Doc Martens and Roxon comes from an interview, check the web. The story form 1992 and before Stott Despoja made them famous.
This AAP story carried by Murdoch and Fairfax. So why, if pay walls go up, would you buy 2 on line publications?.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/communications-minister-stephen-conroy-meowed-at-during-nbn-grilling-20110616-1g5lc.html
http://www.news.com.au/technology/stephen-conroy-questioned-over-nbns-mike-quigley-cops-a-meow-from-julian-mcgauran/story-e6frfro0-1226076660374
Thanks, Sue. No luck with a picture though!.
Senator McGauran will be gone from the Senate in a few more days, and it won’t be a minute too soon.
So much for Ms. Bishop being conerned for the poor.
“BILLIONAIRE mining magnate Gina Rinehart flew Coalition MPs, including the Liberal Party’s deputy leader Julie Bishop and Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, to take part in a sumptuous three day-wedding of a prominent Indian industrialist in Hyderabad.
Ms Rinehart took the Canberra delegation by private jet to a Reddy family wedding earlier this week. The Reddy family company, infrastructure behemoth GVK, is seeking a controlling stake in coal mines owned by the Hancock group.
Reports suggest the transaction could be worth more than $2 billion.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gina-rinehart-flew-mps-to-india-for-lavish-wedding-20110616-1g5zf.html#ixzz1PSCBlhAm
http://www.theage.com.au/national/gina-rinehart-flew-mps-to-india-for-lavish-wedding-20110616-1g5zf.html
CU are there any wedding pictures. Did Gina wear her pearls, gee whiz maybe Julie Bishop wore her pearls too.
And poor old Tony and Scott went to Nauru, were they left off the wedding list?
Why on earth was Barnaby Joyce needed at an Indian wedding…… 🙄
‘Why on earth was Barnaby Joyce needed at an Indian wedding’
Apparently they needed someone to stand in as the embarrassing drunk Uncle?
Tom…love it 😀
I think Gina wants a business deal. You would not think she would be there for any other reason. Ms. Bishop wants closer ties with India. Is Gina in uranium??? as well as iron ore and asbestos.
Remember her father had no sympathy for the people who lost their lives in his blue asbetos mine, as someone had to dig it up.
CU, absolutely guaranteed..Gina does nothing unless there is a dollar in it….
Truth is not as exciting as MSM reports.
“Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says he and other cabinet members have been involved in direct discussions with their Indonesian counterparts over the future of live cattle exports.
Coalition MPs have demanded Mr Rudd take control of the issue as pressure mounts on the government to resume exports as quickly as possible.
There is also criticism the Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig has not been to Indonesia to see for himself conditions inside abattoirs slaughtering Australian cattle.
The government has suspended live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months, pending an independent review of the supply chain and operating practices in abattoirs there.
Mr Rudd said effective engagement with Indonesia did not need to be conducted on the ground in Jakarta.
He referred to discussions he had with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa during a conference they were both attending in Europe.
“We discussed this matter thoroughly,” Mr Rudd told ABC Television on Friday.
Australian trade and agriculture ministers had been in direct contact with their counterparts and the embassy in Jakarta was involved in discussions with local officials.
“We do business with each other all the time on the phone and that’s as we have always done it,” Mr Rudd said.
“We will manage this one through, although there will be some challenges on the way.”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9657397/were-talking-to-jakarta-on-cattle-rudd/“
Is the PM incompetent or is she too tough.
“A federal Liberal MP has accused the mining industry of allowing itself to be “pussy-whipped” by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, according to media reports.
Don Randall made the comment during a Friends of Mining lunch at Parliament House on Wednesday, which was attended by about 50 coalition MPs and senators, the West Australian newspaper said on Friday.
After hearing from the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Simon Bennison and Cazaly Resources executive Clive Jones, Mr Randall rose to berate the industry for being too nice to Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and lacking fight against the federal government over its planned mining tax.
“The problem is that the mining industry is being pussy-whipped by Julia Gillard,” the WA MP told guests, according to witnesses.”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9657766/mps-says-miners-pussy-whipped-by-pm/
Ms. Bishop’s slant.
“Mr Randall told the newspaper it was “a tongue-in-cheek type comment”.
“I’m not denying it. It’s a term that’s often used and I use it as well,” he said.
Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, who attended the lunch, said she was not offended by Mr Randall’s remark.
“I took it that he was talking about males who cower in the face of dominant women,” she told the West Australian.”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9657766/mps-says-miners-pussy-whipped-by-pm/
When you discuss important and grave matters, should yo be smiling for the benefit of the press.
“Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has denied reports he is plotting a return to The Lodge, amid media claims of “screaming matches” with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast after taking part in the CEO Sleepout in Melbourne last night, Mr Rudd said reports of a feud with Ms Gillard were a “fabrication” and urged those involved in speculation to “take a mogadon”.
News Limited newspapers have carried photographs of Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard, both grim-faced, walking into the Cabinet room for a private discussion, and the Canberra Times has reported Mr Rudd wants to be prime minister again.
And The Australian says there are Canberra “rumours” of screaming matches between the pair in the past 24 hours.
Mr Rudd said the Cabinet room meeting had focused on the suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia.
“That’s what the conversations were about, so I think people are in a bit of frenetic overdrive at the moment. I think they should all just calm down,” he said.
“What the Prime Minister and I were discussing yesterday at some length was the challenges we face with Indonesia over live cattle and how we move that forward.”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9657890/take-a-mogadon-theres-no-feud-rudd/
CU @ 10.10am..Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says he and other cabinet members have been involved in direct discussions with their Indonesian counterparts…and then…Coalition MPs have demanded Mr Rudd take control of the issue.
Is it just me, or isn’t that what Rudd is telling them. He has been involved in direct discussions with Indonesia. Doesn’t that actually mean that he is taking control.
Who do we believe?
“Immigration Minister Chris Bowen also sought to play down the rift, saying the photographs had been “overanalysed”.
“I see them working closely together, cooperatively on the matters of national interest of the day. I’ve seen that first hand, close up,” he told AM.
“I work closely with Kevin Rudd obviously as Immigration Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister. We work closely on many matters in conjunction with the Prime Minister and I see a very good cordial and professional working relationship.”
The claims of a rift come after a Labor Party snub to Mr Rudd, who has not been invited to address the Queensland ALP conference tomorrow in his own electorate.
Ms Gillard will be the keynote speaker at the conference.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has bought into the imbroglio, saying “If the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister can’t have a constructive relationship then we are in trouble”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9657890/take-a-mogadon-theres-no-feud-rudd/
Seven is not a site I visit much. I must say their coverage today is unusually balanced.
I do not know how a party is allowed to go around the country spreading lies and mis-information, without being challenged.
The gloom and doom he is spreading is leading to people feeling that it is unsafe to spend and the sky is about to fall in. I do hope he is happy if we enter a recession as a result of his actions.
Should Mr. Abbott be named Dr. Doom or Dr. Gloom.
His actions are making me feel very depressed and blue.
I cannot see any good coming out of this man’s mouth.
A question directed to Mr. Rudd yesterday would have cleared the matter up.
I suggest they know that he was talking to the appropriate people from Indonesia, in Europe, and his answer would have marred a good allegations on their part.
Catching up @ 1.40am. I wonder will Bishop and Joyce report to Parliament on their gift of a trip from Gina Hancock.
Failure to launch: Rupert’s people go by the book.
by Bruce Guthrie
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2761880.html
When I successfully sued Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited last year and then wrote a book that, in part, recounted the victory, a publishing colleague warned me of what he called ‘the Putin effect’.
It was one thing to be cut adrift by the Russian strongman, but inevitably all those who wanted to curry favour with him would do the same.
Which brings me to the Melbourne Press Club.
News Ltd’s Herald and Weekly Times “kick in” around $10,000.00 a year to the Melbourne Press Club, and it seems they weren’t interested in launching Mr. Guthrie’s book Man Bites Murdoch. After all he did sue them, and win the Court case.
Pip @ 1.44
thanks for the link. And to think Murdoch wants even more power in Australia.
According to the UK press invites to Murdoch’s summer party are not sought after.
Ms. Bishop did say she went to India. She used the fact to have a go at Rudd.
Now I do not recall that she said who paid for the trip. I
t has to be on a register, but that is not the same as thanking Gina in parliament.
Catching up – have you see this comment, or even the original article in the Australian.
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/06/16/the-funniest-least-self-aware-thing-weve-ever-read-in-the-australian/#more-10599.
Mind blowing hypocrisy seems to come naturally to Tony Abbott and the Coalition. Seeing this sort self justification in the media explains why so few journalists are challenging Abbott. They have the same capacity for self justification as the very parties they should be criticising.
Further to Barnaby and India…A bit of a non-story from Crikey actually, wow a whole $2,000…
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/06/17/two-grand-for-barnabys-mind-blowing-india-epic-with-gina/
Just a note, but why pray tell is Barnaby Joyce always labelled ‘a renegade’..when was the last time that Senator Joyce rebelled against anything….
patriciawa and Catching up.
The ltd news minions must have very long lunches…and lots of alcohol to come up with such rubbish.
Min @ 2.35pm, “Joyce used his Parliamentary study entitlement for the return leg from Kuala Lumpur”.
Just WHAT was he studying??
Pip, what you do is you rush back and you ask a staffer to write up a report.
During my time as an elected rep and time on the EPA I recall a fun filled week in Canberra which consisted of a lot of alcohol. Staffers do wonders writing up reports to describe which you did/should have/can’t quite remember..but anyway, here’s the Report.
Min @ 3.33pm, thank you, that sounds about right….
I knew that you would appreciate it Pip 😀
They’ve all gone to the dogs now.
Fairfax has joined the club where simply quoting another “news” outlet is enough to write a full page of rubbish.
Rudd backs Gillard, fuels speculation
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/rudd-backs-gillard-fuels-speculation-20110617-1g6jm.html
Kevin Rudd has fuelled leadership speculation only days out from the anniversary of his dumping as prime minister, but insists Julia Gillard will take Labor to the next election.
What Mr. Rudd said was, everyone should “pop a Mogadon”. Yep, that’s really fuelling speculation.
Fairfax based their story on “newspaper reports”.
Newspaper reports suggested that prior to the sleepout he and the prime minister had engaged in a “tense” meeting in Canberra over her handling of the live cattle export issue and relations with Indonesia.
and these clowns wonder why they’re losing money….
Does anyone know the name of the bunny in charge of Federal Labor media management? Is there anyone doing this job? Maybe a good looking relative?
I have watched a constant stream of media disasters under both the Rudd and Gillard governments and just don’t understand how they can so consistently get it wrong.
Sure they are facing mainstream media bias including a conservative party dominated ABC.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/18/3247227.htm
So we face the prospect of an ultra right wing government because the government are hopeless media managers.
CU on June 17, 2011 at 10:24 am
“The gloom and doom he (Abbott) is spreading is leading to people feeling that it is unsafe to spend and the sky is about to fall in. I do hope he is happy if we enter a recession as a result of his actions.”
Of course he will be happy, he can then turn around and blame Labor. It’s a tried and effective tactic.
Lunalava, that link is purely media speculation and there is not a single scrap that the government can do about this sort of speculation. To me it is clear that all ministers will have work to do – they cannot guarantee that Press Releases are going to be even read by journalists much less reported on accurately. They are going to have to do what Combet has been doing – get out there and sell it.
Hi Luna..I note that you’re now a little horse. Apologies for the dreadful joke.
Want to know how Gina is getting her money’s worth out of her investment in Channel 10, seeing as Bolt doesn’t seem to be even beating Insiders on Sunday mornings? Try George Negus at 6:30 – I happened to catch this yesterday and could barely believe the demolition job based on misrepresentations and innuendo and minus any facts. Watch it here if you dare:
http://ten.com.au/630pm-with-george-negus.htm?movideo_p=44087&movideo_m=113392
It’s the “High stakes for Labor” story from 17/06/2011 if it doesn’t automatically start… Unbelievable!
Bacchus, it’s times such as these that I’m glad that I’m hearing impaired.
“Just how manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced is the media in this country?”
Well the media beat up about the so called Gillard – Rudd leadership tension is going to be a free hit for the opposition.
This will be the new “Pink Batts” beat up which they can ride all the way to the next election.
WTF are the Labor media team doing?
PS got a new Gravatar (globally recognized avatar) it’s a brown dog, kinda like the black dog but less depressed.
Sorry luna..I have a way of putting foot in mouth sometimes..well actually often..
Just my prediction but Abbott is going to be stale news once the Greens take over the Senate. The media do it over and over and over..they’re very predictable. They have already had at least 4 goes it this – speculation over the leadership. What’s the bet that after July then the media will start speculating over the Abbott leadership.
Yes Min, I got the impression the Labor team were hanging in there until after the new Senate in July. Maybe also waiting for the Howard ABC appointees to move out. This is the “if we do nothing then it will change” approach – a very poor strategy.
The camel driver may have a plan but so too does the camel.
More on the Phone Hacking Saga, from the UK.
Privacy Commission Day 3, Witness 2: Hugh Grant
——————————————————————————–
The PM Privacy Commission spoke to the actor Hugh Grant on Wednesday June 15, 2011. The commissioners are Sir Michael Lyons, Lord Faulks QC and Baroness Liddell.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/pmprivacy-hugh-grant.shtml
Please note the PM programme, BBC Radio 4, must be credited if any part of these transcripts are used.
NB: These transcripts were typed from a recording and not copied from original scripts.
Because of the possibility of mis-hearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, the BBC cannot vouch for their accuracy.
Hugh Grant began his long account with this:-
HG: Well, yes as you said I’m Hugh Grant, I’m an actor and you know my interest in this is that I see….you know I’m a fan of our Bill of Human Rights imported finally via Europe but which is now part of our constitution and in it as I’m sure you’ve discussed as nauseam are enshrined two very basic. One freedom of speech, very, very important and the other a basic right to privacy and there’s been a lot of moaning recently particularly from the tabloid press about incursions onto their freedom of speech via these injunctions on privacy. And I just occasionally like to pop my head out of the parapet and make the point that although its freedom of speech is very important and although if broadsheet newspapers were complaining about infringements on their freedom of speech I’d be applauding them. It is worth saying that when tabloid newspapers do it then their motive is nothing to do with freedom of speech; their motive is to do with profit and money because they’re use of other people’s privacy, their…..what I describe as their theft of other’s people’s privacy which has been on in an industrial scale for some time now and winked at by successive government who need the tabloids to get elected and waved through by some not entirely straight coppers, has I think infringed people’s privacy very badly and I think people just need to know that when tabloids are complaining about injunctions etc infringing freedom of speech, what they’re actually complaining about is loss of profit.
More from Hugh Grant’s evidence to the Privacy Commission, Day 3.
Re:- his phone being hacked and his interest in the protection of personal privacy and getting the right balance with the rights of the press and freedom of speech.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/pmprivacy-hugh-grant.shtml
ML: Is it possible for you to personalise this, are there experiences that you’ve had that you feel have been direct intrusions into your privacy.
HG: Well there have been too many really to list Michael but you know, only the other day I ended up in hospital in the middle of the night not feeling very good and you know the details of this, all the details were in the Sun. And clearly there was someone on the payroll at the hospital that I went to, you know, dishing this information out. And it’s not the first time it’s happened to me, it happened to me at the Charing Cross hospital a number of years ago. And you know, the more you read about this sort of stuff, if you read you know “Flat Earth News” etc you realise that in all these major institutions that we think you trust be it hospitals, or the DVLA or British Telecom or whatever there are moles paid off by the tabloids to give out people’s private details. And so, yeah, I mean that would be one example but I mean there are just many in my life, thousands…I’ve had my phone hacked, that’s now been admitted by a particular News of The World journalist who I bumped into under weird circumstances which I wrote about in the New Statesman. And I know that also because I had the Information Commissioner round about 6 years ago telling me that all my details were in the notebooks of a private detective they’d arrested but the Information Commissioner was behaving strangely at that time and when I said well who’s he working for – and he said well it looks from his notes like he’s working for most of the British newspapers. And I said what are you going to do about it? And he said well hang on, we’ll come back to you and he never did. But subsequently, I have had the police around, just recently. The new police, the better police, the new team at the Met who are investigating the News of the World phone hacking – Operation Weeting – and they showed me you know terrifying notes from Mulcaire, the private detective who had bugged my phone and knew unbelievable details about friends, family, where they lived, my bank account details etc etc. And as I said I don’t often come out of my trench but I am outraged by this and not only on my own behalf. Obviously a lot of this comes from personal grievance but I also I think, it’s fair to say care about the country. I’m quite proud of this country I’m proud of the strange system of checks and balances that we’ve had for many years that crate a pretty fair democracy that we can be proud of and I think that this is a big glitch in that Heath Robinson mechanism and it needs to be put right and people need to know that it won’t be put right by our present breed of politicians who unfortunately do need the tabloid press to get elected more than they need to stand up for what’s good and right and dignified for this country.
Hugh Grant’s final words strike to the heart of the dilemna here in Australia
not over phone hacking, but with the very deliberate efforts to overthrow this government.
“TOO SCARED TO CROSS THE TABLOID PRESS.
ML: Well let me, let me then give you a final chance. As if speaking directly to the audience of the PM…..
HG: Oh sorry, there is one, sorry I have thought of one thing I’d like to say
ML: Yes do, do…please.
HG: I’d just like to make it clear; I actually think there is a role, or has been a role for tabloid papers, popular papers. I mean the Daily Mirror, for…in particular used to be quite an impressive crusading paper, umm standing up for the rights of ummm you know the less privileged and I think one of the most objectionable things about what papers like that have become is their betrayal of that and really of their betrayal of journalism and of, of, of what we expect from a British Newspaper. We don’t want toadying and ummm, you know sucking up to celebrities at all that would be a bit American, it would be a bit boring. Nor do we want incredibly serious ummm New York Times journalism, it’s good that our journalism is more colourful. But um, the criminal theft of people’s privacy – not just rich people – is a great wrong that this country should put right and which as I keep saying successive administrations have not put right for the simple reason they are too scared to cross the tabloid press which they need for their re-election. And it would just be wonderful if suddenly some prime minister came along with the guts to do that but I see no sign of it.
Luna, so nice to see you’ve changed persona.
Leftoids are barrackers!
Here is a good news story for the govt. The problem though is that not to the end of the piece does:
1. the government get credit for good reform
2. the ministers name is mentioned
3. unless you go to the govt website, you are not told when the reforms begin.
Time for more press releases.
Loopholes closes on finance shonks
http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/finance-shonks-crunch-time/story-e6freqmx-1226077382458
I’m amazed! From the Daily Telegraph and Paul Howes and Peter Van Onselen…http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/the-sunday-debate-is-julia-gillard-terminal/story-e6frezz0-1226077699036
Howes:
Van Onselen:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/its-a-load-of-hot-air-the-coal-lobby-is-mining-for-favourable-treatment-20110619-1g9z0.html
A campaign of death threats against against a group of scientists, orchestrated by the Liberal Party, I would have though the government would have been on the front foot demanding Abbott denounce this kind of outrageous behaviour.
Nah, the Prime Minister sits in her office wringing her hands, wondering why the polls are so bad.
Today at parliament house “Scientists to Meet Parliamentarians”
Tony Abbott is not meeting the scientists, nor is his deputy Julie Bishop, we move down the front bench to we come to, yes, Sophie Mirabella.
Abbott has time for the Dalai Lama, but not Australian Scientists.
Sue, from scientist daughter no Abbott has never visited their research facility..but he has time to fluff around in lycra. According to Abbott’s religion the Dalai Lama will rot in hell.
Tony Abbott demands a plebescite costing millions of dollars over Carbon Tax.
Tony Abbott states if the plebescite says no then the Government must honour the plebescite.
Tony Abbott states if the plebiscite syas yes then he will not agree to honour the plebiscite.
Democracy Tony Abbott style. Only if it supports my own opinions and stances on policy is it acceptable.
What a disgraceful example of a person who is acting like a dictator.
Shane, for starters a plebiscite is non-binding which compares with a referendum.
A plebiscite is a bit like a poll in that it gauges issues but not law. Even if Abbott gets his plebiscite, it’s just a poll. Abbott can grandstand about a plebiscite says this or that that this is the will of the people, but it isn’t going to change a thing.
Min
I know a plebiscite is not binding. I was merely pointing out the hypocrisy of Tony Abbott.
Shane, but who would realise that a plebiscite is not binding..nuffin’ from Abbott’s grandstanding. It’s the same as saying I Demand A Poll. How stupid is that..I demand a poll, it’s going to cost umpteen million..
So when violence is done to a climate scientist by some nut job, who will be to blame:
1. MSM for the beat up;
2. Abbott for inciting it;
3. Gillard /AFP for not doing enough; or
4. All of the above.
Could somebody give me a link which says a plebiscite is not binding?
a plebiscite is not binding
https://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/media-watch-vii/#comment-27417
🙂
http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/referendums/Advisory_Referendums/index.htm
News Ltd. journalist Greg Sheridan has had a wrap over the knuckles from the APC, and that is a good thing as he is supposedly a respected senior journalist.
Respect is about much more then just seniority.
http://mumbrella.com.au/the-australian-columnist-sherdian-found-guilty-of-using-unfair-language-to-describe-asylum-seekers-49631
The Australian columnist Sheridan found guilty of unfair language to describe asylum seekers
Australia’s journalism watchdog has upheld a complaint against The Australian’s columnist Greg Sheridan over his use of the term “illegals” to describe asylum seekers arriving in the country by boat. The newspaper also has a further complaint upheld that Sheridan had misrepresented a parliamentary hearing on the issue.
Although the APC has not published the finding on its own website at the time of posting, The Australian has published the adjudication today.
According to the APC, the complaints related to three opinion pieces written by Sheridan – a former foreign editor of the newspaper – late last year and earlier this year. The adjudication states: “In all three articles, there are frequent references to refugees arriving in Australia by boat as ‘illegal immigrants’ and ‘illegals’, and use of the expression ‘illegal immigration’ in respect of their arrival in Australia.”
APC guidelines state: “The descriptor “illegal(s) is very often inaccurate and, because it typically connotes criminality, it is unfair.” The APC recommends journalists use the term “asylum seeker”.
Pip on June 20, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Concerning complaints against News Ltd. journalist Greg Sheridan:
“THE Australian Press Council has considered complaints from James Sharp, who objected to a total of three bylined opinion articles by Greg Sheridan in The Australian October 23 and 28, 2010, and March 5, 2011.”
So let’s be clear here, a “journalist” can say whatever they want and many, many months later the self regulator (APC) hits them with a feather.
I always thought self regulation was bad joke.
No wonder journalists can and do, say whatever they want.
Steve, what was I thinking ??
I agree, self regulation is a bad joke, and the report in the Australian had a headline which indicated not much at all really, buried in the Business section.
The damage done from the original use back in October, of ‘illegal’ instead of ‘asylum seeker ‘ cannot be undone, and Sheridan won’t lose a wink of sleep over it.
How disgraceful is the ABC, I refer to their word cloud.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/julia-gillard-first-year/
Which came first the editors of the ABC or the Coalition tactics committee? The word cloud was used today be Julie Bishop in the latest suspension of standing orders.
Now if the ABC ran this on behalf of the Coalition then of course the Coalition had a wonderful opportunity to encourage their supporters to engage with the word cloud.
And of course the word cloud could be seen as supportive of Abbott’s position for having a plebiscite . That particular stunt, a plebiscite, appears to have been something only the Murdoch press and Abbott care about.
I condemn the ABC.
I find the strategy used to manufacture the story and images used in the item “PM Julia Gillard’s first year, in your words” a reprehensible piece of journalism worthy only of a tabloid rag. The fact that it this action, which can only be termed as a school yard stunt, has been perpetrated by Australia’s National Broadcaster makes its publication more perplexing. After looking at the breakdown of the contributors, the outcome should have been obvious and I find it insulting that your organization is asking me to believe that this is an ethical way of manufacturing the daily news. It seems that this division of the ABC has defined its roll as the cheerleader for one side of our National Parliament and because of that the ABC is the poorer.
Sorry, I was so angry that I forgot to say that the comments I made about “PM Julia Gillard’s first year, in your words” was the complaint that I sent to the ABC
Lucy, you will not find many dissenting opinions here. When inundated with the negative, with the illogical it is of course the easy option to stop trying.
“It seems that this division of the ABC has defined its roll as the cheerleader for one side of our National Parliament and because of that the ABC is the poorer.”
You people are incredible. You appear to want the ALP cheer squad (aka your ABC) to be praising the ALP all day long. If anything negative about the ALP is said by the ABC this is somehow wrong.
Most Conservative voters regard the ABC as a taxpayer funded branch of the ALP.
Even on Insiders, Cassidy usually picks one Conservative and two ALP supporters to be on his programme.
You people are soooo biased
‘Lucy, you will not find many dissenting opinions here.’
I agree with that sentence….sigh.
Lucy, Min
“when inundated with the negative”
Yes that is why I feel comfortable in posting at this site. Day after day the MSM attacks the government and lets Abbott get away with absolute rubbish.
So to those who sigh or complain about you people, to fulfill your need to have your views accepted just go to any of the MSM sites to find your friends.
Sue, obviously why the huge increase in alternative media sites..the MSM caters only to the right, and the far right at that. Abbott can make the strangest of statements and there is seldom one commentator in the media prepared to ask him, But how are you going to achieve that? What will that cost?
Make no mistake, conservative scripted comments about a “left-wing” ABC are just part of their scripted agenda to move the ABC further to the right-wing side of politics.
I have seen remarks that start with “You people ….” most often used by people who are bigoted racists (both sides of politics).
Luna. I agree completely. A tried and true bullying tactic. This results in a normal human reaction called self-defence in an effort to prove the accuser wrong. At such times I am reminded of something my late dad used to say: To thine own self be true. On the other hand my dad also used to say, Pffft not worth worrying about 🙂
“I have seen remarks that start with “You people ….” most often used by people who are bigoted racists (both sides of politics).”
Are you calling me a bigoted racist???
You people just cannot stand the ABC saying anything bad about your Lord and Masters- the ALP.
I think voting for the ALP is like a religion. And it is a false religion with false beliefs and false prophets.
“YOU PEOPLE” will not be happy unless the ABC praises the ALP all day long.
And I made my opinion of “YOU PEOPLE” within 5 milliseconds after arriving on Dunlops blog. You use things like Haneef, Refugees, AWB for political purposes.
Neil re US PEOPLE “You use things like Haneef, Refugees, AWB for political purposes.” Perhaps because they’re political issues based on things such as law and the constitution.
Yes indeed you did make your opinion of US PEOPLE within 5 milliseconds after arriving on Tim Dunlop’s blog. I remember it well 🙂
“Perhaps because they’re political issues based on things such as law and the constitution.”
Well i hope so but it is not what I believe at the moment. I think you just used them to bash Howard over the head and managed to convince yourselves that they were human rights issues.
The only way we could find out is to replay the same situations with the ALP in power and doing the same things that Howard did. I think your response would be completely different.
By the way Rudd is now Foreign Minister and has Downers old job. he gave Downer heaps over AWB. he should have access to all the information. Why does he not release the damning evidence???
‘And I made my opinion of “YOU PEOPLE” within 5 milliseconds after arriving on Dunlops blog.’
Yes, he has become renowned for his careful and measured appraisals 🙂
(Playing around with texts and word clouds, eg via http://www.wordle.net , can be fun, depending on the input, and what significance can be attributed to outputs…”You people are soooo biased” soon reveals itself, on this thread and per its collected texts, as oriented around ‘ALP’, ‘opposition’, ‘something’, ‘Abbott’, for instance.
Elsewise, Vonnegut’s aphorism that, “If you wish to study a granfalloon, just remove the skin of a toy balloon”, seems apt-ish… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granfalloon )
He hasn’t changed a bit has he Tom 😀
Well I exaggerated a little bit. It was a well thought out 5 seconds.
Ghee Neil, that was quite a spray, you may or may not be a bigoted racist however my professional opinion is that you have anger management issues. Would suggest a visit to Dr Phil’s website:
http://www.drphil.com/
Apparently Twiggy Forrest and the AMEC, have invited the 2 monks, Abbott and Monkton to their conference in Perth next week..
The interesting thing is that with all the death threats that the scientists are receiving, do we need Monkton in the country?
Monckton compares Garnaut to Hitler
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/22/3250911.htm
It used to be said the first to mention Hitler/Nazis loses the debate.
‘Senator Minchin’s immediate challenge is his role as chief number cruncher for the Liberal Party national president, Alan Stockdale, who will be challenged for the position on Saturday by the former minister, Peter Reith.’
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/exit-minchin-unabashed-monarchist-to-the-end-20110621-1gdli.html#ixzz1Q0ESqgv3
Does Tony Abbott know the meaning of the word consistency…
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/tony-abbott-helps-pass-class-warfare-family-payment-cuts/story-fn59niix-1226080053635
Bernard Keane’s guide to writing to Ministers
http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/12/16/dont-waste-your-time-waste-theirs-a-guide-to-writing-to-ministers/
Very accurate. Another one is petitions can be a waste of time – 10,000 signatures = 1 petition = 1 objection rather than 10,000 objections.
“Ghee Neil, that was quite a spray, you may or may not be a bigoted racist ”
There you go again. You know “YOU LOT” are the masters of personal abuse. I think you people invented personal abuse.
By the way why am I a bigoted racist???
Neil, speaking of personal abuse..
http://www.smh.com.au/national/fieldings-last-stand-is-to-vote-down-plebiscite-20110622-1gfjt.html
THE Family First senator Steve Fielding has left Parliament so opposed to Tony Abbott that the Coalition was accusing the government yesterday of secretly offering him a job. The government vehemently rejected the accusation, saying it was absurd.
In his second-last day in the Senate, Senator Fielding cast his crucial vote to defeat Mr Abbott’s bill to establish a plebiscite on the proposed carbon tax.
As the division in the Senate was under way, Liberal senators taunted Senator Fielding, accusing him of having been bribed and demanding he state what job he had been offered.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/06/22/how-gina-rinehart-will-become-the-worlds-richest-person/
by Tim Treadgold, a West Australian journalist writing for Smart Company
Gina Rinehart hates the label “Australia’s richest person”. So how will she and the rest of the country react when (not if) she ranks as the “world’s richest”, as can be forecast using the latest research?
This is the woman who rallied in Perth against the MRRT, with beautiful, expensive placards. Nothing hand-made for her….
PIp on June 23, 2011 at 2.55 a.m. – I have noticed that right wing conservatives are always accusing those that dare to disagree with them of some underhanded tactic, usually a tactic that they have used or would use.
It does not need any basis in fact, they just make this stuff up.
Neil of Sydney – glad you appear to have claimed down – anger is your real enemy.
From Jeremy over at Crikey..
News Ltd wants to get involved in “educating” your children
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/06/23/because-misinforming-their-parents-isnt-enough/
I love this one 😀
June 22, 2011 at 2:13 pm lunalava
“I have seen remarks that start with “You people ….” most often used by people who are bigoted racists (both sides of politics).”
I assume you were referring to me when you made that comment.
Am I right???
Neil, why would you assume that, Where there any names mentioned.
Even the Malaysians know that Abbott is all opposition and no policy. How embarrassing for Abbott.
But Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein belittled Mr Morrison’s visit.
“Just opposing is one thing, but the other thing is what is their solution? Opposing for the sake of opposing doesn’t solve the problem.”
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/malaysia-dismisses-morrison-visit/story-e6frfku0-1226080830676#ixzz1Q5mGzgY1
‘To sell their false narrative, the Polluters and Ideologues have found it essential to undermine the public’s respect for Science and Reason by attacking the integrity of the climate scientists.
‘That is why the scientists are regularly accused of falsifying evidence and exaggerating its implications in a greedy effort to win more research grants, or secretly pursuing a hidden political agenda to expand the power of government.
‘Such slanderous insults are deeply ironic: extremist ideologues — many financed or employed by carbon polluters — accusing scientists of being greedy extremist ideologues.’
Al Gore Rolling Stone 22 June 2011
In the interest of balance, we have a very long sentence.
‘The Man Made Global Warming industry is a crock, a scam on an epic scale, fed by the world’s biggest outbreak of mass hysteria, stoked by politicians dying for an excuse to impose more tax and regulation on us while being seen to “care” about an issue of pressing urgency, fuelled by the shrill lies and tear-jerking propaganda of activists possessed of no understanding of the real world other than a chippy instinctive hatred of capitalism, given a veneer of scientific respectability by post-normal scientists who believe their job is to behave like politicians rather than dispassionate seekers-after-truth, cheered on by rent-seeking businesses, financed by the EU, the UN and the charitable foundations of the guilt-ridden rich, and promoted at every turn by schoolteachers, college lecturers, organic muesli packets, Walkers crisps, the BBC, CNBC, Al Gore, the Prince Of Wales, David Suzuki, the British Antarctic Survey, Barack Obama, David Cameron and Knut – the late, dyslexic-challenging, baby polar bear, formerly of Berlin Zoo.’
James Delingpole The Telegraph 18 June 2011
Now back to what I was posting. i wonder if the comments by the Malaysian government about the Coalition negativity will make the news with the shock jocks?
Now if you go to the News web site you may notice that the negative article about Morrisson/Abbott has disappeared off the front page. Yet the negative article about Gillard from early today still leads the page. So just in case you missed my post, here it is again.
: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/malaysia-dismisses-morrison-visit/story-e6frfku0-1226080830676#ixzz1Q5mGzgY1
Sue @ 8.06pm, thanks for the link;
But Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein belittled Mr Morrison’s visit
You peeked my interest so I went hunting 🙂
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/23/hisham-thumbs-nose-at-aussie-mps/
Referring to the Australian legislature, he said: “They are a hung parliament, anyway. So no matter what happens there will be strong opposition one way or the other. At the end of the day, what we want to do is what is right.”
Sue…an amazing phenomenon noted by others on this blog as well. The good old blink and you’ll miss it technique where anything negative about the opposition rapidly disappears from view but the negative article about the government is sure to run over the entire weekend.
It seems that Malaysia is suitably unimpressed by the Australian opposition using their country for political points scoring.
‘Just how manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced is the media in this country?’
Depends, here is a question from Tony Jones to the new Chief Scientist Chubb:
TONY JONES: What do you say to the argument that carbon tax is it a tax on jobs and ordinary people that will destroy the economy? Which is where they lead to at the end of talking about the fact that climate change doesn’t exist.
Nobody here will see anything wrong with this question, but I find it very offensive and you all know why. It’s manipulative, dishonest, sensational, gutless, unfair and unbalanced.
‘It’s manipulative, dishonest, sensational, gutless, unfair and unbalanced.’
In what way?
Are you saying that monckton and like do not round their arguments out that way?
Monckton is free enterprise and has nothing to do with my ABC.
‘Which is where they lead to at the end of talking about the fact that climate change doesn’t exist.’
Who? The Denialati? Everyone on the planet knows that climate changes.
‘It’s manipulative, dishonest, sensational, gutless, unfair and unbalanced.’
El gorgo re “Everyone on the planet knows that climate changes.” Yes it does, but never before has the reason been the impact of one species of animal who inhabit this planet.
If you consider that one ecosystem can be effected by the impact of one species overwhelming that ecosystem, then why consider it unreasonable that humans just via our sheer numbers and environmental impact cannot effect ours.
‘Monckton is free enterprise and has nothing to do with my ABC.’
WTF??
Obviously, in the context of the conversation, when he says ‘the fact that climate change doesn’t exist’ he is talking of AGW, but then, who would have suspected you would be cherry picking quotes?
How pathetically stupid of the ABC(tos)
‘But Mr Truss says he has been getting feedback from the cattle industry that Indonesia is annoyed about the trade suspension’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/24/3252213.htm
And, this is somehow news that Indonesia will be upset about the trade suspension.
I note this tax payer subsidised press release from the ABC(tos) fails to mention, you know, in the interests of this elusive ‘balance’, that Rudd is on the record of having spoken to them at length.
For those to whom this may apply 🙄
Anonymous alcoholics? Study finds web trolls get a feeling of abandon similar to drunks
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/anonymous-alcoholics-study-finds-web-trolls-get-a-feeling-of-abandon-similar-to-drunks-and-dictators/story-e6frfro0-1226080815072#ixzz1Q9cbShvQ
EEVER wonder why you come away with a sense of exhilaration after a hard day of trolling the internet?
It could be because you’re drunk with power.
A new study has found that anonymity gives people the same feeling of abandon as power and alcohol intoxication.
Researchers at Northwestern University in the US found that all three states led to extreme behaviour — both good and bad.
“Although these pathways appear to be unrelated on the surface, they all lead to disinhibited states through a common psychological and neurological mechanism,” said Jacob Hirsh of the university’s Kellogg School of Management.
Dr Hirsh’s colleague Professor Adam Galinsky said the loss of inhibition led to “significant behavioural consequences”.
Tom R @ 11.06am, it’s much easier for the ABC to follow orders and quote what ‘the Opposition says’.
Pip…adrenaline rush probably more akin to a poker machine addict 🙄
From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/24/3252608.htm?section=justin
A series of Twitter posts by shadow treasurer Joe Hockey have left many Canberra insiders mystified.
Yesterday, Mr Hockey posted a series of pictures on his Twitter account of a cardboard cut-out of Kevin Rudd outside various Canberra landmarks.
Hey you Canberreans..if you’ve spotted Kev lately….
Min, how old is Joe Hockey??
Last day of Parliament before the new Senators arrive and the Coalition squawked all day… but Joe is so far gone, he thought he was back at Uni.,
Pip, Joe is only in his mid 40’s. Just me, but I think that Hockey knows that sometime before the next election he has to oust Abbott. I think that Hockey does have some integrity whereas Abbott has none. Hockey expressed this in at least trying to put some policies forward..Abbott wants no policies/no policies = nothing which can be criticised. It’s going to all change in the next few weeks.
Min @ 12.39 “Hockey does have some integrity”. You may change your mind if you read Grogs Gamut regarding Hockey and his tweets on Rudd.
Sue, I did say ‘some’..not ‘a lot’…. Hockey did his dash with me when he followed Howard’s orders and obeyed JHW’s order not to attend Kevin’s daughter’s wedding. Something about friendship and integrity.
Perhaps Min meant ‘had’ some integrity Sue?
Hanging around with the wrong types will wipe that off ya pretty quick 😉
Sold his soul to the Devil IMO Tom…
Aww Min, did ya have to 🙂
Why does the ABC continue to use the word “assassination”. As in Kevin Rudd was assassinated.
My word reference defines the term thus:
“An assassination is “to murder (a usually prominent person) by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons.”
Last I heard Kevin was alive. Could it be that the right wing dominated ABC News team does not understand the English language or are the just trying to whip up leadership tension on behalf of the Liberal Opposition party?
“Sold his soul to the Devil ”
If he sold his soul, he got a poor price for it.
It is more like he gave it away for false promises.
He was conned, but does not appear to be aware of the fact.
He should be aware of former PM’s bearing gifts.
Tom..I give you the lines, you play the songs 🙂
Luna, I suspect that there comes a time in journalism when the ye olde ordinary descriptors seem tame and so you’ve just go to head for the over the top ones such as ‘assassination’.
Yes indeed Kev looks very much alive and not only alive but thriving in his role as Australia’s foreign minister. Maybe journos and right wing commentators cannot understand why a person can be happy in a job that suits..that to their ken only the top job is good enough.
CU, Hockey is a slime ball. He thought that he could be super clever..sell out his best mate Kevin Rudd for a crack at the top job and it didn’t happen. Hockey still has some ethics left but Abbott is not going to allow these as evidenced by the way that Hockey has been shot down in flames whenever he voices a contra opinion.
But the times they are a changin’..a whole new scenario is going to happen after August in more ways than one.
My cue for a song 🙂
Stolen Generation payment for Victorian
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/stolen-generation-man-wins-compensation-20110624-1gi3m.html
Almost everything Neville Austin has ever wanted is contained in a one-page letter he received this week from the Victorian government.
Mr Austin, 47, who was separated from his mother in 1964, is the first victim of the stolen generation in Victoria to gain compensation.
His settlement includes an undisclosed amount of money, but it is the state’s written expression of “true apology and deep regret” that means the most.
“And of course, before you all remind me: Yes, the media has a massive role in all of this.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/24/3252891
That line was from an article in the Drum by Annabel Crabb.
“Sorting the myth from the chaff on this silly Sackiversary”
There is a problem though, the ABC has not opened the article for comments. So here is Crabb reinforcing the line the readers may complain but the journalists are not listening. The journalists will continue to write about the Abbott stunts and give no good news stories of government achievements.
Crabb also states ;
“The unease at the core of the government is no media invention; anyone with a pair of eyes can spot it. ”
Really or am I just being told over and over again,it is so. It is not the impression I get from interviews with the Independents, who state how well this parliament is functioning.
“The journalists will continue to write about the Abbott stunts and give no good news stories of government achievements.”
What govt achievements?? You mean turning a $20B budget surplus into a $50B budget deficit during the biggest mining boom in Australian history??
Remember the days when treasury would forecast a surplus budget and then the budget surplus would end up bigger than the forecast.
Now with Labor in power Treasury forecasts a budget deficit and the deficit is usually bigger than anyone expects.
Your link didn’t work Sue, Hopefully this does, because that looks likea big meaculpa from Annabel Crabb (without ever actually admitting that she was as much a part of the sideshow as anyone)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/24/3252891.htm
Is this a sign that journos are tiring of the game, and want to get back to reporting the issue, or will htis merely be a brief cessation, a lone article of introspection until yabot puts out his next press release for them all to chase around after.
No, and, without the cowtailing(?) media in support, yabot wouldn’t be a problem either
Says it all really.
My favourtie was the opposition passed them because they couldn’t find the money in the budget to replace it with. This, from the party that keeps telling us they have a lazy $50 billion floating around.
And that last doesn’t get reported! (I read it in a Pure Poison post)
Thanks Pip (June 24, 2011 at 11:58 am)
I was very interested to read about how anonymity empowers trolls:
“When people lose their inhibitions, they often behave in a manner more consistent with their true motives or character.”
So be careful Neil of Sydney you may be revealing too much about yourself and as Greg Jericho found out, there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.
So I am a troll because I said “The Goose” turned a $20B budget surplus into a $50B budget deficit during the biggest mining boom ever and the best terms of trade for a long time.
By the way why did you call me a bigoted racist??
“So be careful Neil of Sydney you may be revealing too much about yourself and as Greg Jericho found out, there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.”
Are you threatening me??
Thank you TomR for fixing the link.
Now Neil of Sydney, I do not doubt at all that that You do not know about the Gillard governments achievements because the MSM in general do not report on them. How are you to understand how good this country is doing when the MSM quotes without question the negativity of Abbott. The MSM love Abbott and his “you are all being ruined”.
So to help you out a little, here is a little of the good news about Australia, the good I applaud, the good that supports how well the government with the help of the independents is steering this country. A piece from within an article today by Peter Hartcher,
In the past year, average wages are up by $21 a week, share prices are 5 per cent higher than they were a year ago and unemployment has fallen from 5.2 per cent to 4.9. Visitors from abroad have difficulty understanding exactly why Australian seem so disgruntled.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/times-up-for-teardown-tony-20110624-1gjiv.html#ixzz1QExeYC2D
Australian Network decision.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-government-delay-sidelines-rudd-20110624-1gjp3.html
Anger increasing, rage rising, feeling threatened. Get some help Neil of Sydney.
Sue
labor was handed an economy that was the envy of the Western world.
I really hate it when you people mention the unemployment rate. Labor was handed unemployment at 8% in 1983 and it was 8% in 1996 with 30 months of double digit unemployment in between.
Howard was handed unemployment at 8% and it was 4.3% when he lost office in 2007.
To give credit to Labor for our low unemployment rate is immoral.
“So be careful Neil of Sydney you may be revealing too much about yourself and as Greg Jericho found out, there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.”
What was the point of this comment??
What this some type of threat??
And I will ask one more time, why did you call me a bigoted racist???
‘labor was handed an economy that was the envy of the Western world.’
And it still is.
Because of the way the Government has handled the economy
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/stop-complaining-our-economys-in-fine-form/story-e6frg6zo-1226081585121
‘And I will ask one more time, why did you call me a bigoted racist???’
Deserves an answer.
‘Nothing that has happened in the local economy this year explains the escalation of anger in federal parliament.’
It’s this filthy carbon dioxide tax.
luna_lava said, “I have seen remarks that start with “You people ….” most often used by people who are bigoted racists (both sides of politics).”
He didn’t say, “Neil, you are a bigoted racist.”
He did actually say, “you may or may not be a bigoted racist however my professional opinion is that you have anger management issues”
An answer has already been given – it’s your problem if you have basic comprehension issues 🙄
Oh come on. It was a slur. I may or not be a murderer as well. He did imply I was a bigoted racist.
Conservatives are always called racist by “The left.” As well as lacking in compassion unlike our friends from the left.
But he certainly threatened me
“So be careful Neil of Sydney you may be revealing too much about yourself and as Greg Jericho found out, there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.”
“The Member for Sydney has the brains of a sheep!” when forced by the speaker to withdraw:
“I withdraw, the Member for Sydney does not have the brains of a sheep”
The good old days before the Liberal Party turned feral.
You’re interpreting it as a slur – you have no way of knowing of it was intended that way or not, since you’re not a mind reader…
And once again Neil, you’re reading something that’s not there. That’s a warning to be careful with what you post, not a threat…
“You’re interpreting it as a slur”
Absolutely!! It certainly was not meant to be a complement.
And no leftoid has ever given me a warning because they care for me. And what did I say that I should be careful about??
By the way the font has changed back to the old font in the posting box.
nil comes in, tells anyone who is a ‘lefty’ or who votes for Labor that they are a liar, and wants to be complemented
😯
Eddie @ 9.56am, thanks for the link to the Australia Network piece.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-government-delay-sidelines-rudd-20110624-1gjp3.html
The long-running competition for the contract is a point of significant sensitivity between the government and News.
A joint statement between the Prime Minister, Mr Rudd and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said international events, economic crises and the democracy movements in the Middle East and Africa, had heightened ”national interest” considerations in the awarding of any new contract.
”In making this decision [to delay], the government also considered the significance of the service to Australia’s foreign interests and concluded that the decision on the preferred tenderer will be referred for cabinet consideration,” the statement said.
The ABC has focused its pitch on its editorial independence, contrasting that with the commercial imperatives of Sky.
——–
This is one very important issue where the Government must use it’s authority wisely, regardless of the ambitions of the Murdoch empire, and keep the Australia Network and it’s editorial independence as it is.
I wonder whether the postponement has anything to do with the end[hopefully] of Maurice Newman’s time as ABC Chairman?
Neil of sydney @ 2.26pm, James massola’s ‘outing of Grogs Gamut as Greg Jericho seriously back-fired on him
Greg gained many more followers as a result to the extent that he can now write a book, which I’m absolutely certain will be a vast improvement on anything Massola could dream up.
If journalists don’t want the unfavourable, analytical critiques of their ‘work’ all they need to do is lift their game and report straight facts rather than the mischievous tabloid tripe they dish up daily.
Neil re the old font – this is either WordPress doing it’s WordPress thing or the boss having a play with it.
Ummm..the blog format that is 😛
Min @ 4.19pm, I’m so glad you clarified your comment 🙄
When I was a child my parents would take me to visit. I had no choice I went where I was taken and it was expected that I behave myself. As I am now an adult I have the choice to either stay or leave places I visit.
I enjoy my time at cafe whispers, I enjoy most of the posts, I feel there are people here who hold similar values. Sometimes there are posts that are just plain annoying but it is my choice to take either take offense, ignore or wander off elsewhere.
Sue
I did take offense by Lavaluna. I thought I would respond.
Pip…you are here on this blog for a reason 😀
Min, just keeping an eye on you 👿
You’re right Pip. I need supervision 😀
I like this article so much I’m posting it again….
Anonymous alcoholics? Study finds web trolls get a feeling of abandon similar to drunks
http://www.news.com.au/technology/anonymous-alcoholics-study-finds-web-trolls-get-a-feeling-of-abandon-similar-to-drunks-and-dictators/story-e6frfro0-1226080815072#ixzz1Q9cbShvQ
Here is one for Joni and Reb and their partners.
The state legislature of New York tonight made same-sex marriages legal.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/24/new-york-legislature.html
“Anonymous alcoholics? Study finds web trolls get a feeling of abandon similar to drunks”
Are you referring to me?? If not who is this article aimed at??
Min the BBC also covered this:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13914013
New York state approves gay marriage Supporters of same-sex marriages celebrated after the Senate vote Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
US not defending gay marriage ban
The newly-weds fighting to stop deportation
US judge rejects gay marriage ban
New York has become the sixth and most populous US state to allow
same-sex marriage.
The Republican-controlled state senate voted 33-29 for a bill that had earlier been approved by the lower house, which has a Democratic majority.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law. Gay weddings are expected to start within 30 days.
The BBC also covered the passing of the same-sex marriage law in New York.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13914013
New York state approves gay marriage Supporters of same-sex marriages celebrated after the Senate vote Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
US not defending gay marriage ban
The newly-weds fighting to stop deportation
US judge rejects gay marriage ban
New York has become the sixth and most populous US state to allow same-sex marriage.
The Republican-controlled state senate voted 33-29 for a bill that had earlier been approved by the lower house, which has a Democratic majority.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law. Gay weddings are expected to start within 30 days.
Neil of Sydney @ 6.03pm, sorry, but you’ve just proved a point.
“What makes you think this song is about you?”
Jemima
“Anonymous alcoholics? Study finds web trolls get a feeling of abandon similar to drunks”
Are you referring to me?? If not who is this article aimed at??
“What makes you think this song is about you?”
Because I have been accused of being a troll. I would really like to know if I was the alleged troll the article was aimed at.
Neil, why would the article be aimed at anyone. Why are you so suspicious. A old saying was, if the hat fits, wear it.
What amuses me, is those who call others idiots and clowns when they disagree with them, are the first to complain when name calling is aimed at them. example is the Coalition during QT.
Now Neil, you can feel OK, as I am not aiming this comment at anyone.
“Now Neil, you can feel OK, as I am not aiming this comment at anyone.”
Yeah, right
Neil isn’t a troll. He’s a ‘fixture’ 🙂
Cu I think the only ones who would be upset by this would the trolls 🙂
Min, therefore “fixtures” needn’t be upset. grin:
I mean 😀
He’s a ‘fixture’ – apt description Min 😉
“Fixture (noun) – a piece of furniture that cannot be moved.”
Neil’s blind devotion to the Lieberals cannot be moved… 😆
Bacchus, yes he’s sort of stuck with araldite isn’t he…
Jemima June 25, 2011 at 5:58 pm
I am still wondering which trolls you are talking about. Since you made the effort to submit the post I would be interested to know who you were thinking about.
Good news for Ningaloo Coast
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/25/3253370.htm?section=justin
The Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia has been world heritage listed by the United Nations.
The area of more than 708,000 hectares has one the world’s longest near shore reefs and is home to a number of rare marine species including sea turtles and whale sharks.
It is the 19th place in Australia to be world heritage listed by UNESCO.
Paul Gamblin from the WWF says the listing is a big win for everyone who campaigned for the area to be protected.
That is a fascinating article, linking alcoholic abandon with web trolling, through the lens of psychological profile, Jemima…
“Dr Darryl Cross, a psychologist at Crossways Consulting, said many people believed there were no repercussions for their actions online. “It’s the fact that they’re not confronted visually with another person,” he told news.com.au. “People believe the myth that they can say things that ordinarily they wouldn’t be able to say just because they are online.”….Dr Cross suggested people come up with a litmus test for what was acceptable to say and what wasn’t on the web. “If they think about their grandparents, that might be one way that they can actually consider what they’re going to be writing,” he said. “What would your grandma and grandpa say about it?”
More from Darryl, describing himself, and what he does, better…
http://www.darrylcross.com.au/About%20Darryl/about-darryl
Basically that anonymity alleviates responsibility.
“Basically that anonymity alleviates responsibility.”
Only for Coalition voters.
Labor party voters are unaffected.
‘Neil isn’t a troll. He’s a ‘fixture’
He feels comfortable here, why not offer him the job of resident troll?
Heaven knows the cafe needs some robust debate and with Neil playing devil’s advocate it will give the locals something to whisper about.
“Basically that anonymity alleviates responsibility.”
Responsibility to whom, and to what; when socialisation dynamics, and pre-existing and embedded power (inter)relations, naturally becomes both medium and message (hence the counter-trend, of providing more anonymity in spaces, say places where contradiction of a prevailing Great Forebear Of The Found-Correct Notion’s word is the (ir)responsible thing to do)?
And I’m not sure that’s all that Darryl might be seen to have been saying in his par-recap of an Aristotelian beast-(hu)man-god trichotomy…
“I think what we have is, people have two personas,” he said. “The first is an in built human instinctual personality and that’s always there for all of us, it’s an animal instinctual personality. “And then there’s always the second personality which is the more conservative, the more guarded, the personality is more in perspective. “What you’ve got (online) is people who are prepared to let their instinctual personality out rather than really taking a second perspective, looking at it in a different way, and then saying the second thing that comes into their mind instead of the first.”
The rhetorical question remaindered: Who, naturally, is cast, in that uber-responsible account, as remote(d) guardian in finally deciding who is, considerably and instinctually, to be taken as a beastieboy, for saying, or not, the first (or even the second, or the third, and so on until it becomes appropriately guarded, conservative, and in right-perspective) thing that comes into their mind; and potentially the last thing that a conservative guardian might want said, or to hear, about the qualities and qualia of one or another instantiation of a, or their, Platonic chair?
HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: Good morning people. Can I be a nuisance – so what’s new ya’recon 🙂 – and ask that today’s debate be taken over to the Cooking at the Café Open Topic – the reason being that Media VII is chokka and I’ll need technical assistance to arrive in order to start Media VIII.
Morning Min..
Meta….this has promise: “saying the second thing that comes into their mind instead of the first.”
Where is the balance ABC?
This morning on the Insiders Chris Kenny australian/Skynews, alerted us viewers to the fact Abbott ASSASSINATED Peter Reith , in the election of the liberal party president.
Apparently Abbott was the one who encouraged Reith to run but then voted for Stockdale. Yes Abbott showed Stockdale his voting slip and Stockdale won by one vote.
So in the spirit of balance let us see the headlines.
Let the story be written as the big bast…ry it is. Abbott gets mate Reith to run then publically knifes him. Not only knifes him but makes sure the media sees who he voted for.
Yep, Reith now joins Abbott’s other killings, Turnbull,Robb,Hunt and Hockey.
Sorry Min I missed your post but have copied to Cooking