Media Watch XX

We all know just how manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced is the media in this country. If, like me, you believe they need to be held accountable for the gross display of injustice they push down the throats of the Australian public then this is the thread in which to voice your opinion.

I intend to keep the Media Watch threads open indefinitely. If anyone sees an example of their lies in action then we’d like to learn about it. We will document everything we can and spread the message as far as we can.

The Media Watch pages are archived after 400 comments (or thereabouts), as beyond that they can be slow to open if accessed by some mobile phones.

471 comments on “Media Watch XX”

  2. Poll shows 7% believe ABC is biased against the Liberals, down 1% last time poll was run.

    Abbott as usual spruiking his bullshit, “But I do think there is the ongoing issue of bias in the ABC news and current affairs section.”

    So Abbott speaking to 7%, but it won’t stop him gutting the ABC if he wins government, and that’s what his claim of bias is really about, setting up to have excuses to turn the ABC into a right wing mouth piece via Murdoch.

    It’s akin to his lying utterances on productivity as an excuse to bring in WorkChoices MkII.

  6. ” that poll tells us that at least 7% of the population are stark raving mad.”
    Could one equally suggest that the 36% who right now will vote for Gillard are also stark raving mad?

  8. From the above link on Australian political blogs.

    ‘These do not have the same notoriety as blogs in the United States for “breaking stories” or potentially ruining the reputations of politicians or journalists.

    ‘They have also not generally attracted the same mainstream media attention which comes along with those activities, although in July 2007 the Murdoch owned The Australian used an editorial to attack the credibility of a number of blogs which had called into question the interpretations of opinion poll results by one of the paper’s columnists.’

  11. El drongo posts a link to Jo Nova, a well known climate change denier. Totally inappropriate. Wrong thread. El drongo has no morals.

  12. Watching ABC Midday News. They are covering the year in politics. Even from the beginning, their Liberal bias is clear. Re Thomson, they report FWA finding Thomson is guilty of misusing credit cards, but don’t mention other reports that have exonerated him, nor problems in FWA report. They mention the Slipper saga, noting his resignation, and Gillard’s anti-misogyny speech which went viral, but get those in the wrong order. The scandal of the year, Justice Rares’ judgment, outlining LNP conspiracy against Slipper and governement, and which exonerated Slipper, doesn’t get a mention. Fuck you, ABC.

  15. ‘ADVERTISING baron John Singleton and investment banker Mark Carnegie have joined forces with Gina Rinehart to agitate for change at Fairfax Media after purchasing a small strategic stake in the media company.

    ‘Mrs Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting and a company called Gutenberg Investments, backed by Mr Singleton and Mr Carnegie, revealed last night that they had “agreed to consult with each other” on key matters affecting Fairfax Media.’

    Kitney and Elliott in the Oz

  16. ‘Mr Singleton said the Fairfax Charter of Independence should be reviewed.’

    “I was on the board of Fairfax when Sir Zelman Cowen was chairman of the board some 20 years ago, when the existing Fairfax Charter of Independence was drawn,” he said.

    “There is no reason why a group of eminent and experienced Australians should not review the charter to ensure and enable its relevance for today, and the current very challenging times for the media.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/rupert-or-gina-no-thanks-say-greens-20121229-2c03o.html#ixzz2GPxbiYoh

  17. The Green’s take on the above..

    The Australian Greens are concerned that John Singleton and his long-time friend Gina Rinehart are teaming up to push for a significant say in Fairfax Media.

    Mr Singleton and his partner, the venture capitalist Mark Carnegie, announced late on Friday that their Gutenberg Investments had purchased a stake in Fairfax, publisher of this website, and would align with fellow shareholder, Gina Rinehart.

    However, Greens Acting Leader Adam Bandt said Mr Singleton’s move was cause for concern.

    “I’m very, very worried that up until now Gina Rinehart has been unwilling to sign on to some very basic principles of journalistic independence and if she’s now joining forces with other Australian millionaires in an attempt to set the Australian media in a different direction, I think it’s of great cause for concern,” Mr Bandt told reporters in Melbourne.

    Bandt is perfectly correct of course..Gina is attempting to buy public opinion via Bolt and now $s aimed at Fairfax.

    And a classic statement by Bandt:

    “I don’t want to wake up every morning and find that my newspaper choice is between Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart.

    http://www.smh.com.au/national/rupert-or-gina-no-thanks-say-greens-20121229-2c03o.html#ixzz2GPsyA3ir

  19. Ah … Singo seems like a reasonable fella.

    “However it is important to state that both Gina and I believe that the lifeblood of Fairfax is the integrity and accuracy of its journalism,” said John Singleton.

    Brandt has reason to be concerned, Gina is a member of the Denialati.

  20. New Media (The 5th Estate)

    ‘8 million people saw The Hobbit on its opening weekend. This blog was viewed about 36,000,000 times in 2012. If every person who saw The Hobbit visited this blog, it would take 5 years for them all to read it.

    ‘In 2012, there were 1,929 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 8,297 posts.

    ‘The busiest day of the year was January 31st with 229,775 views. The most popular post that day was Bitter cold records broken in Alaska – all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy’s Law intervenes.’

    Anthony Watts (WUWT)

  21. Little piece of sh#t el grubbo deliberately flouts our rule against mentioning creationist-denialist Watts outside the designated thread. F#ck off.

  25. “You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, invented and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper.” — Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632

    “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”: Jefferson, Thomas 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809)

    “The closed door and the sealed lips are prerequisites to tyranny.”: Stanton, Frank L.

    It appears that there is indeed nothing new under the sun.

  27. Bacchus that blog comp is a bit iffy, nevertheless, congrats for being close to the top.

    And I’m not entirely happy with the Bloggies, Nova and Watts coming in under science and technology.

  29. Put it down to the onset of the media silly season. Perhaps. The fact is that, for whatever reason, ABC commentators missed the opportunity to opine about an apparent division within the Coalition between the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, and his communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull. Now that is news.
    In an exclusive interview with The Australian Financial Review shortly before Christmas, Abbott said that ”there is still this left-of-centre ethos in the ABC” and expressed hope that the managing director of the ABC, Mark Scott, ”continues to address it”. Abbott commented that there is much about the public broadcaster that he likes and admires.
    But, while praising ABC presenters Chris Uhlmann and Mark Simkin as ”highly professional, even-handed commentators/reporters”, Abbott commented that ”there is the ongoing issue of bias in the ABC news and current affairs section”.
    Then, just before the new year, Turnbull addressed the left-leaning audience at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland. He delivered his familiar call for higher standards in politics. Interviewed by PM’s Alexandra Kirk after the talk, Turnbull called for the establishment of ”an independent and objective fact-checking website or service that can hold all of us to account – whether it is columnists writing about big issues and misleading people in their columns or whether it’s politicians doing the same”………………..

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbott-wants-abc-to-flush-out-bias-but-turnbull-does-not-see-its-stacked-deck-20130107-2ccq2.html#ixzz2HK2EfAkv

  30. Citizen journalists are playing a key role documenting Australia’s bushfire crisis, as even the best-equipped news organisations battle to tell the rapidly-evolving story.

    With blazes breaking out quickly across an area the size of western Europe, it’s virtually impossible for journalists to report everything instantly.

    Ordinary Australians are helping by quickly publishing pictures, videos, and written accounts of fires in their neighbourhoods on social media, using mobile phones and tablet computers.

    One man in Tasmania has flown a small remote-controlled helicopter over Dunalley, west of Hobart, to document the damage caused by a bushfire in the area.

    http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=833876

  31. Newspaper revenue estimated to drop 4% in 2013.

    And the horrible beast continues its death throws.

  32. ME, Ir looks like the fifth estate can report news as it happens.

    Funny that, not only report, but from those on the spot, those being affected and involved.

    First hand, not second.

  34. Sue, wonder if that will bring any new competition. At least is should extend job opportunities of journalist.

  35. ………..Now, Roskam and Paterson based much of their commentary in this article on revelations about Rudd’s time at the top outed in a new book, Speechless: A Year In My Father’s Business, published by journalist and former Rudd speechwriter James Button. However, I bought the Kindle version of the book this morning and combed it fruitlessly for evidence of the IPA pair’s NBN claims. Button has almost nothing to say about the NBN. So we have to rely on Roskam and Paterson’s word alone for this one.

    Personally, and bear in mind I have been a technology reporter continuously in Australia for most of the past decade, dating back to the days when Helen Coonan was Communications Minister, I do believe it is true that Conroy and Rudd didn’t do enough due diligence on the NBN proposal before they put it together — the NBN policy that they took to the 2007 Federal Election was quite threadbare.

    However, it did contain the theads of great policy, and in April 2009, when it massively revised and expanded upon the advice of the Government’s then-NBN expert panel, the NBN policy became a very viable and very workable strategy which would solve many of the ongoing issues in the telecommunications industry while simultaneously delivering massive service delivery benefits to all Australians and even making the Government a profit. Since that time, the NBN has stood the test of time and criticism. So does it matter if the original NBN policy, and even perhaps the 2009 version, was something of an unfleshed-out “announceable”? Not at this point. It’s the end result that counts, in this case — not the nitty gritty of how we got there……………………..

    http://delimiter.com.au/2013/01/15/nbn-originally-just-a-media-stunt-says-ipa/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Delimiter+%28Delimiter%29

  41. Once again, caught out lying, If not lying, then stupid.

    “……………..blog You really have to wonder sometimes whether News Ltd’s Australian newspapers have it in for the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network project. The Daily Telegraph was shown a while back to have been repeatedly wrong in several reports on the NBN, The Australian has often taken a broadly negative viewpoint of the project, and now we have a new dubious piece from The Herald Sun in Melbourne.

    If you read the first few lines of columnist Helen McInerney’s tirade (we recommend you click here for the full article), you’d believe that the NBN infrastructure connected to her house was somehow deficient, as it wasn’t delivering the 100Mbps speeds McInerney was promised. But then later on, we find out why, following a conversation she had with Telstra over the issue:

    “Telstra, he told me, had slowed my broadband speed due to excessive usage … according to the NBN man at Telstra on one day so much information was uploaded via my account that the speed was reduced as a penalty.”

    So wait … McInerney’s residence was selected as one of the few, the very few, Australian homes to be part of the NBN’s early stage rollout program, and she connected to the NBN’s fibre at 100Mbps with Telstra. Subsequently, somehow she burns through her quota, not a surprising thing when she openly admits she doesn’t know the difference between a gigabyte and a megabyte, then uses her high-profile column in a huge newspaper to sledge the NBN as as a result? Riiiight. Someone call the waaambulance, we’ve got a terminal case of first world problems..

    http://delimiter.com.au/2013/01/23/exceed-your-quota-somehow-its-the-nbns-fault/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Delimiter+%28Delimiter%29

  43. As the Get Nova campaign winds up through the gears, I’m getting very angry about it & not a little scared.
    I put up a bit of a rant about this sort of thing on PB some time back & I think it’s worth restating.
    No one should be in any doubt that if deemed necessary this sort of treatment can & will be meted out to YOU. Your only defence against this sort of attack is your insignificance. That’s the country we live in.

  44. All we need, is a truth test. If it passes, it can be printed. Lies not allowed. Believe Canada has gone down this path,

  45. Do we need this.

    “……………….JULIA Gillard’s star recruit Nova Peris has come clean on her “big mistake” the day police caught her drink driving in Canberra four years ago.
    The Olympian has not previously revealed she was pulled over by Canberra police in 2008 where she recorded a “low to mid range blood alcohol reading.”
    The admission follows her complaints she is the victim of a “smear” campaign over her work in NT schools. No conviction was recorded over the DUI matter when she fronted the ACT court system and it was not publicised.
    “In 2008 I was pulled over for a random breath test on a suburban Canberra street where I recorded a low to mid range blood alcohol reading,” Ms Peris told The Sunday Telegraph. “I was in the car with my former husband Daniel Batman. No one else was in the vehicle.
    “The matter was heard in Canberra and no conviction was recorded. I recognise this was a big mistake and I learnt a valuable lesson.”
    Ms Peris’s spokesman said she could not remember the exact blood alcohol reading but mid-range in the ACT is classified as 0.08 and above.
    Ms Peris’s former husband Mr Batman, an Olympic athlete and the father of two of her children, was killed in a car crash last year, with police referring the matter to the coroner, saying “speed and alcohol” were factors.
    The Sunday Telegraph can also reveal Ms Peris was investigated but later cleared by the NT government after a complaint she spent $50,000 in taxpayers’ cash on a girl’s academy program.
    The NT government has confirmed the amount of money subject to a high level department of education investigation after an anonymous complaint.
    It has emerged the specific rumour circulating about Ms Peris claimed she used public funds to purchase furniture for her own home, a claim she strongly denies.
    “The person was a public servant with the then Department of Education and Training and was implementing a new girls’ academy program,” an NT Government spokesman said.
    “There was $50,000 in operating funds set down against this program. An anonymous complaint was made.. There was no evidence to support the allegations.” Labor’s national executive is expected to endorse her on Tuesday…..”

    Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/top-stories/nova-admits-being-over-limit-but-says-critics-are-too/story-e6frfkp9-1226562570723#ixzz2J91FUBlb

  49. Words fail me Migs. If anyone had any doubt that the ABC is nothing more than the Coalition’s mouthpiece and a branch of Ltd News then theirs and Uhlmann’s shameful behaviour on this matter, even delivering the Nova Peris rumour with a smirk, this should dispel it.

  50. I heard an NT Dept of Education spokesperson say that the release of information about DoE judgments is illegal.

  51. Min, I’m astonished that you’re not riveted by Liealot’s announcement of a mini campaign!

    I’m sure it will be chock full of interesting three word slogans, ringing endorsements by Anal Jones and that great champion of gay and Muslim rights, Cory Bernardi and an exciting wardrobe composed of red smugglers, fireman’s hats and high vis vests.

    How could you not appreciate such a visual and verbal feast? 😆 😆 😆

    Migs & ME, do you really expect any other behaviour from the Liars and their barrackers in the msm? Uhlmann is a complete jerk and should be sacked.

  52. Mini election campaign, without any policy announcement. Why Lidcombe, the heart of the Muslim community.

    At least he appears to have the media onside. Michelle and others are coming to the party, on cue, it seems.

  53. Jane, riveted as in:

    Synonyms: anchored, at a standstill, at rest, frozen, immobilized, immotile, immovable, nailed, rigid..but most especially.. rooted.

  55. The stupid thing is, apart from that shit grin on is face, he’s promising to fix things that aren’t broken.

    He’s doing a Howard, inventing disasters where none exists.

  56. ” #ABC24 Did thorough investigation of #NovaPeris on a RUMOUR. Not a word aboujt #MalBrough on a JUDGEMENT that he’d done wrong. #embarassing”

    That just about sums up the current state of play, doesn’t it 😦

  58. Abbott struggles with those things because he gets in way over his head and thinks he deserves far more money than he gets.

    I have no doubt he will push for a large pay rise the moment he gets into power, to which the right winger hypocrites will be deathly silent when they would be outraged if a Labor leader did it.

  60. Heard great arguments this morning, that he cannot release his policy figures that are costed and their effect on the budgets.

    . Refuses to say who are doing the costing, According to Hockey, more than one person.

    I cannot buy the argument, that the cost cannot be release. Surely that does not change, no matter what the budget reveals.

    While he is at it, I hope he releases the cost of all he is going to demolish. The cost of removing those taxes he will be dismantling. Cannot do so without cost.

    I agree with Senator Wong, that we need to be told what he will be cutting, to bring in that magical surplus, which he believes will fix all our ills.

    Still has not told us where he is going to find the arable land for all those trees.

    His mini campaign is being described as presidential. Aways the overdo when it comes to Abbott. Always over reaching, no matter what he puts his hands to.

    A campaign that tells one nothing. Its only aim is to sell Abbott.

  61. Hopefully with a bag of King George Whiting.

    No fishin’, just boogey boarding and getting dumped in the surf (ok, swell)

    So just crabs 🙂

  62. Michelle still being kind to Abbott.

    “……………ANALYSIS
    It was OK as a performance, delivered informally, US-style, with a hand-held mic, but the opening salvo of Tony Abbott’s mini-campaign told us little new.
    Indeed the only fresh policy snippet – about superannuation – was buried in his 50-page glossy booklet, as though it had landed there almost as an oversight. It didn’t even get a mention in the leader’s speech.
    Yet the pledge not to spring on people super changes that disadvantage them is significant – politically clever, with all those baby boomers thinking about their retirement, but not such good policy. Once again a party is locking itself in on a revenue area when it would be better to keep options open.
    Advertisement
    The opposition has ”vagued up” its line on the surplus (although it is not keen to admit doing so). Essentially it is saying it will produce surpluses when it can. It had originally been reluctant to commit to a timeframe, only to be forced into one by political pressure last year. Now that the government has ditched its undertaking of a 2012-13 surplus, the Coalition is waiting to see how the budget comes out, which is the best thing it can do…….”

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-blueprint-is-still-a-work-in-progress-20130127-2df0v.html#ixzz2JEAa30OH

  63. Min @7.24am, roflmao!

    CU @11.59am, Michelle’s like Macbeth. She’s hitched her wagon to Liealot and has gone too far to unhitch it and return to the starting line and some self respect.

    The Liars must have found more than one catering firm to do the costings. 😯

  64. This mornings ABC radio national interview between Fran Kelly and Albanese was interesting in that Fran played a sound bite of Hockey verballing the Prime Minister.

    Albanese pointed out that maybe Fran should look at what the Prime Minister actually said rather than what Hockey said she said.

    The point is that Fran is either (1) a lazy reporter, who takes little interest in facts or (2) is a keen political player who supports the Liberal party lies.

    Well done Anthony Albanese to keep those bastards at the ABC honest.

  67. It is good to have Lyn Curtis back. Is more inclined to ask questions than voice opinions.
    Erica Abetz in now on. Is being asked questions and challenged on his answers.

    She pointed out that being charged is not the same as being convicted.

    I believe that is true in these types of cases.

    Abetz tried to alleged that the PM named the date of the election, because she was aware of what was happening today. Wonder how that could have been. I believe the PM would have been one of the last to know,

    Mr. Abbott has by his actions this week, has indicated he was in full election mode.

    What the PM has done, is to face reality, naming the date.

    If Mr. Abbott wants to spend a further 8 months electioneering, so be it.

    That is all he has done since the last election.

    Bring on an election that is about carbon emission and world leading broadband.

    Not so sure there is a great movement out there to jettison either.

    I suspect that parents do not mind the money they got this month, in their bank accounts to help with school expenses, or really want to see wealthy women being reimbursed up to a 150.000 for having a baby.

  69. Two MPs announce there retirement dates after serving long terms in govern.

    They told the PM twelve months ago their desires. Both say they are leaving for family reasons.

    The senator left the time of his departure up to the PM. The AG said that she had not even met her husband when she entered parliament, Her daughter is getting older, She wants time with her before she grows up.

    The PM has now chance to add new talent to the cabinet. Chris Bowen has been one that has benefits. Remember Chris, the one who sided with Mr. Rudd,

    What do we have in the MSM. This is terrible for the PM. Should there be an earlier election. Mr, Abbott saying this is a sign of a unstqable government. It is up to the PM if she changes her mind about the election date.

    Why is reordering a cabinet seen as being unstable. People makes decisions to retire all the time.

    This one has been done in an extremely ordered manner.

    Both seem to have to deferred their plans in the interest of the government.

    Both have served long terms,.

    Now to the shadow cabinet. It is made up of people who also sat in the Howard government that was ousted in 2007.

    Mr. Abbott said they will sit on the front bench in an Abbott government should they win. He says they are the nest he has.

    It is said that Abbott will not change any as it upsets and makes people unhappy. To me, that says Mr. Abbott has not got the guts to make unpopular but necessary decisions.

    Once again we have a media beat up with the intention of presenting Labor politics in a negative manner.

  70. Why? No excuse,as this was written after the PC. It is an orderly adjustments to the cabinet, because two very long term MPs are resigning.
    What is of more concern, that Abbott cannot see any reason to change the shadow cabinet.

    However the government appeared to be imploding last night, with Ms Roxon’s intention to resign following news Mr Evans was leaving.

    It’s a shambolic start to the election, albeit one almost eight months away.

    http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/prime-minister-julia-gillards-campaign-in-disarray-as-minister-for-higher-education-chris-evans-resigns/story-e6freuy9-1226567059223

  71. Another beat up. Interviews being held up to March. Even if true, would not make much change to this parliament. If he got the job, he would not be taking it up to very near the election date anyway.

    ”
    Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s campaign in disarray as Chris Evans resigns and Robert McClelland may vacate his seat”

    http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/prime-minister-julia-gillards-campaign-in-disarray-as-minister-for-higher-education-chris-evans-resigns/comments-e6freuy9-1226567059223

  72. It is as Lyndal Cutis said, a minor cabinet reshuffle. No was a major one, as the media is saying.

    I am sure that Bowen is happy to lose immigration. Rudd supporters seem to have done well.

    Another beat up hits the dust.

  73. PM in turmoil. Shock resignations. Shock to whom. Yes, unexpected, as they kept their secrets for 12 months, Shock, no. It is not unusual for MPs to announce their wish to retire prior to an election.

    In fact, it is the time to do so. Being MPs for up and over two decades is what most consider enough.

    Once again, it is not wise to believe the headlines have anything to do with the body of the stories,

    The result is a minor reshuffle, that allows a little new blood in. That has to be a positive.

    The truth is, it is MSM that once again have been caught out.

    “…………Julia Gillard’s extended election campaign has suffered another damaging blow with the shock resignation of two of Labor’s most senior Cabinet ministers, the Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and the government’s leader in the Senate, the Higher Education Minister, Chris Evans.
    Both Ms Roxon, one of Ms Gillard’s closest allies, and Senator Evans, who, as Senate leader, is the third in
    line to the prime ministership, will quit this morning, resigning from both their cabinet posts and, in Senator Evans’ case, the leadership position immediately.
    Senator Evans will stay in the Senate until the September 14 poll but will not contest that election.

    Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-in-turmoil-20130202-2dqut.html#ixzz2Jhj6Jqz8

  74. “………….The remaking of Tony Abbott: a seven-month Liberal project

    TONY Abbott gave voters a glimpse of a very different prime ministership when he stepped up to the podium at the National Press Club this week – one where the nation’s leader performs lifeguard duty at his local surf beach, continues as a volunteer with the CFA, devotes a week each year to working in remote Aboriginal communities and even manages to lead his annual ”pollie pedal” to raise money for charity.
    One intention, according to an email from Abbott to his advisers (including wife Margie) was to communicate to the television audience what those around him already know – that Tony’s a ”good bloke”. It was also to present the man accused of misogyny by Julia Gillard as a champion of women’s rights – the prime minister who would deliver a ”Holy Grail of the women’s movement” in the form of a ”fair-dinkum” paid parental leave scheme….

    ………………….But there was one important qualification: an average of 25 per cent of those sampled replied ”don’t know” when asked which party was better equipped to manage the many issues. This reflects the antipathy towards all sides of politics. As Huntley puts it: ”People don’t believe Labor deserves a third term, they don’t like Tony Abbott, they don’t want minority government – and the Green vote is going to decline.”
    All of which points to seven months of drama and uncertainty before the final battle begins.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/politics/the-remaking-of-tony-abbott-a-sevenmonth-liberal-project-20130201-2dq2x.html#ixzz2JhlPgelf

    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/politics/the-remaking-of-tony-abbott-a-sevenmonth-liberal-project-20130201-2dq2x.html

    My emphasis.

  75. Victoria, I’d like to add flesh to the ABC news story of the Brandis smear against the PM on Lateline. .

    During her doorstop in Bundaberg after Thomson’s arrest, Gillard categorically denied any prior knowledge of it.

    Man, many hours later on Lateline, George Brandis suggested she had called the election the previous day because she did know, and that she named the election date to somehow distract from this. He went on and on about it, and demanded she explain the ‘curious’ juxtaposition of events.

    Tony Jones was either badly briefed or was focused on his next interview. First he didn’t challenge Brandis on this theory, which was plain silly. More importantly, he didn’t advise Brandis that Gillard had already done what he was demanding she do.

    Next day, ABC online went hard on the Brandis smear in a piece headlined ‘Call for Gillard to explain ‘curious’ election timing. It buried Gillard denial at the foot of the piece.

    This is not journalism, It is either propaganda or news by robots.

    A journalist had two valid options. Ignore the Brandis claims or write a story leading with Gillard denies Coalition claims, or Coalition questions Gillard’s word, or the like…

    The ABC story was unprofessional and unethical and outrageously unbalanced.

    I was shocked (though I’m getting less and less so the longer I observe how low the media has sunk since I retired). I tweeted the story and copied in ABC news and Mark Scott.

    The story stayed put. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/call-for-gillard-to-explain-curious-election-timing/4494756

    I got no reply from the ABC, and neither did anyone else who complained.
    I suggested an apology to the PM for so grotesquely thumbing their nose to her word. No reply.

    No wonder – the ABC has now even turned on its own when they question LNP orthodoxy – http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/faining-outrage-from-the-abc-management/

    At her press conference today announcing the retirement of two minister you could see how heartily sick Gillard is of the MSM. I saw her grit her teeth as she listened to their inanities. She quietly choked when someone asked whether the media would now have to rebalance coverage towards Abbott no he was alternative PM. She smiled ruefully. I tweeted:

    ‘Julia asks for balanced coverage & tells MSM to give people facts/details they need to vote or expect deep suspicions about its good faith.’

    You are right, Victoria. Love your work.

    http://theaimn.com/2013/02/02/a-broken-record/#like-513

  77. Mobius thanks for that. I have already commented last nights Lateline was worth watching, for more that the Ashby comments.

    I do hope they keep bringing Pyne out every day. He is priceless.

    I would like to add, Morrison now has a worthy opponent. One that does not carry the baggage poor Bowen was left with. Expect new developments in the near future.

    After all he said, he has four daughters, and it does not stop him.

  78. Follow on to the above story. I believe we are beginning to see in public what all who meet her in private, say they see. A very human, caring woman, she does not need a make over. One who has the guts to make the hard decisions.

    I can see clearly now: PM

    The Prime Minister has made a bold, perhaps revolutionary decision that has already flummoxed the MSM and will be fascinating to watch play out this election year.

    She’s detached herself from the 24 hour news cycle.

    Alex Ellinghausen The Pulse/Fairfax Media
    That’s why she looks grounded. Settled. Real. Her stridency has gone. She can even shed a tear in public, as she did today at her farewell press conference to two minister friends.

    I reckon she began moving into this new phase of her leadership after the public’s overwhelmingly positive response to her misogyny speech compared so starkly to the Press Gallery’s overwhelmingly negative one. Despite the powerful media forces determined to crush her, lots of Australians hadn’t heard their narrative, or at least hadn’t been smothered by it. They were frustrated too, and their sense of release hearing her speech released her too………………….

    ……………..After the Thomson arrest, she again traumatised the MSM by not rushing in to comment on or spin it. She’d been busy with Bundaberg flood victims, she said, and really, this was a matter for police. Which it is. So they reported she’d ‘deflected questions’ on Thomson, and got their revenge by highlighting smears by George Brandis that night that she had prior notice of the arrest and had timed her election announcement accordingly. His un-interrogated nonsense was big news, her prior categorical denial of foreknowledge buried………………….

    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/i-can-see-clearly-now-pm/

  79. ….Did you notice at today’s press conference that she gritted her teeth and set her jaw as the usual inane questions lobbed from journos? Contempt and endurance. And did you notice her wry smile when she said softly:

    I note that there’s some speculation today about obligations about balanced coverage. Well frankly balanced coverage I think is a very good thing.

    I would quite like to see around the nation an outbreak of balanced coverage. So if we do see that outbreak around the nation that will get a big tick from me.

    What I would say about balanced coverage is it ought to bring to the Australian people the facts and the details that they need.

    The Australian people are now in the situation where they don’t have to walk into a polling booth wondering.

    There is a sufficient time and sufficient space for them to have every detail that they need, every policy detail, every costing detail, and the obligation is on every participant in the 2013 election to put people in that position.

    And if they refuse to put people in that position, then I think people will be very, very suspicious why they are refusing.

    She’ll keep showing up to Press Gallery press conferences and take all the questions, despite the fact that journos give her no credit for it and fail to protest when Abbott runs a mile from facing hard asks.

    She will because she wants to keep proving to Australians that she’s up for it. Unlike Abbott, whose speech to the Press Club was designed to make the media like him, she’s transcended that tawdry goal………………….

    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/i-can-see-clearly-now-pm/

  80. Consolidated text of @CUhlmann tweets on the adverse finding against Jon Faine

    The ABC’s finding that Jon Faine is guilty of a “lapse in standards” in 2 interviews on the AWU slush fund is absurd. http://t.co/6pOOlvtd
    Jon challenged two journalists to defend claims that the Prime Minister acted improperly in her former career as a lawyer.
    Jon believes that, based on the publicly available evidence, the Prime Minister did no wrong. To date, the facts support that view.
    The interviews, which so shamed the ABC’s correctness commissars, were robust exchanges between a broadcaster and two journalists.
    Jon pressed them to lay out the key allegations and provide evidence to support their claims of wrongdoing. In short, he did his job. Well.
    Jon is one of the jewels of local radio’s crown and I am proud that I was once his producer. I await a robust defence of him from management.
    While on the topic. I also think it’s high time we fell in behind our peerless political commentator Barrie Cassidy.
    Margo Kingston reports 31/1/2013: I understand that ABC management ordered its Canberra journos to pursue the AWU slush smear against Gillard over objections from them that there was no story, just a Murdoch sting. They were right. As was Faine.
    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/faining-outrage-from-the-abc-management/

  85. “She doesn’t go off half c-cked.

    “……………….Former Age editor Michael Gawenda told Crikey: “She’s an icon of The Age and it would have been a different paper without Michelle all these decades.”

    Known to her colleagues as “Cobber”, Grattan is famous for her prodigious work ethic, commitment to balance and late-night phone calls to check facts with politicians.

    “Getting things right has been a defining feature of her journalism,” Gawenda said. “She doesn’t go off half c-cked. Even in her commentary she is always fair and accurate. Sometimes I thought Michelle could be bolder in her commentary, but the upside is she can always be trusted. In my memory, Michelle never got a big story wrong.”..

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/04/grattan-the-professor-but-is-she-leaving-the-age/

  87. I used to appreciate Grattan’s writing until about 12 months ago when she seemed to become inconsistent, perhaps trying to compete with the Murdoch media, perhaps. attempting to have a “balanced” opinion but to me ended up being all over the place.

  88. Known to her colleagues as “Cobber”, Grattan is famous for her prodigious work ethic, commitment to balance and late-night phone calls to check facts with politicians.

    None of which has been evident in her work over the last year or so, CU.

  93. Just found this little tit bit about fox news.

    Five Reasons Why Fewer People Trust Fox News Than Ever Before
    A poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling shows that fewer people than ever trust Fox News as a source for accurate news and reporting. Just 41 percent expressed trust in the network — down from 49 four years ago — while 46 percent said they distrust Fox. There’s an obvious reason why: Fox misrepresents facts and fudges its data to advance the conservative agenda. Indeed, it’s nothing like the “fair and balanced” network it claims to be. And, it seems, voters are catching on.

    Here are just five recent examples of how Fox skews the news:

    Fox owned by Murdoch, News limited owned by Murdoch, compare the story and decide for yourself. Too much of a coincidence I think.

    http://thinkprogress.org/media/2013/02/06/1552361/fox-news-trust/?mobile=nc

  94. Propaganda from Fran Kelly on our ABC is disgraceful.

    RADIO National Breakfast, yesterday:

    FRAN Kelly: Dramatic falls in staple crop production, and a jump in malnutrition are predicted across the Asia Pacific in coming decades due to climate change. . . (Dr Mark Rosegrant) . . . according to your research which crops would be most affected?

  95. Politicians and journalists in lockstep on march of idiocy

    The Liberal frontbencher is a grubby little willy-willy – not the impressive, swirling columns of the outback, but the small and insignificant ones that form in sandpits. Pyne is all fierce but facile energy, expending itself almost facetiously. There’s a glibness to Pyne, a sort of private schoolboy mischievousness, and the result is a public record of comments that have almost zero enduring worth. But, as night follows day, the willy-willy flares up, scattering gauche hyperbole across our headlines, and we breathlessly report it.

  96. Haha. The Australian in attempting to do a snow job for Abbott.

    “…people who earn as little as $180000.”

    Abbott’s new poor who need propping up by taking away from the majority who earn well under $180000, shit under half of that, those who earn “as little as $180000”.

  97. What I find hard to believe, why one can say, the same does not happen here. Why would that be so.

    “Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew; British singer-songwriter James Blunt; and Israeli television psychic Uri Geller are among the latest people to strike a deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp over phone hacking.

    The three were among 17 hacking victims who settled on Friday with News Corp subsidiary News Group Newspapers over its campaign of illegal espionage which set off a massive scandal when it was revealed in July 2011.

    Others on the list include actor Hugh Grant – whose settlement was first announced in December – as well as Doctor Who actor Christopher Ecclestone, former government minister Geoffrey Robinson, TV presenter Jeff Brazier and singer Kerry Katona.

    Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid was at the centre of the scandal. Prosecutors say the paper’s senior management conspired to hack hundreds of victims’ phones, including senior government ministers, sports stars, Hollywood royalty, and even crime victims in a bid to win scoops and boost sales.

    The scandal first broke in 2006, when two reporters were arrested for hacking into voicemails belonging to members of the royal family. But the paper engaged in an ambitious cover-up effort, arranging secret payoffs and repeatedly lying to the press, the public, and parliament in a bid to bury the scandal.

    The implicated executives – including Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, former confidants of Prime Minister David Cameron – deny any wrongdoing.

    A lawyer for Ferguson, whose split from Andrew in 1992 often made her a tabloid target, said the duchess did not believe the settlement resolved all her concerns regarding snooping into her personal affairs.

    Paul Tweed said in a statement that his client “remains extremely concerned that questions beyond the scope of these legal proceedings still need to be answered in relation to other instances of inappropriate and extreme intrusion into her private life”.

    The size of the various settlements was not disclosed, although previous deals have typically ranged from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

    On Thursday News Corp revealed that costs associated with the settlements, official inquiries, and myriad police investigations spawned by the scandal had taken another $US56 million ($A54.75 million) bite out of the New York-based company’s bottom line.

    http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=843867

  98. People who earn as little as $180,000/year need welfare more than people who live on less than ¼ of $180,000?????? What planet do these people live on, ffs?

    Are they in contact with any form of reality, ME?

  102. Amen to this. Let it be.

    “………..When I took Webdiary independent, a rich man introduced to me by Webdiarist David Eastman suggested a foundation, with several people of wealth making contributions. There would also be sponsors like the Lowy Institute. Tony Fitzgerald agreed to sit on the board and be the ethics supervisor, as a transparent, enforceable code of ethics is fundamental to establishing the trust and authority to make a mark.

    Imagine the difference a new media group as described would make to the almost non-existent debate on media regulation. Fresh air, folks.

    The time for action is now. Let’s hope the people who can make it happen get together and do it. For all of us.., ”

    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/independent-media-must-take-fairfaxs-place/#comments

  103. When is the penny going to drop with the Opposition, that asking over and over questions about the deficit and the MRRT only allows the government to remind the public what they have achieved, and what the public is in danger of losing.

    The shortfall in MRRT collections has already been factured into the budget, before Christmas.

    How many will be shown the door today.

  104. QT, Over a thousand have been returned to Sri Lanka since August. Many more in the same time period than Howard ever managed.

  105. Cu, and done via proper channels..that being people found not to be genuine refugees which compares with Abbott’s Boys Own Adventure of turning back the boats.

  106. Also, undermines what Ms. Bishop and Mr. Morrison said on their return from Sri Lanka last week They made an address on ABC 24 which no one took any notice of. Ir was mentioned, he told the Sri Lankans, out navy would be pAtrolling their waters, turning the boats back.

    In their talk, which I wasted time listening to every word, as they painted a rosy picture on the country for all, especially the Tamils. I got the impression, Ms. bishop believes every word that one tells her.

    Why the visit sunk into the ether, is beyond me, considering the effort the two put into their presentation.

  107. Mr. Morrison today move a private members bill to bring TV back. Why do we need those, as this government is not giving any visas to these people. Well not for many years, when they reach the head of the queue, for those in this region.

    Mr. Morrison, in his speech, whinged about, what he called fact, that the government should put all of the Pacific Solution back in place.

    Maybe Mr. Morrison can point out where Mr. Howard was tougher than this government.

    Mr. Morrison wants to bring back the TV, making them, work for benefits.

    After three years, they will be reassessed, if they cannot be sent back, the TV will be extended for another three years.

    This government, at this time is only issuing bridging visa’s that do not allow work.

  108. Abbot wants Unionist jailed, Now I might be mistaken but are not the two charged, already facing jail. Why the need for new leglisation?

    Shorten has already tightened up FWA regulations and fines.

    The bill will go nowhere, Just another Abbott stunt, to put the boot into the PM. Which he did with gusto.

    “……Trade union officials could be jailed for misusing their position or members’ funds under a private member’s bill put up by Tony Abbott.

    The Opposition Leader introduced his bill to increase union transparency under Labor’s Fair Work Act, into the lower house on Monday.

    ‘What this bill seeks to do is to put exactly the same regime … for unions and those running unions as applies to companies and those running companies,’ he told the chamber.

    Under the bill, union officers who don’t act in good faith or misuse their position could face five years jail and/or fines of $340,000.

    Current penalties were ‘manifestly inadequate’, Mr Abbott said, adding that Australian workers deserved clean, honest and well-run unions.

    Mr Abbott said the bill would be a test of Lab….”

    http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=844631

  109. “Why the visit sunk into the ether, is beyond me, considering the effort the two put into their presentation.”

    Maybe because of this little piece of embarrassment CU…

    Melbourne, Thursday – Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesperson Julie Bishop has given a misleading account of her meeting with Tamil representatives during her visit to Sri Lanka, according to a Tamil MP who spoke to her at length.

    Bishop told listeners to ABC Radio’s Connect Asia program on Tuesday that she had spoken to Tamil National Alliance MPs, and other Tamil people in the north, where most Tamils live, and had seen or heard no evidence of persecution of Tamils.

    “I am certainly heartened by what I see,” said Bishop, who last September called for all Sri Lankan asylum seekers to be sent home without assessing their refugee claims, a process which is illegal under the UN Refugee Convention.

    A Tamil National Alliance MP Sivagnanam Sritharan said in a Canadian Tamil Radio interview, replayed on Melbourne station 3CR on Wednesday evening, that he had told Bishop during a 90-minute discussion last Monday at his Kilinochchi office that:

    # Sri Lankan intelligence had raided his office two weeks ago and jailed two of his staff members, who still remain in prison. He gave documents to Bishop about the raid.

    #People in the Kilinochchi and surrounding Tamil areas were living in fear, that there was no improvement in their lives and that they were afraid to speak out.

    # Tamil refugees were fleeing to Australia because they could not live in peace in Sri Lanka.

    # Tamil villagers visited by Bishop and her party in the Keppapilavu village in the Mullaitivu district, the area where the massacre of at least 40,000 innocent Tamil civilians took place at the end of the civil war in 2009, were afraid to speak to her because Sri Lankan intelligence officers were watching them nearby.

    “We also asked the Australians to push for a political solution to the problems our people face in this country,”

    Sritharan said. “They told us reconciliation is the way to go. “We asked them: Do you see arresting University students under terrorist laws (last month) and sending them to rehabilitation camps as reconciliation?

    “Tamils who have been in rehabilitation camps are being re-arrested and placed in jails. Do you see that as reconciliation?

    “For many of our questions they maintained a silence. I felt that the intent of their visit was to see how they could stop the Tamil asylum seekers from getting on boats.”

    Click to access AUBishopTrip.pdf

  110. Bacchus, that question was asked of Bishop; at the time. Yes, it did make her look stupid.

    If so, why did not the ABC follow up with the story?.

    The naivety of the woman, that she believes they would tell a visiting politician the truth. Especially those who knew why the two were there.

  112. Migs, I was disappointed. So early in the morning. I thought we would get it all day.

    Not one whimper after that show. Yes, she looked stupid from the moment she opened her mouth. That is why I wanted to see it repeated.

    For the first time, in three years, she asked Emerson, a question in her shadow ministry. Once again botched it, as she did last week.

    PS. Morrison was no better. The show was definitely scripted.

  113. J Bishop is probably the most incompetent of the Lib front bench, and the most likely to fall first. If she falls, Abbott is left extremely vulnerable. That is why the MSM/ABC protect her.

  114. Min, the senate hearings on asylum seekers was told today that the surge of those from Sri Lanka has ceased,

    I suspected that was the case.

  115. ”We seem to have no coherence, no consistent view of the world. The only consistency we have at the moment is the pursuit of populism,” a Coalition frontbencher says. Another adds: ”We seem to be relying on the political advice of his office and his confidants like Christopher Pyne and George Brandis and Barnaby Joyce rather than the people who have been working on the policy.” The fact that Joyce is on that list incenses many Liberals.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/liberal-doubts-aired-at-crash-through-tactics-20111209-1onme.html#ixzz2KZS5RXPK

  116. Silkworm, I have absolutely no doubt at all that J.Bishop has been the token woman for a number of Liberal leaders. The least travelled, the least astute of any Foreign Minister or Shadow in living memory..if she believes that a kittenish meow and the death stare equates with diplomacy…

  117. ………………………………………..Mr Abbott says Australia does not need to spend billions on the National Broadband Network.
    A Coalition Government would redesign the project to limit the laying of fibre optic cable to suburban nodes instead of into homes.
    Mr Abbott has promised to abolish the Department of Climate Change and reduce staff in the Health Department, Education and Defence Materiel Organisation.
    He would reduce the federal public service by 12,000 nationwide through natural attrition and establish a commission of audit to test all cost reduction options.
    “Other questions that the Commission of Audit might ponder could include, whether the federal Health Department really needs all 6000 of its current staff when the Commonwealth doesn’t actually run a single hospital or nursing home, dispense a single prescription or provide a single medical service?” he said in a speech last year.
    “Whether the Federal Education Department really needs all 5000 of its current staff when the Commonwealth doesn’t run a single school? And whether we really need 7000 officials in the Defence Materiel Organisation, when the United Kingdom, with armed forces at least four times our size, gets by with 4000 in the equivalent body?”
    Last week he played down a Coalition discussion paper that included a proposal to force tens of thousands of federal public servants to go to northern Australia.
    Federal Parliament passed a bill last Thursday to extend the terms of departmental secretaries to a minimum five years, with a possible extension of another five.
    The Public Service Amendment Bill strengthens governance arrangements for the federal public service leadership, including reforms that strengthen the independence of secretaries and provide a clear statement of their role and the performance expected of them.
    The bill strengthens the apolitical nature of the APS by restoring the arrangement that operated under the Public Service Act 1922 whereby the appointment, and termination of appointment, of departmental secretaries is a matter for the Governor-General.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/pms-new-department-head-an-asset-20130211-2e81d.html#ixzz2KZTN5vBX

  118. Following

    Lenore Taylor
    ‏@lenoretaylor
    Excited to be Guardian Australia’s new political editor. Leaving for new opportunities, not – as Oz claims – due to Fairfax management
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    https://twitter.com/lenoretaylor/status/300708634273402881?uid=17353325&iid=20833c9b-a9e3-4d39-bb97-19b58680da43&nid=12+138+20130210

    The Guardian cannot come quick enough, Hope it is here before August.

  121. All happy in the Liberal camp. Of course Mr. Abbott would not interfere like the PM. Do not see any flying pigs either.
    Jut because we fo not read in the MSM what Mr. Abbott is up to, does not mean it does not happen.

    Plea: Under-siege Liberal Senator Gary Humphries has sought to rally federal Coalition colleagues to his cause, urging them to attend a drinks session with ACT preselectors. Humphries issued the invitation by email yesterday. “A number of you have asked me how you can assist in my fight to retain the ACT Senate nomination. On Wednesday night I’m holding drinks with members of the Liberal Party in the ACT. I would love to have you there to meet the members who will be making this crucial decision in a couple of weeks’ time.”

    I’ll be there: The invitation received a mixed reaction. Liberal Alby Schultz was particularly scathing, noting he had invited Liberal turncoat Peter Slipper and WA National Tony Crook, who sits with the independents and had defeated a sitting Liberal. “I most certainly will attend for no other reason other than to alert ACT Senate preselectors to your absolute lack of political nous.”

    Backers: Capital Circle understands Humphries is being supported in his preselection battle with Zed Seselja by Tony Abbott, George Brandis, Christopher Pyne, Greg Hunt and Malcolm Turnbull. Seselja is said to have the support of right wingers Sophie Mirabella, Mathias Cormann, Mitch Fifield, amongst others.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/capital-circle/pm-shifts-blame-on-tax-fiasco/story-fn59nqgy-1226575858842

  122. How low can the Opposition get, This is what the senate wasted their time on yesterday. Taking a fig at out two female leaders, for not wearing a poppy the day before Remembrance day.

    To me, such behaviors only highlights the fact, that the Opposition is finding it hard to find things to criticise.

    “Poppygate: Now it’s un-Australian, apparently, to go without a poppy on one’s lapel on the day before Remembrance Day. Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson was indignant yesterday at G-G Quentin Bryce’s decision to go poppy-less at a function with Prince Charles and Camilla on November 10 last year. Apparently it’s tradition in the UK to wear the poppy in the days preceding Remembrance Day. But not so in Australia. So much for the new era of opposition positivity.”

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/capital-circle/pm-shifts-blame-on-tax-fiasco/story-fn59nqgy-1226575858842

  123. Picard at NPC does not believe in journalist courses. I can only agree. He said they only teach how to say things.

    Would rather have a journalist that is trained in what he is reporting, such as law and politics, even cooking. . In other words, know what they are talking about.

    I get the feeling, questions are not being asked, because many journalist are not on top of topic.

  124. “TONY Abbott, the action man of the surf, the cycle, the quad-bike and the pulsing fire hose, seems to be running scared.

    In fact, when it comes to any form of close scrutiny, the bloke is making himself such a small target he’d be hard to spot even clad in one of his presumably vast collection of high-vis work vests.

    The small-target strategy is tried and true in politics and works especially well when you have an electorate looking to vote against an unpopular incumbent, rather than inspired to vote for what is a pretty lacklustre alternative.

    To be fair, it is somewhat unreasonable to demand finely costed detail of every policy measure prior even to the release of the May Budget.

    That said, there is a suspicious reluctance on the Opposition’s behalf to even offer a broad-brush, conceptual picture of how it is going to balance a dizzying array of tax and spending measures.

    Quite simply the numbers cannot possibly add up and both Abbott and his Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey look uneasy or evasive – or both – whenever they are faced with a rare question in this area.

    This is understandable when you are trying to sell a …

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/timid-tony-abbott-tenders-tiny-target/story-e6freon6-1226575659257

    Join Paul Syvret at noon today to discuss this issue.

    paul.syvret@news.com.au

    A must visit site. Live debate occurring.

  125. Emma Alberici on Lateline interrupting Tony Burke 4 times over MRRT. She did the same with Tanya Plibersek a few weeks ago.

    Alberici is a rude pig.

  126. Alberici, was doing as the Opposition has been doing for two days. Using today’s spot prices, that indicate the ore prices are back, I think to 80% of what they were previously.

    The give the impression that the miners are already getting this money, therefore it is not the prices that are causing the shortfall.

    The trouble is, those prices will not come into being immediately.

    I suspect, they will show up in profits in the second half of this year.

    That is why I do not understand why the Coalition is pushing it so hard, unless they still believe they can force an earlier election.

  127. Wonder why?

    “.Viewers turning off ABC1, just ask the Insiders
    BY:CHRISTIAN KERR From: The Australian February 13, 2013 12:00AM

    THE ABC’s flagship Sunday morning current affairs program Insiders is losing a larger share of viewers than other dwindling news programs on the national broadcaster’s main channel as the corporation fails to meet a raft of key performance measures.

    Briefing notes prepared for managing director Mark Scott for last October’s Senate estimates hearings, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, concede viewers are turning off the ABC even as the broadcaster chases additional taxpayer funds….”

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/viewers-turning-off-abc1-just-ask-the-insiders/story-fn59niix-1226576585548

  129. A couple of days ago Howard the Coward said it would be better for Labor if Rudd challenged Gillard. The next day, right on cue, the MSM followed Rudd around like a bad smell trying to get a rise out of him. Sucky, sucky MSM.

  132. Mark doesn’t just think so Min, the data fully backs him and the misrepresented data presented by The Australian damns them.

    It’s why whenever one of the closed mind right wingers here quotes anything from News Ltd I just ignore it. They have immediately lost any point they are trying to make because the chance is very high the information they are using is false.

  133. Murdoch misrepresenting stuff

    you mean like this

    ‘One of Rupert Murdoch’s most senior European executives has resigned following Guardian inquiries about a circulation scam at News Corporation’s flagship newspaper, the Wall Street Journal.

    The Guardian found evidence that the Journal had been channelling money through European companies in order to secretly buy thousands of copies of its own paper at a knock-down rate, misleading readers and advertisers about the Journal’s true circulation.’
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/12/wall-street-journal-andrew-langhoff

  135. From your link ME

    According to Mitchell, The Oz is stripping back on discounted print sales — a claim not borne out by the data.

    And from Sue

    Murdoch misrepresenting stuff

    Another day, another lie 😦

  136. Well there has been great harm done to the mining industry. Must be,m because Mr. Hockey and <r/. Abbott says so.

    …………………..Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, a Rudd supporter, came to the prime minister's defence.

    Some 63,000 mining jobs have been created in the past year and the $280 billion of proposed investment in the pipeline proves investors aren't fazed, he argues.

    Mr Ferguson went so far as to say the miners preferred profit-based taxation over much less efficient state royalties.

    Meanwhile, claims the government plans changes to the way superannuation is taxed, to help fix its budget problems, are also dogging the prime minister….

    http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1737442/PM-Gillard-fights-on-multiple-fronts

  137. …………..But Abbott appears to be prospering with his new “positive policy” strategy – he’s no longer regularly suspending question time to attack Labor – a game plan that includes bipartisanship on such issues as this week’s Act of Recognition for Indigenous people.

    The leaking of two uncosted and short-on-detail draft policies – on northern Australia and the building of dams – was spun as a show of “imagination” from the coalition in the lead-up to the September 14 federal election.

    Next week’s Newspoll will be scoured for evidence of improvements in the personal ratings of the leader dubbed “Doctor No” by the government.

    With the coalition already holding a clear lead in the two-party vote, a positive shift in the punters’ feelings about Abbott will cause further headaches for Gillard and Labor…………………………
    http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1737442/PM-Gillard-fights-on-multiple-fronts

    “The leaking of two uncosted and short-on-detail draft policies ”

    So this shows imagination????????????????????

  138. WTF from their abc @ approx 6:28 on the video,

    The lead-in ?

    Watch Chris Uhlmann’s Black Knight/Labor party analogy from 7.30.

    Toolman propaganda on behalf of the liars party from the abc?
    This is some serious shit for our democracy, considering the cops, msm, abc are all getting into the act.

    Living under fascist rule as the world’s ecosystems collapse at increasing rates in the face of AGW doesn’t look like a “golden” future to me

  139. You have to laugh if it wasn’t so demoralising.

    Yet another media beatup about Rudd challenging Gillard comes to naught, as the wise here and elsewhere said it would, unlike the right wingers here who got it wrong again.

    Just like the last beatup on it and the one before that they are blaming Rudd for the challenge that never was and was never going to be.

    This time though according to Riley on Seven it’s because Rudd wanted to challenge but didn’t want to take up a poisoned chalice so decided not to.

    This is what I mean that with the media they never lose no matter what crap they put out there even if it never comes to past or is proven to be false.

  140. By Anne Tan
    February 6th 2013

    On 6 November, 2012, an article with accompanying photo appeared on Michael Smith’s blog site. The post included a weblink to The Australian, and the article Gillard call would have ‘ led to fund inquiry’, by Hedley Thomas. Sandwiched between the headline and the article on Smith’s blog site was a photograph of the Prime Minister depicting her behind bars.

    I immediately lodged a complaint with the Press Council: ’…an article/accompanying photo in today’s copy of The Australian, and available through Google, has prompted me to [make] a complaint. I include the weblink and a copy of the page. I believe the photograph impugns the integrity of the PM, depicting her behind bars, and as a private citizen I am appalled at this journalism.’

    The Press Council advised that no such photograph had appeared in the digital or hard copy editions of The Australian and that it was a ‘doctored’ photo posted by a blogger. Obviously, my complaint was prompted by a ‘fiction’ and as such, I did not proceed. The Press Council dealt with the matter in a very timely fashion, contacted me by phone and email, and thanked me for bringing it to attention.
    I was then, and remain so, shocked by such a blatant and disrespectful representation of the Prime Minister.

    But what really happened…
    by Margo Kingston

    When Anne emailed me her complaint to the Press Council, I suggested she write a piece about her experience and noted that I would seek comment from Mike Smith before publication. I expected a ‘Yes, I photoshopped the pic., big deal, I reckon she’s guilty’.

    You never know the truth till you call.

    Mike’s response was surprising and disturbing, and we agreed that he would write a considered statement, published in full below.

    You make up your own mind about what went on in Murdo…………….

    Did News Ltd play Press Council? The photoshopped PM no-one will claim
    In Anne Tan, MSM, News Limited on February 22, 2013 at 3:34 PM………………
    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/did-news-ltd-play-fast-and-loose-with-press-council-the-photoshopped-pm-no-one-will-claim/#comments

  141. Same story on The RBA governor Glenn Steven’s comments on the economy today.

    Channel 10. All bad for the government. Terrible news and big problems for the economy because of the government’s handling. Bad for Swan. Interest rates won’t be cut. Stronger $A bad for struggling businesses. Economic gloom ahead.

    ABC News. Reserve governor upbeat about the economy. Good signs ahead, consumer confidence up, China recovering and other areas looking positive.

    Economy surprisingly upbeat.

    So which one is correct.

    $A rises on upbeat RBA comments
    AUDUSD Moves Back to 1.03 After Comments from RBA Governor
    $A higher on positive RBA comments

    etc.

  142. Maybe I am wrong, but I thought the fact that the interest rate does not need to fall, is because of the strength in the economy, not weakness.

    Can one explain why the interest rates continue to rise, was it 12 or more times, in the years of budget surpluses.

  143. So here is another example of the moronity of the MSM at the moment, especially over the Rudd never was challenge.

    Channel 7 Sunrise have a segment called “Master of Spin” that is supposed to be an exposé of spin but is often opinionated spin itself, as was the case this morning with Carro and Hilderbrand.

    Paraphrasing
    Kevin was always going to challenge and will challenge the moment he gets and opportunity, that’s and absolute fact.

    Kevin challenging has always been indisputable.

    OK, now the two have made these absolute assertions lets hear the facts of it.

    Kevin wants to be PM and is ambitious.

    Yes folks, that was the indisputable fact, Rudd wants to be PM. That single opinion from these two absolves all the MSM falsehoods on this and proves they were right all along. So you see people we had it wrong and in the face of the irrefutable evidence that, “Kevin wants to be PM,” we must recant and apologise for bagging the MSM for coming up with Rudd challenges whenever the polls were going badly for Abbott.

    You know we read and hear some utter crap from the MSM, more often now than ever, so most have come to expect it and should not be surprised at how low and inane they can go, yet time and again MSM stupidity still surprises me, and this was one of those times.

  144. Mobius, it’s all become very tiresome and déjà vu-ish. Always and always when Abbott puts foot in mouth the debate is immediately overwhelmed by the MSM’s diversionary tactics of (yet more) leadership speculation.

  145. Many in the media and Rudd supporters seem to be suffering from amnesia,

    To refresh their memories, I would like to take them back top before Mr. Rudd’s caucus, unceremoniously, in unison dumped him.

    I seem to remember, day after day, defending Mr Rudd on this and other sites from the attack on him from the media. Attacked from eating earwax to accusing him of lying about his childhood. It was relentless.

    Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. Does anyone else have memories from that time.

  146. VIEW WHO SAID WHAT AND WHEN
    Words matter. Explore how major parties use different words to shape key issues in Parliament.
    About this tool

    Kelvin Thomson
    Australian Labor Party
    18/02/2008
    The first issue is about becoming environmentally sustainable and combating climate change. The Australians who participate in GetUp! want meaningful action to combat climate change and sustainably manage our water, forests and marine habitats. GetUp! are overwhelmingly and urgently concerned about climate change over any other issue facing the nation. They want strong and binding emissions reduction targets by 2020, federal funding for research into renewable and alternative energy, and a robust carbon tax or trading scheme that does not favour large polluters. They are happy to pay more for energy needs to meet this end, although they point to the need for measures to ensure this is equitable. They want Australia to be a world leader in this sphere—leadership that will create the culture change necessary domestically and set the example internationally to avert a climate disaster. They strongly call on the government not just to legislate and fund but to proactively lead the way in creating a culture of sustainability. They finish with a quote:
    View in full
    @openaustralia.org

    http://partylines.theglobalmail.org/preset/Framing-Carbon

    Interesting graphs on this site.

  147. Fed up, I and I dare say Rudd has no doubt whatsoever that the personal attacks would immediately be launched if Rudd was to become leader again.

  148. Just thinking, could Gina’s foray into Ch 10 and Fairfax, lead to the final nail in their coffins.

    Maybe the Guardian, in the long run, might be interested in picking them up for a song.

  149. One of the reasons that I was glad to see Gillard make her run at the time, was that she would be better able to deal with such attacks.

    The PM has not been able to stop the MSM, but she does take it up to them.

    At the same time, I was sad to see the PM takes that poison chalice, as I seen it possibly preventing her to reach her truer heights.

    I am sure the PM was not happy at the way she had to become PM at that time. She is not that stupid and would have realise what she was up against.; Sadly, she was not ready, but the only one available to take up the cudgel.

    The fat lady still has not sung yet.

    The MSM would have eventually destroyed Rudd. It is a shame he cannot accept that. Rudd did do much good.

    For the same reasons. The pushing forwarded of Shorten makes no sense. He is an young man. WHy would he make his run now.

    Saying that, there are many more in caucus that would make excellent PMs. The party is richly endowed in this aspect.

    Who would take over from Abbott I have no idea, as I see no depth of talent whatever.

    If a funny way. Abbott is the best they have.

  150. Possum has it in for those who are blaming the media for the government’s woes.

  151. The people most often blamed for media bias causing the government problems are folks that are seen by less than 1% of voters.

    That tweet by Possum doesn’t even make sense.

    I have to say I disagree with Possum on his general thrust. He’s letting the media off too easily, and if he is insinuating that the government is mostly to blame, he has to spell out exactly what the government has done wrong, and what it can or should do to improve its stocks, and he has failed to do this.

    Sorry, Possum, I don’t trust your evaluation of the polls.

  152. ……………..I work in Canberra and this is what I can tell you about best. The change in the economics of the media and the change in the way the media works means that we no longer have specialists in those areas anymore. Now that sounds like a really small thing but it means that when a story is reported it’s reported by generalist reporters.

    In Canberra we’re political reporters and we tend to report it, and I’m using the Royal We here. I’ll take responsibility for the sins that are mine and that aren’t. We report it as a political story, as a matter of political controversy. There aren’t people in the key offices of the newspapers who would have written really detailed, well informed pieces backgrounding these issues, but that’s a sweeping generalisation. The guy who won the Gold Walkley in December was Steve Penros from The West Australian and he wrote about the Christmas Island tragedy – but it is now a rare thing that it happens.

    Now the Financial Review, which isn’t your mainstream Refugee policy paper I fairly concede, but we actually had a period, and this shows you how these things happen, where there are a whole heap of issues which the editor, the previous editor, there were a range of issues that business was just not interested in.

    Refugees was certainly one of them. Climate change was another, and we literally couldn’t get them into the paper. That extended to immigration generally, which was I thought was, well, a bit stupid because, you know, it’s the labour market…………….

    http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/why-dont-most-journalists-have-the-courage-of-their-convictions/#comments

  154. GEMMA DALEY AND JAMES CHESSELL
    Federal cabinet will consider a package of wide-ranging media reforms including new rules that would ­prevent Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp­oration from expanding its influence by acquiring free-to-air ­television or radio businesses.

    It is understood cabinet will review the much-delayed package of media reforms as soon as Monday. It includes a code of ethics for journalists, a tort of privacy and increased Australian content rules for FTA networks.

    The reforms come after two probes of the media industry – the Convergence Review and the Finkelstein inquiry.

    But it is believed that some of the findings of Ray Finkelstein’s 468-page report have been watered down, including the prospect of a “fit and proper person” test for media ownership and the extension of media regulation to cover online news sites with a minimum of 15,000 hits a year…………….

    http://www.afr.com/p/national/media_law_reforms_to_hit_news_corp_CMp6ukuS1vCoeVaY3QNeyH

  155. ………………………..If, as almost to a woman they insist, a Rudd challenge to the Gillard prime ministership is all but inevitable, how precisely is this transition supposed to take place?

    What would be the mechanism? How would Rudd wrangle the numbers? Does the will of the ALP caucus ebb and flow in simple harmony with the tides of external public opinion? Or is the internal reality a little more, well, complex?

    A journalistic consensus does not add up to a successful leadership vote, but maybe it’s time we changed all that. We’ve had years of trial by media and that practice is now well and truly established, and quite often cruelly effective. Perhaps it’s time for political leaders to be hired and fired in the same kangaroo court of mirror-image columns drawn from nervously reflective groupthink.

    That would save a lot of mucking about. We could dispense with the now time-honoured practice of anonymous internal whisperings reported as self-fulfilling certainties. After all, if anyone can construct a narrative – and every right-thinking political party should have a narrative – then surely it’s the country’s journalists. Let’s leave it to the experts.

    But what if the truly decisive internal logic around the ALP leadership is not in accord with the one spruiked with such unimpeachable, impatient conviction by the press?

    This goes back to the departure of Rudd in 2010, a coup normally put down either to Rudd’s awkward and demanding interpersonal style, the crushing defeat of his mining tax, his declining poll numbers, or the sense of disillusion and ennui that followed his backdown on carbon pricing.

    Less often considered is whether a leader exposed on all these fronts could have been defended without some sort of internal mechanism of support. You might call this a factional power base, you might even see roots that lead to the union movement. In Rudd’s case, you would be hard pressed to detect either.

    Which was, of course, part of the Rudd schtick … he was a man apart from the old mechanisms of power and preferment in the ALP. But was he also a man ultimately undone by the lack of those same networks?

    And here we see the point at which the current insistent media argy bargy around a Rudd challenge falls down: because Rudd is still that man apart, an MP without institutional backing and – worse in the eyes of those who filled his shoulder blades with cutlery – a man whose presence in positions of power threatens the “faceless” control of traditional party mechanisms.

    As equally faceless political blogger The Piping Shrike observed this week:

    Rudd’s dumping was not about getting “a good government that had lost its way” back on track, but discredited party brokers taking back the party they were in danger of losing. It’s the failure to understand the dynamic then that is why commentators … are missing the dynamic now.
    Which takes us to the present and the interesting question of why it is that folk of apparently sound political judgment like Bill Shorten and Paul Howes seem so resolute in their support of the profoundly unpopular Julia Gillard?

    There’s more to this than pick and stick, though it’s clear from their glad-handing, high-fiving appearances at this week’s AWU conflab on the Gold Coast that the PM and Wayne Swan know precisely who’s buttering their bread.

    Some might see a star appearance by Gillard at an AWU conference as another sign of her legendarily tin political ear … deaf it would seem to the sense of taint that might stem from close association to the union seen as being both her faceless coup backers of 2010 and more remotely to the vague but still festering allegations of imprudence from the 1980s.

    The greater truth is that when it comes to maintaining power and the vote of her caucus, the likes of the AWU are the true and ultimately telling power base. Why be photographed in happy combination with the likes of Bill Ludwig otherwise?

    This politics is being played internally. We are in the teeth of a power struggle and the votes that count are not those of the punters whose private opinions compound in the monthly fluctuations of the Nielsen poll. Of equal unconcern is the collective insistence of the press gallery.

    What counts for the PM is the only mechanism that can maintain her power, and that, at this point, is not the press, is not the people: it is purely internal.

    By the same logic, it is Kevin Rudd – somewhat perversely – who may be her greatest asset.

    Gillard’s backers must surely be political realists. They must sense the hiding that this leadership will bring to the parliamentary party come September 14. But worse, in some eyes, would be the elevation of a leader in the party hostile to various internal interests; a man, like Kevin Rudd, who would work actively to undermine and subvert traditional avenues to power and influence.

    Chances are that if any other member backed by any of the traditional sources of ALP power stood against her there would be a true, sudden and deadly contest. As things stand, far from being her imminent assassin – as the gallery would insist is the case – it’s more than likely that it’s Kevin keeping Julia in her job.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-21/green-imminent-assassin-or-final-shield/4530342

  156. “………AUSTRALIAN-BORN newspaper magnate Keith Rupert Murdoch and his son James may be summonsed as key witnesses in the forthcoming criminal trials of the employees and senior executives of his British newspapers, according to legal sources in London.

    The defence of the News Corporation staff may centre on whether they carried out their work without being aware that it was illegal, because such activities were a normal part of their duties and were common knowledge throughout the industry.

    It will be suggested to the courts that they could not have been expected to be aware that the duties to which they were assigned were illegal when their employers ordered them to do so.

    The trials are expected to begin in September…..

    http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/rupert-and-james-murdoch-to-appear-in-court-in-uk-phone-hacking-trials/

  157. A former Liberal Prime Minister, John Howard, appointed certain members to the board of the ABC to redress a perception of a Left-leaning bias in the organisation. Some of these board members are now in their second term. The board elected one of them, Mark Scott, to be its chairman Managing Director [corrected, Feb 9, 2013]. Mr Scott had previously served as a chief-of-staff and a political advisor to two Liberal NSW government education ministers and is a former Editor-in-Chief of the conservative newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). The anti-Left bias of the current ABC has followed on from Mr Scott’s former PM Howard’s appointments to the board [rephrased, Feb 9, 2013].

    The situation is not clear cut. The federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, recently said Mr Scott still had work to do to correct Left-wing bias in the ABC. The Australian newspaper (owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited, an active campaigner against the federal Labor government), occasionally criticises the ABC for being too Left wing. It seems to be that if you are not 100% behind us, you must be biased.

    http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/ideas-for-action-on-abc-news-bias/

  158. Stephen Conroy’s pitch to control the news
    BY:DAVID CROWE, NATIONAL AFFAIRS EDITOR From: The Australian February 28, 2013 12:00AM

    CABINET ministers have canvassed a startling intervention in news and current affairs to prevent television networks from striking partnerships with other media companies in a sign of last-minute changes to reforms due within weeks.

    Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is understood to have put the proposals to Julia Gillard on Monday night in an attempt to stop the Ten Network from working with News Limited to produce a Sunday current affairs program.

    As Wayne Swan joined the discussion, Senator Conroy suggested expanding his reform package to ban free-to-air TV networks from outsourcing news and current affairs to other media companies.

    Labor’s anxiety over the Meet The Press program on Ten contrasts with the show’s impact on public affairs, given the forum for political interviews draws fewer than 75,000 viewers on Sundays.

    And the high-level focus on the program appeared to ignore similar deals at the ABC in which Four Corners aired reports by journalists from Fairfax newspapers on subjects such as the Reserve Bank’s note-printing subsidiary and global warming in the arctic………….

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/stephen-conroys-pitch-to-control-the-news/story-fn59niix-1226587251535

  159. “You can’t build a strong corporation with a lot of committees and a board that has to be consulted every turn. You have to be able to make decisions on your own.” 😯

    “For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values. 🙄

    Rupert Murdoch’s Quotes

    In motivating people, you’ve got to engage their minds and their hearts. I motivate people, I hope, by example – and perhaps by excitement, by having productive ideas to make others feel involved.

    For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values

    I try to keep in touch with the details… I also look at the product daily. That doesn’t mean you interfere, but it’s important occasionally to show the ability to be involved. It shows you understand what’s happening.

    You can’t build a strong corporation with a lot of committees and a board that has to be consulted every turn. You have to be able to make decisions on your own.

    The buck stops with the guy who signs the checks

    Is there any other industry in this country which seeks to presume so completely to give the customer what he does not want.

    I’m a catalyst for change … You can’t be an outsider and be successful over 30 years without leaving a certain amount of scar tissue around the place.

    The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.

    There is so much media now with the Internet and people, and so easy and so cheap to start a newspaper or start a magazine, there’s just millions of voices and people want to be heard.

    Most newspaper companies still have their heads in the sand, but other media companies are aggressive.

    News…communicating news and ideas, I guess.. is my passion. And giving people alternatives so that they have two papers to read and alternative television channels.

    The Internet has been the most fundamental change during my lifetime and for hundreds of years. Someone the other day said, “It’s the biggest thing since Gutenberg,” and then someone else said “No, it’s the biggest thing since the invention of writing.”

    The buck stops with me, but I can tick off dozens of very good senior executives that are responsible for hundreds or thousands of people who work for me.

    You’ve got to look for a gap, where competitors in a market have grown lazy and lost contact with the readers or the viewers.

    I think we’ve been an agent for change, everywhere, and I think change frightens people. They’re going nicely in what seems like a settled industry, and someone comes in and says: “I can do this better. It doesn’t matter how nice that other one is.” That’s one of the distinguishing points of our acquisitions.

    Size and synergies between the different segments of the company matter. As far as we are concerned, the Internet is broadening our opportunity, as well as for other big media companies with huge resources in sports, entertainment and news. There’s just more opportunity.

    My ventures in media are not as important to me as spreading my personal political beliefs.

    In this country, Fox News has gotten a big, big audience that appreciates its independence. There’s passion there, and it’s pushed. … It has taken a long time, but it has now changed CNN because it has challenged them — they’ve become more centrist in their choice of stories. They’re trying to become, using our phrase, more fair and balanced.

    Nothing but hard work, taking your opportunities, taking your advantages. (How Murdoch has achieved his success).

    We have no intention of failing. The only question is how great a success we’ll have.

    What does libertarian mean? As much individual responsibility as possible, as little government as possible, as few rules as possible. But I’m not saying it should be taken to the absolute limit.

    I don’t run anything for respectability.

    I believe too many of us editors and reporters are out of touch with our readers. Too often, the question we ask is “Do we have the story? rather than “Does anyone want the story?”

    Success in the online world will, I think, beget greater success in the printed medium. By streamlining our operations and becoming more nimble. By changing the way we write and edit stories. By listening more intently to our readers.

    The digital native doesn’t send a letter to the editor anymore. Individual goes online, and starts a blog. What I worry about much more is our ability to make the necessary cultural changes to meet the new demands of the digital native.

    http://dreamcatcherrocking.blogspot.com.au/2008/12/rupert-murdoch-king-of-corporate.html

  160. Its a funny thing,… Broken Hill and Australian modern history….. modern industrialised mining started here…. Australia’s industial revolution started here….. union and Labor stronghold of workers rights started here….. o.h.s. (w.h.s.) started here….. union owned newspapers started here ( the Barrier Daily Truth)…. and blow me down even News Limited (sort of) started here via a paper called the ‘Barrier Miner’, a paper that a young Rupert worked at. ( drawing a long bow, as it were, but one wonders if his anti-union stance started here too !!!)
    “In 1922,Mr Davison went to Adelaide and founded the “News” evening paper which is now controlled by the Rupert Murdoch group. He died in London in 1929 at the age of 61 years, while attending an Empire Press Conference.”
    http://www.westyunited.com/2880/craker/page73.htm

  161. Just watching Leigh Sales on 7.30 Report interviewing Chris Bowen. What a nasty neoliberal she has turned into. Deviously promoting Rudd over Gillard, then denying it when Bowen confronts her. The most galling thing is that she actually flat out stated that cutting pensions is the responsible thing to do. Worth watching again and tearing apart. Now she’s confronting Flannery over the science of climate change. She has turned, and turned badly.

  162. Looks like news-libited has been caught out Making Shit Up again.

    AN ABC journalist has been disciplined by the broadcaster’s management over concerns that his online posts about the National Broadband Network failed to meet its “standards of objective journalism”.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/broadcast/journalist-nick-ross-reminded-that-his-work-must-be-in-keeping-with-abc-policies/story-fna045gd-1226592761565

    Mind you, there is dissenting opinion.

  163. Abbott out with all his women this morning. PM dividing the country, unlike him, who has visited many states this week. Is now in Melbourne.

    Who picks up the plane fares. The PM has also spent a few fdays is SA recently. You will not see him only working for some, if he becomes PM. Of course we will also see pink pigs flying.

    The PM has more to do wirth her time, that travel around the country.

  165. Fed up, yes and I’ll bet that those flying pink pigs give their frequent flyer points to Abbott too 😆

    It must be great to get paid shitloads of money to fly around the country promoting yourself … not a lot of value for the punters, is he? 😯

    Cheers 😀

  166. For photo ops and nothing more.

    The PM did

    Did make more that a couple of serious speeches.

    Did attend meetings, while at the same time attending to government business.

    By the way, the PM paid the hotel bill.

    Wonder how many people got some extra work during her visit.

    It appear to be work all the way.

  167. Fed up, yes and I’ll bet that those flying pink pigs give their frequent flyer points to Abbott too

    Hopefully they’ll give him a little more than just frequent flyer points, TS.

  168. Yes, there was a circus last week, out at Rooty7 Hill. It was not the PM that was the clown, but the media themselves.

    NOTE. Only a handful of people outside the motel.

    Send in the clowns
    Julia Gillard: it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself, to get to say hello to people, see what is on their minds, and also talk to them about what the Government is doing in this region and around the country to build their future.

    — Channel Seven, Sunrise, 4th March, 2013

    Welcome to Media Watch, I’m Jonathan Holmes. And as the media watching Julia Gillard kept complaining, she didn’t actually say hello much to the people of Western Sydney…

    Mark Riley: The problem for political image makers in allowing the Prime Minister to go out in public is, she might hear what real people have to say…and she mightn’t like it

    — Channel Seven, News, 4th March, 2013

    When dozens of media types are gathered together with not much to do, the hive mind starts working. Many, many mouths, but just one metaphor…

    Mark Simkin: There were circus like scenes outside the hotel at Rooty Hill RSL…

    — ABC1, Midday News, 4th March, 2013

    Paul Murray: Of course there is a media circus that is surrounding the Prime Minister and her trip here into ‘normal’ Australia

    — Sky News, Paul Murray Live, 4th March, 2013

    Caller Joyce: It’s just becoming a real, real circus.

    Ben Fordham: Yeah, and I think it is a circus, Joyce, thank you for the call.

    — 2GB, Drive with Ben Fordham, 4th March, 2013

    Lane Calcutt: Before she even emerged for the day, Julia Gillard’s media circus was in full swing

    — Channel Nine, News, 4th March, 2013

    You get the picture.

    It was a circus. And someone had sent in the clowns.

    Lord Monckton: She’s running very scared of working people just at the moment.

    — Channel Seven, News, 4th March, 2013

    Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, friend of the Aussie battler.

    Over on Fairfax Media’s websites, they were running a video of execrable quality about a Kevin Rudd impersonator…Original, eh?

    Fake Kevin Rudd: Julia! Hi it’s Kevin! Hi Julia! I’ve got your back ha ha

    — Fairfax Online, 6th March, 2013

    Honestly, who watches this stuff? But the nadir was plumbed – I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear – by Seven’s Today Tonight, with its embarrassingly unfunny Julia Gillard impersonation…

    James Thomas: What are you trying to do, Prime Minister?

    Unreal Julia: Well at the moment I’m bringing the budget back to surplus. I’ve got one more chance, um… Can someone please give Wayne Swan a call? I need another dollar.

    — Channel Seven, Today Tonight, 4th March, 2013

    After five excruciating minutes, it finally ended back at Kirribilli House…

    Unreal Julia: ‘Scuse me? Can you let me in please? I’ve lost my keys at the Rooty Hill.

    — Channel Seven, Today Tonight, 4th March, 2013

    Helen Kapalos: Scary. James Thomas having some fun there.

    Poor Helen Kapalos. In January, Today Tonight’s new Sydney and Melbourne presenter talked to the Daily Telegraph…

    Kapalos says Seven has big plans for Today Tonight. “The stories will be a bit meatier,” she says.

    — Daily Telegraph Online, 13th January, 2013

    Helen, they ALWAYS say that. And it’s NEVER true.

    http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3713143.htm

  169. We had a swing against Labor of 2.3 percent in WA.

    This was somehow beat up by the media, with great fanfare and allegations that Labor was on the edge of collapsing, that the PM was definitely on the way out.

    We had a call from a WA pollie that the end was nigh. People do not and will not vote for this PM, because they do not like her.

    At the same time we had the media complaining that Rudd was not running, Shorten had decline the invitation. In other words, no evidence whatever that there would be a spill. None whatever.

    The evening was topped off by polls that made them all look fools. No things are not worse for the PM. In fact, they are a little better.

    Could one hope, that today, the media pull off it’s attack, and get back to reporting what the PM says and does. Not what they believe she should be doing.

  170. JULIA Gillard will have a bounce in her step today with a three-point rise in support for the Government that will dampen talk of a push this week against her leadership.

    Today’s Newspoll, published in The Australian, puts Labor within striking distance of winning an election and has Ms Gillard back in front of Tony Abbott as preferred Prime Minister.

    Ms Gillard’s controversial crackdown on 457 visas for skilled foreign workers and her week-long visit to Labor’s problem area of western Sydney appear to have driven the boost.

    Newspoll shows support for Labor rose three points to 34 per cent while the Coalition fell three points to 44 per cent. The Greens were steady on 11 per cent.

    In two-party terms, the Coalition’s 10-point lead a fortnight ago has narrowed to four points with the Opposition ahead 52 to 48 per cent.

    Ms Gillard enjoyed a six- point leap as preferred PM to 42 per cent while Mr Abbott dropped two to 38 per cent.

    The national poll was taken at the weekend at the same time Labor suffered a drubbing in the WA state election that sparked calls for Ms Gillard to quit.

    Prime Minister Julia Gillard wore plenty of criticism over management of her visit to Western Sydney, but her bounce in the polls has been linked to that campaigning effort. Picture: Matthew Sullivan

    Cabinet ministers Penny Wong, Peter Garrett, Bill Shorten and Craig Emerson rallied in support of Ms Gillard ahead of today’s sitting of Federal Parliament.

    Chatter about the leadership and calls in some quarters for a change is consuming the ALP. Some MPs said there was despair about the ALP’s prospects at the September 14 Federal Election and “growing anticipation” of a circuit-breaker.

    Senate leader Stephen Conroy said Ms Gillard “is the best leader” and said voters would dump Labor if it didn’t pull itself together.

    “If the Labor Party wants to keep talking about itself and the lint in its navel then the Australian public will treat it accordingly,” he said.

    The PM met senior MPs and faction chiefs yesterday but sources insisted it was a regular strategy meeting.

    One of Ms Gillard’s supporters said “there’s no way she’ll throw in the towel” like Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu last week.

    Julia Gillard: Hanging on by a thread
    June 24, 2010
    Gillard becomes Australia’s first female Prime Minister after challenging Kevin Rudd. The incident becomes known as the ‘knifing’ of Rudd.
    August 2, 2010
    The PM says it’s time voters had a chance to see the “real Julia”. The move backfires when people ask: if it’s now time to see the real Julia, who was she before?
    December 15, 2010
    At least 30 asylum seekers die when their ramshackle boat breaks up after being tossed against cliffs in rough seas off Christmas Island. The incident reignites debate about boat arrivals in Australia.
    January 2011
    Gillard visits flood-ravaged Queensland, and is criticised by some commentators for lack of warmth. Her one-off flood levy to help Queenslanders recover is highly controversial.
    February 24, 2011
    Gillard breaks an election promise in announcing a carbon tax. Tony Abbott slams the announcement as “an utter betrayal of the Australian people”.
    March 21, 2011
    Gillard cops flack when she reveals she is opposed to gay marriage and, despite being an atheist, that she thinks it’s important for people to understand the Bible.
    March 23, 2011
    A carbon tax protest rally led by Tony Abbott in Canberra turns personal when anti-government demonstrators start chanting “ditch the bitch”. Placards at the rally read “Ju-Liar” and “Bob Brown’s bitch”.
    May 7, 2011
    The Gillard Government announces it is close to signing the “Malaysia Solution”. Issues surrounding human rights and unaccompanied children then dog the government.
    May 18, 2011
    The Prime Minister flicks the switch on the National Broadband Network on mainland Australia. Many commentators and the Opposition call it waste of money but Gillard says naysayers are out of touch.
    May 30, 2011
    The government suspends live exports after Four Corners exposes brutal mistreatment of Australian cattle in Indonesian slaughterhouses. Pastoralists’ livelihoods suffer as their cattle remain in limbo.
    June 15, 2011
    Newspoll shows support for Julia Gillard has crashed to a record low of just 30 per cent. The figure is lower than Kevin Rudd’s was when she replaced him.
    September 27, 2011
    Kevin Rudd adds fuel to leadership speculation when he makes a gaffe on ABC Radio: “I’m a very happy little vegemite being prime minister … being foreign minister of Australia.”
    November 23, 2011
    The mining tax is passed after parliament sits late into the night. The Opposition vows to repeal the tax if elected and accuses the Government of secretive “backdoor deals”.
    November 24, 2011
    Canberra is stunned by a deal installing Peter Slipper, a member of the Queensland Liberals, as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It shores up the government’s numbers but the ousting of Harry Jenkins, a popular and effective Speaker, is seen has harsh.
    December 2, 2011
    Gillard is widely criticised for “airbrushing” Kevin Rudd from ALP history at the party’s National Conference in Sydney.
    January 22, 2012
    Gillard reneges on a deal with key independent Andrew Wilkie to introduce measures to tackle problem gambling. Wilkie pulls his support from the government in retaliation. The move puts a new complexion on the installation of Slipper as Speaker.
    January 26, 2012
    One of Gillard’s key advisors is forced to resign after admitting he tipped off Aboriginal activists to incorrect reports that Tony Abbott wanted to close the tent embassy.
    February 24, 2012
    Kevin Rudd announces he will contest the leadership, saying Gillard has lost the confidence of the Australian people.
    February 27, 2012
    Gillard retains the top job after winning the challenge 71-31, but it comes at a cost as Mark Arbib resigns.
    March 26, 2012
    Queensland Labor is stunned with a landslide state election reducing the party to a rump in the parliament. Gillard says she respects the “shouted” message from voters, but rejects claims it serves as a warning to her own Government.
    April 23, 2012
    The PM is forced to defend her decision to appoint Peter Slipper as Speaker after allegations he abused his Cabcharge account and sexually harassed a former adviser.
    April 29, 2012
    Gillard accepts Craig Thompson’s resignation and stands Peter Slipper aside indefinitely. She says the scandals have “crossed a line”, but some commentators see it as another complete U-turn.
    May 8, 2012
    Voters were unconvinced by Gillard’s 2012 Federal Budget offering $5 billion in cost-of-living offset measures to counteract the impact of the Carbon Tax.
    May 9, 2012
    Gillard said she was “deeply disturbed” that a three-year investigation by Fair Work Australia found suspended Labor MP Craig Thomson had spent almost $500,000 of union members’ funds on prostitutes, fine dining, hotels, cash withdrawals, air travel and electioneering.
    May 10, 2012
    Gillard declared that US President Barak Obama’s support for same-sex marriage would not change her own view on the issue.
    June 21, 2012
    About 90 asylum seekers were lost at sea after a boat capsized north-west of Christmas Island. Rescue attempts successfully pulled 109 out of the water.
    June 28, 2012
    A second asylum-seeking vessel sank, claiming the lives of at least four people. Merchant and naval vessels rescued 125.
    August 12, 2012
    Gillard was forced into a major back-down by announcing the Government would nominate Nauru and Manus Island to be reopened as offshore processing facilities for asylum seekers.
    August 18, 2012
    It was revealed Julia Gillard had been under investigation when she resigned from her law firm Slater and Gordon in 1995. Questions had been raised about work she had done for her then boyfriend, a union boss accused of corruption.
    August 23, 2012
    The Australian reveals that Gillard admitted that the entity she set up for Wilson was a slush fund to raise cash for the re-election of union officials. Gillard breaks her silence, denying any wrongdoing and declaring the story is part of a sexist internet smear campaign.
    October 9, 2012
    A fiery speech by Prime Minister Julia Gillard slamming Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for being a misogynist gains global attention.
    November 11, 2012
    Wayne Hem swears in a statutory declaration that he made the Gillard payment and other payments after being instructed to do so by Bruce Wilson.
    November 15, 2012
    The Australian reveals that former AWU official Helmut Gries, who first raised concerns that union money may have been spent on Gillard’s renovations, now doubts that version of events.
    January 28, 2013
    First bloke Tim Mathieson attracts the wrong sort of attention for the following comment: “We can get a blood test for (prostate cancer), but the digital examination is the only true way to get a correct reading on your prostate, so make sure you go and do that, and perhaps look for a small Asian female doctor is probably the best way.”
    January 30, 2013
    Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces a September 14 election date, initiating one of the longest campaigns in Australian history.
    January 31, 2103
    Former Labor MP Craig Thomson is arrested at his electoral office on the NSW Central Coast and is charged with 150 offences relating to allegedly fraudulent use of union funds at the Health Services Union.
    February 2, 2013
    Ministers Nicola Roxon and Chris Evans announce their resignations ahead of the election.
    February 19, 2013
    Greens leader Christine Milne announces the end of her party’s minority government agreement with Labor over its failed mining tax. The Greens will continue to offer supply until the September election.
    February 26, 2013
    A Newspoll published in The Australian shows a five-point drop in support for Julia Gillard as preferred Prime Minister, giving Opposition Leader Tony Abbott a four point lead of 40 to 36 per cent. Last November, Ms Gillard enjoyed a 14-point lead in the preferred PM stakes.
    MPs who want a return to Kevin Rudd insisted he would not challenge and one backer said he believed the former PM would not take the job unless it was clear cut and on his terms.

    A rumour that spread through the ALP that Senator Conroy was sounding out numbers for a switch to install Mr Shorten as PM was dismissed as a prank.

    Special Minister of State Gary Gray, from WA, who also supports Ms Gillard, gave an insight to the fragility in the caucus when he conceded a leadership ballot was a possibility. But Mr Gray said the Howard government had faced seemingly sure election defeats in 2001 and 2004, yet still won.

    “I believe not only can Julia Gillard win, I believe Julia Gillard is capable of governing not just for the next term, but for the one after that. She’s a Prime Minister of great standing, great quality, great character and great tenacity,” he said.

    http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/labor-bounces-back-in-surprise-newspoll/story-fncz7kyc-1226595110523

  172. Their ABC at work;
    Describing today’s Newspoll three point increase as a “small lift” in Labor’s electoral fortunes. A swing of about two & a half against them in W.A. on the weekend was a comprehensive drubbing, an electoral disaster, proof that Julia Gillard can’t etc, etc.

  174. Miglo
    Like many, I suspect, I’ve voted with my off switch as far as the ABC’s concerned. The news with a salt shaker ready to hand & reruns of English cop shows is all I watch now. None of their “current affairs” stuff. Not Media Watch anymore either.

  175. A lot of us progressives had our hopes raised when the PM appointed Jim Spigelman as CEO of the ABC. Alas, he has dashed our hopes. There has been no change in the right-wing bias evidenced in ABC reporting. One would think the PM would have been a little more diligent in ensuring the objectivity and fairness in ABC reporting given that much of the right-wing bias in the ABC is directed at her.

  176. Just saw Turdball saying how the new media legislation is Baaaaad 😯

    John Faine gave him a bit of sarcasm, and Turdball came back with shock and horror at the prospect that a mere broadcaster had the temerity to question the level of hypocrisy in the print media, as he (Faine) pointed out that the Daily Terrographs front page emphasised the need for the the changes. 😯

    TURDBALL? Mmmmmmm 🙄

    http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/abbott-when-theres-no-barge-pole-an-opinion-poll-will-do/

    Cheers 😀

  177. So you believe the proposed media legislation is good?

    The true test if this legislation is so good, would you be comfortable if the coalition gets in and has these powers over the MSM?

    Comfortable???

  181. The proposed legislation is ill indeed. The media and Opposition’s over the top reaction says it all.

    One needs to remember, the media still has the power, as a gatekeeper in society.

    One needs to ask, who is the media there for, In this day and age, when the mighty dollars rules, an the bottom line is advertising.

    If this is the case, society also needs to force the media to be accountable. Yes, there is free speech, but most thinking people would also believe, this free speech also carries responsibilities.

    Al rights carry responsibilities.

    I cannot help but feel that this government has set another trap for Abbott.

  182. scaper, the truth is before you every day. Just follow what the media has to say.

    What is more important, is what they are not saying.

  183. If the Liars and the msm hate the legislation, Conroy must be on the right track. I hope that truth in news reporting is included in the legislation.

  184. The Greens and the Independents (even Katter) are saying that the proposed legislation is quite weak and doesn’t go far enough. Conroy’s proposal may just be testing the waters, but if the govt is willing to work with the Independents, stronger legislation may yet emerge.

  185. Silkworm, without knowing how the legislation is worded it seems likely that it needs to be fairly benign at this stage to as to avoid the potential of a high court challenge. Heaven help us, given the completely over the top reaction from the DT can you imagine the squeals had the legislation been any “stronger”. I’m with you, Conroy may indeed be testing the waters..it seems that Katter has come on board with this in the legislation’s current form.

  187. Sometimes one wonders why one takes even a detached interest in the governance of this land.
    Adelaide TV news tonight detailing a debate between the Labor premier & the Liberal opposition leader. The reporting I thought had a reasonable tenor of bias toward the Liberal. We heard the Liberal man favours Business Led Initiatives for the State, this going down a treat with the Business Folk who formed the audience & appeared to judge him the winner.
    Moving on to the next news item, we learn that a Business, a large Insurance Company, has pulled the pin on its underwriting business construction insurance, presumably because there’s no Money in it. And the media of course immediately wants to know “So what’s the government going to do about THAT then???!!!”

  189. Min, Margo’s webdiary was my first experience of blogs. Her address was published in Not Happy John. It’s lovely to see her writing again.

  190. OK the media is becoming absolutely ridiculous now.

    I’ve posted Rudd’s funny St. Patrick’s day speech here: https://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/cafe-talk-xx/#comment-141058

    Now I defy anyone to find in that speech where Rudd is saying he’s going to challenge for the leadership because the Labor party is in turmoil.

    Yet that is exactly what two breakfast news bulletins I saw on TV this morning said. Rudd in a St. Patrick’s Day speech has said he’s going to challenge for the leadership because senior Labor Party strategists are worried about the turmoil in the party and that speech shows him issuing the intent to challenge.

    The media and journalism in this country have gone way beyond being a joke, they have deteriorated into infantile, bullying and deceitful miscreants without a modicum of ethics or morals.

  191. Could not be desperation on behalf of the media. I think that Rudd is enjoying himself setting the media up. The media are so up themselves they cannot see this,.

  192. ME, loved Rudd’s speech. He seemed to be in fine form and thoroughly enjoying himself. He certainly had me chortling.

  193. Question: if as the MSM states, media reforms are to place more power in the hands of government, then why is the MSM so vehement in their opposition?

    As it seems that there is a very good chance of Abbott becoming prime minister, then WHY would Labor want to enable the Liberals to have even more influence over MSM than they already have?

    It would seem that Senator Conroy is correct, it is not about government control as the MSM would have us believe but all about upholding existing standards.

  194. What does this headline mean. What has it got to do with the body of the story. Have they got to get the impression of lying into all articles.

    PM haunted by the mendacity of despair

    HENRY ERGAS From: The Australian March 18, 2013 12:00AM 44 comments

    RUSHED policy, as Kevin Rudd discovered with the mining tax, is bad politics. And bad politics can be harmful to prime ministers and other animals.

    Rushing is costly because it leads to carelessness. And in tight fights, even small mistakes count. Julia Gillard should know that better than most; but in scrambling to salvage what she can from Labor’s collapsing edifice she shows every sign of having ignored it.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/pm-haunted-by-the-mendacity-of-despair/story-fn7078da-1226599344113

  195. Fed up, couldn’t read the entire piece, but I imagine it’s full of vacuous nonsense if the header is anything to go by.

    The mendacity of despair……

    What on earth does that mean? Pompous, meaningless rubbish, written by a pompous meaningless Murdoch cipher.

    Followed by more meaningless bullshit and then no doubt, hidden behind the paywall paragraph after paragraph of whiny crap about Conroy’s bill and how it’s a threat to the Meredoch press’ freedom to lie, smear and obfuscate about the government and push Liealot’s barrow.

  196. Yes, behind thr paywall. What is “lying of despair”?

    The following paragraph makes little sense as well.

  197. Pompous, meaningless rubbish, written by a pompous meaningless Murdoch cipher.

    It seems that rineharts ciphers are trying to out murdoch the man himself.

    And an important member of the Labor Right faction, Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr, has told colleagues that he lost confidence in Ms Gillard some time ago.

    http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/ministers-desert-pm-20130318-2gbba.html

    Unfortunately, they have a way to go. When making up leadershit articles, you stick with ‘sauces’ , cos actually naming them means that you might get busted.

    But Senator Carr sent out a statement less than two hours after the article was published online, saying it was wrong.

    “An article in today’s Age and Sydney Morning Herald makes comment on the ALP leadership,” Mr Carr said in a statement early on Tuesday morning.

    “The views attributed to me in this article are incorrect and no comment was sought from my office.”

    http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/carr-says-he-was-sourced-incorrectly/story-e6frfku9-1226600211180#ixzz2Nu9i1YuX

    Amateurs.

  198. Once again the MSM are found out blatantly lying, yet the government still refuses to bring in truth in media reforms, WHY.

  200. Tom, I was just reading that one over morning coffee and thinking OMG, that doesn’t sound like “always the professional” Bob Carr. Thank you for pointing out the reason that it didn’t..it’s because it WASN’T. Presumably a HEADLINE retraction will now immediately follow.

  201. The TV News bulletins this morning led with, “Senior Labor figures have lost faith in Gillard.” Carr was either mentioned or pictured.

    Doesn’t matter that it was a lie to begin with the damage is done and Ltd News, whilst telling the Senate Enquiry it’s all about accuracy, gets away with yet another lie and another deceit.

  203. And there are those who state, why doesn’t the government do more to correct these lies. I suppose that the answer is that those with the biggest mouth gets believed.

  204. Media Watch.

    Meanwhile, if you’re thinking of complaining to the Press Council about the Telegraph’s coverage, don’t bother.
    A number of people have already tried. The response ?

    The Council will not be processing complaints concerning articles dealing with government proposals on media reform. This is because the subject matter directly concerns the Council and we might be seen to have a conflict of interest.

    — Australian Press Council to complainant, 13th March, 2013

    Catch 22.

    BTW, there’s many more revealations in the UK re Murdoch and phone tapping Rupert has great respect for privacy. But be assured he only engages in that type of criminality in the UK. Here, he and his minions are pure as the driven snow.

  205. Mr. Carr was very clear on the ABC radio this morning, that the whole story was a lie. Pointed out if anyone contacted him or his office, they wouod not been abole to run the story. That is, they did not do their job.

    Listen to law professors talking about the media bills. The said there would be this outcry from the media, no matter what was put forwarded. They were clear, this is nothing about freedom of speech but holding the industry to account. There are many staturoy bodies set up for other reasons, rthat act indepenedency.

    Frinskstein appearing before the hearing. ABC 24.

  207. Wherever the PM has support of her causcus has not been canvassed, it is clear, they say she does not enjoy the support of all. We take i then that Mr. Abbott enjoys the support of all.

    Bullocks, no leader enjoys the support of all.

    Even Hitler and Chuchill had their detractors.

    It is the way it should be. We elect a single MP to each electorate. Each is given a mandte to act on behalf os their constitutents. It is the collective vote, that enacts leglsiation.

    News for the media, it is the majority that counts. One does not need or expect the support of all.

    There are nut cases in all parties,

    …………..Although Ms Gillard’s caucus support has not been canvassed seriously since the Rudd challenge, it is doubtful she now enjoys the confidence of the majority………………

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/ministers-desert-pm-20130318-2gbba.html#ixzz2NwmNkw3j

    ABC 24. Finkelstein. There should be no group in society that has the right to do as they please. This appears to be the media’s whole case. They are above accountability. Is that really on.

  209. I was just thinking, maybe the attempt to get through these media laws quickly has been a stroke of genius.

    What has occurred. We have the issue right out in the public view. Thanks to the two government hearings, the public is being flooded with views from both sides. The action of the media, plus what has occurred, had made the public sit up a look.

    The media have been forced to pull out all stops. If there was not that deadline, and was to be voted on during the budget session, the media wouls be able to slow burn the government.

    The PM was asked yesterday, if she intended to take this policy to the elections. Her answer was, we will continue through his present process.

    I would say, the PM will have built a strong case to take to the election.

    What most that are saying “no”, is because the leglisation does ot go far enough. It appears the public agrees.

    There is a Liberal who keeps asking, why if we have got through a century without regulation, why now?

    The answer to thar is simple. One man has got control of 70%. Added to that is the likes of Rhinart and her ilk, seeking to control what is left.

    That is why now.

  210. Min, the lies are corrected all the time by Labor MP’s. It just does not get coverage, When it does, it is done with ridicule.

    Where are the headlines today, that Abbott looks like ending up in court, in what could be a very serious case.

  211. Mr. Christopher Berg is being torn apart by senator Cameron. Senate hearings.(IPA). Usual lies coming from the man.

  212. Presumably a HEADLINE retraction will now immediately follow.

    On the back page next to the obituaries, I assume, Min.

    Col @10.01am, another 800 people’s phones hacked, not just by NOTW. Other Meredoch print media up to their necks. And there is an Australian connection to Camillagate. The stench of corruption in the Meredochracy gets stronger every day.

  213. Presumably a HEADLINE retraction will now immediately follow.

    Either that, or the nightly news will run it as a major ‘story’ with Government ministers forced into an ‘uncomfortable defence’ or the PM.

    The liars and manipulators win again.

  214. I should add, to remove all doubt about my above comment, this is precisely how it was run on the 9 news tonight.

  215. I think that Turnbull might be launching a fillerbuster within the house. He has been talking for ages. His performance could earn an academy award, so spirited and animated. .

    One could believe he is back in court.

  216. Turnbull still going. Now onto NBN, Seems to be searching for things to say. Did not know we could have filibusters. I thought they just fill the list up with as many speakers as they can get. Back to the bill.

    We seem to be having what they do in the USA./

    Stopped at last.

  217. I see Torbay has dropped(?) out of contesting Windsors seat

    The news comes after Nationals candidate Richard Torbay suddenly withdrew as the party’s candidate for the seat of New England.

    Mr Torbay confirmed late on Tuesday night he was standing down and was seeking legal advice on speculation being made about his withdrawal by the Labor Party and the office of key independent Tony Windsor, who currently holds the seat.

    Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news/nationals-man-richard-torbay-quits-in-murky-circumstances/story-fncynjr2-1226600996759#ixzz2O1757EyV

    Well, I haven’t actually seen any politician speculating, particularly when you read this from the same story.

    Mr Windsor declined to comment on the resignation until he had more details. He was locked in a meeting on media reform.

    Interesting that not a mention for the reason for Torbays dis-endorsement by the Nationals for this seat After all the ‘speculating over AWU, Slipper and Thom(p)son, why the sudden desire not to speculate? It couldn’t be due to his political alignment could it?

    I’m all for protecting an individuals right to privacy, and the medias role in not insinuating things into that speculation, but considering the manner in which the previously mentioned three cases have been openly and often inaccurately ‘speculated’ over on the front pages for the past two years, the hypocrisy is astounding. And just another obvious reason why we need some sort of media action taken.

  218. And Torbay is not the only conservative with links to Obeid Tom, with O’Farrell’s camp also entangled, something that is being kept very quiet indeed.

  220. something that is being kept very quiet indeed.

    There is a lot being kept quiet at the moment ME. Pretty much everything except leadershit. The first two of six media reform bills being passed is all with a ‘despite Gillard’ attitude, then onto another leadershit.

    There is so much going on that is wrong in the opposition camp, but the eye of mordor is implacably watching where it wants us to watch, not where the action is taking place.

    Also, completely coincidental that leadershit has reached another crescendo in a newspoll week ….. again! Although, it is so constant now, it is hard to determine when it’s on or off.

  221. ME @7.25am, thanks for the link to Mike Secombe’s piece. Very instructive indeed.

    The link provided in his piece wrt the new legislation in Britain is also very instructive.

    If I were the PM, I would be inclined to drop a few grenades in the opposition trenches, by agreeing that the current legislation isn’t good enough and advising that the government is considering scrapping the current legislation and adopting the UK legislation chapter and verse.

    Now that would really give them something to squeal about. 😯

  222. Tom R, can you smell the corruption in the air? i think Obeid won’t just be taking Labor down the tubes.

  223. Lateline: Bob Geldof shutting Emma Alberici up, contradicting her on the effectiveness of the Occupy movement.

  224. Abbott’s paper armour

    Finally a balanced article from Tony Wright

    If the media in this country were to do a fraction of their job in holding all major parties to account then Abbott and the opposition would collapse like a house of cards in a cyclone.

    Says a lot about the lack of intelligence of the Abbott followers that they are more than comfortable with his paper thin policies, lack of policies, socialist agenda and undermining of democracy for the benefit of the very wealthy in this country.

  225. Concerned about the environmental credentials of the lnp?
    CSG Approvals Farce
    Perhaps the lnp is only interested in furthering primary industries instead ?
    Think again
    READ HERE

    Authorities in New South Wales and Victoria plan to cut funding for fruit fly control programs in July, leaving growers to carry virtually the whole cost themselves.

  226. On any measure over a long time now the LNP have never been better for rural areas than Labor, and that goes especially at the State level. You saw it under Kennett where he decimated the country areas and towns with a toady National Party in tow, and you are now seeing it with Newman.

    Yet the rural constituency nearly always vote against their own benefit in choosing Liberals or Nationals, who are nothing more than Liberal arse-lickers, except when they see some sense and vote for an Independent.

  227. ……Abbott and the opposition would collapse like a house of cards in a cyclone.

    Someone walking past would do it, ME.

    And I suppose the clowns will still vote Liars, pterosaur1. I wonder how they’ll spin it as Labor’s or those commies, the Greens, fault?

  229. Meanwhile, ltdnews, belatedly, gets a tap on the backside from the Press Council for MSU. Wonder when this will be reported by their papers?

    The Council considered a complaint about a news article headed “PM Julia Gillard ‘slapped down’ at G20 summit by the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso” which appeared in the online version of The Daily Telegraph on 19 June 2012.

    http://www.presscouncil.org.au/document-search/adj-1561/

  230. Tom, exactly and precisely. The Headlines should read: Today’s “opinion” sponsored by..the gambling industry – billionaire miners – the climate denialist industry – the superannuation/private health/private school and “other” industries.

    Perhaps we could play a game..it’s called Spot the Sponsor.

  231. Tom, on these sort of adjudications I’ve seen it before while a disability advocate, that by the time any sort of ruling is made, it is always too little and far too late. The piddling penalties plus the time that it takes to get these things to court means that the perpetrators have X time; months sometimes unto years to keep doing what they’re doing.

  232. I find it more than a bit “iffy” (thanks Min :grin:) that the ABC, in its latest NBN story,
    Turnbull unveils Coalition broadband policy
    purports to examine the differences between the various policy offerings, somehow manages to ignore the articles by the ABC’s Nick Ross, which provides an exhaustive breakdown and evaluation of the NBN proposals on offer from the major parties
    I wonder why not – particularly in considering that NR was paid by the ABC to write the articles? Which were/are available online at the ABC.website?
    I would have thought a link to NR’s articles would have been appropriate, given the cursory treatment of the same subject matter in today’s report.
    Could it be that the management doesn’t want “inconvenient truths” spread around too much?..

  233. Could it be that the management doesn’t want “inconvenient truths” spread around too much?

    Lay down misere, pterosaur1.

  234. I note that channel 10 is going broke at a faster rate (good one Lachlan) and blaming the wonderfully uplifting show “Being Lara Bingle”.

    It’s just a matter of time before their ABC copies the show and I suggest “Being Latika Bourke”. The show would feature Latika doing a Donald Trump impersonation and going around saying “YOU’RE BLOCKED”

  235. going around saying “YOU’RE BLOCKED”

    Nice one lunalava. Also, what a great way for a tax-payer funded reporter to treat tax-payers, all because they point out ‘inconvenient truths’

  236. Last night on The Project they interviewed John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), and Lydon went ballistic on Carrie Bickmore for interrupting him. The panel picked him up for his sexist behaviour, but forcefully denied that Bickmore had instigated the stoush by actually interrupting him. If you listen to the interview you can plainly hear Bickmore interrupting Lydon, and talking over him. She was very rude, and she refused to admit her wrongdoing. I have come to dislike Bickmore ever since she admitted a few weeks ago that she used to have a crush on John Howard!

  237. I don’t think dirk and most of it’s troll brethren are actually real people – more like one of a number of “managed persona” probably, in it’s case by Bernardi et.al, on behalf of the lnp.
    A bit far-fetched? Here’s a bit of HISTORY
    George Monbiot HAS A BIT TO SAY too,

    Emails obtained by political hackers from a US cyber-security firm called HBGary Federal suggest that a remarkable technological armoury is being deployed to drown out the voices of real people.

    As the Daily Kos has reported, the emails show that:

    • Companies now use “persona management software”, which multiplies the efforts of each astroturfer, creating the impression that there’s major support for what a corporation or government is trying to do.

    • This software creates all the online furniture a real person would possess: a name, email accounts, web pages and social media. In other words, it automatically generates what look like authentic profiles, making it hard to tell the difference between a virtual robot and a real commentator.

    • Fake accounts can be kept updated by automatically reposting or linking to content generated elsewhere, reinforcing the impression that the account holders are real and active.

    • Human astroturfers can then be assigned these “pre-aged” accounts to create a back story, suggesting that they’ve been busy linking and retweeting for months. No one would suspect that they came onto the scene for the first time a moment ago, for the sole purpose of attacking an article on climate science or arguing against new controls on salt in junk food.

    (my emphasis)

  239. Did my ears just deceive me, or did I hear Hamish McDonald on Channel Ten’s Late News just say that parents who don’t get their kids vaccinated were not misinformed, but just held a different view? I mean, what the fuck?

  240. Leigh Sales just saying “Well, all dream runs come to an end…”
    I thought she was going to say the MSM was finally going to start asking Abbott some questions but it turns out she was talking about a horse.

  241. I note that Chris Uhlmann has decided Chris Bowen will be the opposition leader when Abbott is elected. That would mean the Labor party in opposition for about ten years – a just outcome for all those Labor Party rats who constantly undermine the current Prime Minister.

  242. a just outcome for all those Labor Party rats who constantly undermine the current Prime Minister.

    It would be if it just affected them. Unfortunately,. Labor supporters will suffer to, or go …..?

    Kicking them out of the party is what should be done. As to ulman himself; he is a fucking disgrace!

  244. Tom, that is now even on news.com..

    Van Onselen, who witnessed the threat, told news.com.au a male, “very senior member of Abbott’s staff” told the prominent Australian, who works in the not-for-profit sector, he would “cut his throat” when “we” are in Government.

    Is anyone surprised? What do people think that Windsor and Oakeshott copped..continuous threats, if not of physical violence but to ruin the person.

    http://www.news.com.au/national-news/tony-abbott-staffer-well-cut-your-throat/story-fncynjr2-1226624063491

  245. I’m impressed with it getting the coverage it is Min, even more the fact that abbott is apparently going to front the press.

  247. Channel Seven morning news just ran an item on the “cut throat” comment. They also identified the staffer as director of policy Dr Mark Roberts.

  249. Tony Abbott’s director of policy Dr Mark Roberts has been counselled after he threatened the head of an Australian indigenous body with the loss of federal funding.

    An eyewitness to the exchange, at last night’s Qantas gala dinner in Sydney, said Dr Roberts had behaved aggressively towards the chief executive of the non-profit organisation.

    The Australian’s Peter van Onselen said he heard Dr Roberts say to the man “words to the effect of, `I’ll slit your throat in government, I’ll cut your funding’.”.

    Van Onselen said there was “certainly no animosity” on the part of the organisation’s head, and he could not understand what had caused Dr Roberts to make the comments.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/tony-abbott-staffer-apologises-for-dinner-clash/story-fn59niix-1226624213359

    I can think of a reason – racism.

  251. I suspect we will be quickly back to the days of Howard. That is all criticism of the govenment by NGO muzzled by not being allowed to speak out written into any contract of any grants given.

    That means they will not be able to carry out their obligations, to work on behalf of the people their organization is set up to work for. .

    Yes, true believers in free speech.

  252. North Coast Voices reports that the Abbott family (wife and daughters) has spent $10,000 of Commonwealth money on transport in the last 6 months.
    Can anyone tell me why Peter Slipper is facing court for spending a lesser amount on Cab charge.

  253. I watched Abbott lament the fact that it would be difficult to sack Dr Roberts (the racist) because of the unfair dismissal laws – and they say Tony doesn’t have a sense of humor

  254. I watched Abbott lament the fact that it would be difficult to sack Dr Roberts (the racist) because of the unfair dismissal laws

    Even though this is demonstrably false, he is allowed to say it unchallenged by our media. PvO was aware of this when he said it to him, and let it go.

  255. Gillard “FAILS” again

    New South Wales has become the first state to sign up to the Gillard Government’s multi-billion dollar Gonski school funding plan, the ABC understands.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-23/gillard-and-ofarrell-to-announce-gonski-funding-deal/4646138

    Recall those scribes the other day saying what a huge failure this Government is?

    https://www.google.com.au/search?q=gonski+coag+fail

    And they wonder why their ‘business case’ is broken. 😯

  258. What a pathetic drivel attempting to pass the blame for the media’s appalling political coverage back to the politicians themselves.

    Ms Gillard hardly managed to sell for a day her execution of an agreement for which most Western world leaders would have given their eye teeth. Having explained it in no more than a press conference and a media release before boarding her media-free plane home, the matter faded from media and public conscientiousness with astonishing swiftness.

    http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/something-has-been-broken-at-the-heart-of-politics-20130426-2ik0p.html

    Let’s examine that a little closer now shall we, and look at the money quote

    Having explained it in no more than a press conference

    A press conference, where questions are able to be asked. But what questions were asked? If it goes on recent history, it would be either about Rudd or the polls. The ‘journo’ then goes on to complain that the press pack aren’t allowed on the plane with the pollies any more (since the Howard days).

    Do you blame them? Imagine being trapped in a floating metal cigar for hours of nothing but poll questions?

    No mr wright, the fact that the media in Australia didn’t spend almost any time reporting on such a monstrous achievement by the Government cannot be sheeted home to the PM not sharing her personal space with you lot of cockroaches for hours on end, it has everything to do with you lot preferring to play personalities rather than politics. The PM gave you a press conference and a press release, the fact that you didn’t ask any relevant questions is hardly her fault? We also have many other forms of communication these days, which were not available back then. Ask PvO, he got given an answer by the Prime Ministers Office twitter account about the ability to sack someone who was abusive in regards to their position, but appears to have ignored that advice when the shit hit the fan. Is the the PM’s fault too?

    Fact is, our media have become a hollow shell of what it was. And it is not the fault of the internet or the ’24 hour’ news cycle. Journalists have always had ‘deadlines’. To examine your own problem, you need to dig below that shiny surface that simply reflects back any near by and pretty things, things like The Internet, but; well, that is the problem isn’t it. None of you know how to use a shovel any-more, do you? You think that transmitting these shiny objects is all that is needed, and the surface can remain unscratched. After all, who knows just what might lie underneath all that glazing?

    Unfortunately for you lot, The Internet loves scratching that surface. The sooner you wake up to it, the better for all involved.

  260. Credit to Emma Alberici on Lateline, catching Judith Sloan out telling porkies about Aust. economy.

  261. Meet The Press this morning was hosted by Kath Robinson. Her special guest was Scott Morrison, and the entire programme was set up for Morrison to push the LNP’s poisonous immigration policy. Straight out of the box, Robinson set the tone by referring to asylum seekers who arrive by boat as “illegal immigrants.”

  262. The PM is indeed gutsy for agreeing to the audience for tomorrow’s qanda.

    She has opened herself up to questioning from young people, many who will be voting for the first time.

    What’s more, the schools represented are across the board spectrum, from local high schools to private colleges. Should be an interesting show.

    Also, the second NBNCo area opened up this week. That is Gosford and Western Sydney.

  263. According to Conroy, there have been 54000 users signed up to NBN. The numbers much higher than expected.

    There is also a discussion paper put out on betting during live shows. Conroy suggests that Tony reads it. That is a lot to ask of Tony, with his well known dislike of reading anything.

    Have not seen much in the media this week, in regard to the Ashby leave to appeal case. Could it be, because it is not going Ashby’s way.

  264. silkworm, surely there would also be a large number of people offended by that interview with Morriscum and Robinson’s gutless and ignorant labelling of asylum seekers as illegal immigrants.

    Fed up, no-one should be surprised at the courage of the PM anymore. She shows more guts in her little finger than the entire Liars Party.

    I hope there are questions about our treatment of asylum seekers to see if the PM has anything up her sleeve that she’s prepared to reveal.

    I think she’s had enough of Ms Nice PM and is fired up and sticking it to the msm and barrackers. I’d love to see her delivering a decent serve to Anal. It’d be worth watching the collar getting tighter and tighter around that fat neck and watching that Jabba the Hut face turning puce!

    Good news about NBN sign ups. Liealot and the barrackers won’t like it. Expect scaper to try putting his usual cynical,negative spin on it. Whinging about people accessing high speed internet, because he’s satisfied with dial up.

    Typical hectoring Liars barracker; they’ll tell you what internet technology you can have and the manner and speed at which information is delivered to your computer.

  265. On a recent ABC Media Watch program, it was revealed that Andrew Bolt had written to his good mate Mark Scott (Managing Director, ABC) recommending that he be appointed to host of the ABC Media Watch program.
    Andrew was distressed that everyone at the ABC had a left wing media bias and he was needed to ‘redress this outrageous injustice’
    Just a few quick points:
    (1) everyone (even the proverbial Genghis Khan) is to the left of Andrew Bolt, but then again if the only tool you own is a hammer everything looks like a nail;
    (2) What? your fabulous insights and commentary not going down so well at the soon to be bankrupt Channel 10;
    (3) I agree Andrew, if you can’t cut it in the commercial world, it’s time to get back on the Government tit at the ABC. I guess that would make you just another public service bludger, you know, like the sort you usually to rubbish.

    Mark, better wait until Abbott is elected before handing out the public service freebees.

  266. A damning indictment on how much of a total and utter failure our media is in this country. And another glaring example of just why bias in media reporting is so wrong.

  267. Is anyone really surprised? I’d suggest it’s not ignorance which is driving this crap, it’s political campaigning.

  269. And the ‘reporting’ is divorced from any reality

    We have the lowest rate of unemployment in the OECD, we have the highest growth, we have one of the lowest debt/GDP ratios, we have just hit 21 years of consecutive economic growth, and our treasurer has won international awards for managing our economy through the worst global crisis since the great depression.

    Fact is, we are the envy of every nation on the planet. By any global measure we are kicking goals while the rest of the developed world is sinking into the abyss, but our media’s reportage remains a cavalcade of negative invective. According to the press gallery our government is “in disarray”, “dysfunctional”, “in crisis”, “under siege”, “beleaguered”, “all waste and mismanagement”. But once again, when you peel back the hyperbole and look at the reality, the picture presented by the media is far from true.

    http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/how-bad-is-the-gillard-government-really/

  272. The answer is simple. Reality! Not the endless belligerent tirades of the shock jocks, not the sexist jeers of witch, bitch and liar. (Honestly, the way the media have carried on you would think Julia was the only politician in history to have changed a policy after an election, whereas I am struggling to think of one that has not.) But if you take away all the white noise and let the facts speak for themselves, a different picture starts to emerge.

    We have the lowest rate of unemployment in the OECD, we have the highest growth, we have one of the lowest debt/GDP ratios, we have just hit 21 years of consecutive economic growth, and our treasurer has won international awards for managing our economy through the worst global crisis since the great depression.

    Fact is, we are the envy of every nation on the planet. By any global measure we are kicking goals while the rest of the developed world is sinking into the abyss, but our media’s reportage remains a cavalcade of negative invective. According to the press gallery our government is “in disarray”, “dysfunctional”, “in crisis”, “under siege”, “beleaguered”, “all waste and mismanagement”. But once again, when you peel back the hyperbole and look at the reality, the picture presented by the media is far from true………………………….

    http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/how-bad-is-the-gillard-government-really/

  273. Listening to Hockey. A little frightening.

    Going to sell Medibank Private.

    Cutting back on NBN.

    Is putting a little meat on Coalition promises.

    Addressing Masters Builders Association.

    ABC 24

  274. Both Abbott and Hockey are taking up the 20,000 cut to public service in Canberra. Local ABC radio running with the story of “panic” selling in real estate market before 14 September.
    I guess this means the Labor rat Gai Brockman might get re-elected, just glad I won’t be voting for her.

  275. lunalava, @1.58pm, that should garner them a huge following in the Public Service. I wonder how many will race to vote against their own best interests? I guess there will be plenty of idiots that will.

  276. Lunalava, when you are going to have few services then clearly you don’t need public servants…just a few people in empty office buildings to do the ripping and burning.

    If you think that obtaining answers from government depts. is difficult under current staffing levels, wait until Abbott gets in..Telstra will seem like a model of efficiency by comparison.

  278. II would like to see qanda repeated next week. Everything exactly the same with Abbott in the hot seat.

    Same kids, same restrictions on time to answer and the same setup.

  282. Min, that demo is brilliant! It really shows what a load of rubbish Fraudband is.and how little the opposition thinks of the Australian public to palm this pig’s breakfast off on us.

  283. Timeline of recent events:
    1. the Gillard labor government moves up in the polls;
    2. Rupert tweets the troops that they must not let Labor win (or you will be out of a job)
    3. Rudd has a sudden “Road to Damascus” conversion on the subject of gay marriage;
    4 Some of the more silly journos ask is leadership issue emerging?

    Note Kevin has form on this type of behavior – he has done it three times in the past, as far as I can work out it must be out of pure spite.

    Time for the Labor Chucky Doll to follow Craig Thomson and quit the ALP.

  284. LL, there is some truth in what you write. The recent SBS doco on Murdoch told us that he was a heavy backer of Reagan, Thatcher, Howard and, yes, Rudd. It’s entirely possible that Murdoch was pissed that Rudd got overthrown, and has been using Rudd ever since to undermine Gillard, and may even be party to Rudd’s “conversion” to marriage equality. Maybe.

    It’s more likely, in my opinion, that Rudd is suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome, and is trying to big-note himself, but not necessarily to undermine Gillard. In any event, his recent “conversion” to marriage equality undermines Abbott rather than Gillard. As much as the media might try to spin this against Gillard for her being against marriage equality, everyone knows that it is Abbott who is holding up the works by making the entire coalition bow down to his own religious beliefs on the matter.

  285. I read that Abbott prays every day to GOD that he will be Prime Minister.
    Tony! the Catholic way is to lie, cheat, steal and do what ever deal it takes to grasp the power, then pray for forgiveness. You have had so much Catholic training, how could you overlook the basic tenets.

  286. Tony Abbott is facing internal pressure from Victorian Liberals to privatise the ABC and SBS if he wins the September 14 election amid claims both organisations are struggling to comply with their charters.

    State Liberals have launched a push ahead of the election to sell the public broadcasters, arguing the funds raised should be used to pay off government debt.

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html

    The privatization of the ABC is an issue for the Federal government. What business is it of a state government to be advocating this? Obviously the Victorian state government is attempting to do a political favour for the Federal Opposition.

    Although Tony Abbott has denied that this is part of his plan, it is one of the 75 policy positions of the IPA.

  287. I always enjoy irony. So the Victorian government wants to get rid of the ABC.
    For the record, I agree.
    I also agree with Andrew Bolt (OMG).
    The Internet is what a 1930 government could only dreamed of for “broadcasting”.
    It is a dodo.

  288. The Left thinks the ABC is dominated by the Right while the Right thinks the ABC is dominated by the Left. Gillard could threaten to abolish the ABC and it could garner widespread support across the political spectrum.

  289. Can we have some truth from Abbott and the media, re the asbestos scare.

    I see Abbott is out once again saying their NBN will not need to pits dug up. A big as lie, as when he says the footpaths are being dug up. Is not true.

    Telstra has for years have sub contractors digging out those pits. If there is great danger, I wonder how many have been harmed in the past.

    Yes, the work has been done for many years.

    Letter from todays Telegraph from Doug Sims of the Central Coast backs up what I have said.

    “The process of removing these cable pits is not difficult, if done correctly no harm will come to workers or public.

    Telstra and Telecom having been using this process for years with few problems, obviously there is some communication error in the process between Telstra and the contractor. Thousands of pits were replaced for cable TV rollout with no ramification to the public.

    Health and safety in the work workplace should always be our number one priority. Employers need to to re-engage unions and work together. I do believe that the danger to those members of the public are not as great as some would like us to believe”.

    The comment above fits in what I have been told by others that have done the work. It appears that Telstra has paid the same amount to SC for at least seven years. To same money, short cuts are made. It is time to Telstra to change their habits of getting the job done for the lowest cost, and stop ripping off workers.

    As for Mr. Abbott, he should be condemned for unnecessarily scaring people living in the area.

    Yes, Neil, the behaviour of Mr. Abbott, is indeed immoral.

    I fear more for the workers, doing the job, than those living around.

  290. The media is trying hard to put the blame on the government.This in spite o the Telstra head saying they have been dealing with the problem for over forty years, and is their problem.
    ABC24. The question I would like asked, how many times has this happened in the past?

  291. First question from Abbott. Govt should spend the 50 million on ads, making the pits safe. PM correct in saying playing politics with this topic is disgraceful.

  292. The Opposition is keeping up the onslaught. I do not believe it. They must be scraping the bottom of the barrel.

    Telstra have been working with these pits for forty years. Yes,the work did not start with NBNCo.

  295. Question still on the pits. Pyne jumps up before Shorten says three words out, demanding he answers the question.

    Turnbull is a poor actor.

    Tabling letter to Telstra, 27th March.

    This questioning is ridiculous.

  296. Another question on Telstra.

    How will the government protect the people. Question already answered.

    Cannot they drop prepared questions, when circumstance change.

  297. Turnbull back again. Still trying to put blame on government. Remember, it is Telstra doing this work. Their pits and ducts.

    Another stupid and misleading question.

    All Question well and truly answered.

  299. Why in the hell would Shorten concern himself with asbestos, when it was Telstra doing the work. Telstra owns the pits and ducts. They are Telstra’s sub contractors. Telstra has been dealing with the problem for over forty years. It is Telstra’s responsibility to ensure the pits and ducts are safe.

    The head of Telstra has just said so, at a PC.

  300. Another asbestos question. Just as stupid. It is Telstra that is removing the asbestos removing the asbestos, not NBNCo.

  302. PM thanks Abbott and points out a quick change of topic. I suspect this is not a good choice for Abbott.

  303. Yes, it was bad choice on Abbott’s place. Attack against Bishop. One does not lie about having secret agreements with our neighbors.

  304. Abbott’s question open the door for Dorothy dixer, Labor. Question to Emerson, allows him full attack.

  305. Now Morrison, minister for Cook. Do not believe it, he is back on the red note and Egyptian.

    Do not they listen to the media, to get the correct story.

  306. Another stunt, moved Morrison. Convicted terrorist,, in a country with a dictator that was deposed. Conviction overturned. Was one of hundreds. All the information Morrison is giving is far from the truth.

    There is one conviction left, but one of belonging to an organization. He was convicted in absentia, along with hundred for protesting.

    Problem for Labor, is that they have not the right to use the information they have to put up an argument.

    This is gutter politics in the extreme. Sadly it might work.

    Never heard Morrison speak so fast. Setting up inquiry. Stunt at this time, as results will not be available before election.

  307. Once again saying he has been convicted of crimes. Nothing about the convictions being overturned.

  308. PC Shorten and Conroy. Asbestos. I think Shorten might feel a little insulted, that he does not take asbestos seriously. Do not blame him.

    I wonder if there was so much outsourcing to contractors and sub contractors, and more permanent work force, that is outrage would never
    had occurred.

    It is not only the work outsourced, but it seems all responsibility and oversight of safety issues.

  309. Conroy has just ask a reporter, whether they
    ever read the papers or not. Pointed out, in the past, NBNco has allotted one million dollars to rehabilitate the pits etc.

  310. Listening to Turnbull ABC 24. One lie after another.

    I would suspect, once the fibre is pulled through, the ducts will remain undisturbed for ever more. It is known, that somewhere down the track, not that far off, the fibre will need to be taken to the premise.

    It is wrong to use what has occurred with Telstra, to stir up fear, purely for political gain. That is what the Opposition is doing.

    Telstra is using the same contractors and same methods for years. How do we know, this has not happened in the past. It would be hard to believe it hot to have.

    Telstra is doing the work. Telstra is taking full responsibility. Shorten had three letters from Telstra, saying they had the matter under control.

  311. Those letters that Shorten tabled tabled, does not show Telstra in a good light.

    Shorten raised the issue, in saying some where having trouble with asbestos in the pits, back in 2009.

    Shorten was told three times, they had matter in hand, It obviously was not true.

    Can one believe what Telstra says?

  312. More lies from Newman wrt Gonski.

    http://pmopressoffice.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/fact-check-qld-premiers-letter-regarding-school-education-reform/

    A little humour at the expense of the bishop twins. 😆

    Liealot’s true colours wrt asbestos compo. Telstra wanted to fast track compensation arrangements for employees exposed to asbestos in 2001, but were rebuffed by the then minister for Workplace Relations. Guess who that was?

    Howard knew about the asbestos in the pits in September 2005 and that means Turnbull also would have known along with Bishop. More Liars Party lies and hypocrisy exposed.

    Amazing that some here proudly say they intend to vote for this mob of liars & hypocrites.

    http://www.theage.com.au/national/abbott-rejected-telstra-plan-to-speed-up-asbestos-compo-20130603-2nm9y.html

  313. The MSM is really hammering Labor with the news about the latest polls. Murdoch has set the agenda. It is to demoralize Labor and its supporters in the leadup to September.

    It actually began in earnest two weeks ago, when I heard Hugh Rimington, then Laurie Oakes, then Dave Hughes, and then Waheed Ali all deliver the message about the inevitability of Abbott as PM.

  315. More sensational allegations against the wizened foreigner. This is the creature whose hand is up Liealot’s backside flapping his jaws. Just who will people who vote 1 Liars be putting in power and are they aware that is the case?

    More importantly, do they have the wit to care what sort of government they will get?

    Union bashers can say what they like, but unions are comprised of ordinary working people, not corrupt power crazed billionaires.

    http://www.exaronews.com/articles/4995/police-investigate-news-corporation-for-sabotaging-rival-to-sky

  316. Are we really to believe, this little box made of fibro,, cannot be lifted safely out of the ground and dealt with elsewhere.

    Come on their must be some inventors out there. There is a fortune to be made.

    I believe an attachment on front of a digger or scoop, with an attachment,

  317. One wonders about conspiracy theorems in relation to the LNPMSM’s purported manipulative media bias and how such a situ’ could have possibly evolved????
    Surely it’s not possible that in this land of the fair-go that there could be some form of undemocratic collusion between the ‘Free Press’, the ‘big’ end of town and Tony Abbott ‘n Co…… 🙄
    Here’s a video…..draw your own conclusions (cue Twilight Zone muzak) 😀

  318. Craig Emerson wants Bishop J referred to the Standards Committee for misleading parliament wrt verballing Indonesian authorities about towing back the boats. if you ask me, the whole lot should be up before the headmaster/mistress for a dose of the cuts.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/04/julie-bishop-referred-standards-committee?CMP=twt_gu

    The Asbestos Foundation supports Oakeshott’s criticism of Liars politicisation of asbestos issue.

  319. Jane, it is worse than lying. The fear they are stirring up in those people is real. We have one family that has already lost a family member to Asbestoses.

    Turnbull was still hard at it tonight.

    Experts have been on all day, saying that there is ;little or no chance of the public coming to harm. The risk to the workers is negligible.

    What we are talking about is fibro, Yes, can be dangerous, but in this environment, unlikely to cause harm.

    It is not asbestos in the natural state we are talking about. At first, with all the scare talk, I thought the pits must have been lined with pure asbestos.

    The second lie, that Turnbull is pushing, is that these pits would not be open, only for NBNCo. The third is, that they would also be doing similar under their mini scheme.

    What ever danger there is, can be easily managed.

    What I do not understand, why the Opposition feels they have to go down this track, if they are so far out in front.

    We have to manufactured and false scare campaigns this week.

    The pits and ducts, and the convicted terrorist, who had all convictions overturned. A Interpol red noticed that was not acted on. Convictions. along with hundreds of people, in absentia, under a depose dictator, does not carry much weigh, in most eyes..

    The latter is more disgraceful, because they come under national security, and it is impossible for the government to defend the allegations made by the Opposition.

    If the Coalition is so far out in front, why the need for gutter politics.

    .

  320. If employers are doing the right thing, what is wrong with this action?

    “..

    Employers will be legally required to search locally to fill low-skilled job vacancies before taking on temporary foreign workers on 457 visas, in a crackdown Labor strategists had hoped would ease voter concerns about the government’s handling of immigration issues.

    The immigration minister, Brendan O’Connor, briefed the Labor caucus on Tuesday on the controversial crackdown, revealing the laws would require “market testing” for “nominated non-graduate occupations” and would prevent businesses from hiring 457 workers at arm’s length through labour hire firms.

    But desperate Labor backbenchers are demanding Julia Gillard address the asylum issue head-on instead of trying to divert the debate to the use of 457 visas.

    They insist the prime minister must explain to voters why Labor has been unable to stop asylum seekers’ boats from coming to Australia and put Labor’s view that a Coalition government would also be unable to do so….

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/04/labor-unveils-457-visa-crackdown

  321. Silkworm, the Murdoch media is going full bore (pun intended) because they know that closer to the election the LNP and Abbott are going to have to open their mouths and present themselves as an alternative government rather than *an opposition*.

    Abbott said eons ago that the Opposition’s job is to oppose – heartily disagreed with of course by yours truly who believes that every elected representative whether in government or not has the job of doing their best for the country. However, let’s say “job done”, Tony Abbott has opposed..right-o, yep, we’ve got that one, you’ve opposed..but now show us the goods…

  322. Min @9.13am, the reason that the Liars are behaving this way is they want to hop back on the gravy train they’d manufactured for themselves during the Howard years. That and their born to rule mentality.

    They’re going to be very disappointed, because the world has changed radically since 2007, a fact they consistently refuse to acknowledge. The gravy train was derailed by the GFC & its wreckage is lying at the bottom of a chasm.

    They can’t show any “goods”, because they have none, just FUD, smear, projection & lies.

  323. Mr. Swan is now announcing more good news on the economy.

    Mr. Swan recant a article he has just read. It appears the writer was claiming that the price on carbon and the MRRT were not a part of the Henry review.

    He reminded the reporters , that both arose from recommendations of the Henry reviews.

    Garrett is to give PC 15 minutes. Wonder will he comment on Pyne and his accusation of the government intent to means test money paid to private schools.

  324. More inconvenient facts.

    …Recent reports of asbestos being mishandled by contractors doing remediation work for Telstra has become the distraction-du-jour for our ever (un)vigilant media. With both journalists & the Coalition attempting to use asbestos as a political wedge, the disingenuity of the outrage from Abbott is there for all to see.

    The basic fact is: asbestos was used a LOT before 1986 in the telecommunications network. The Coalition has known about this since at least 2001, & have fielded questions during question time on their knowledge of asbestos in the telecommunications network.

    So why the faux concern after so many years of ignoring the problem, to the extent that the Coalition sold of Telstra with full knowledge that there would be asbestos claims in years to come? Simple, to distract from the real problems with the Coalition’s broadband plan.

    With Turnbull attempting to blame NBN Co for Telstra not enforcing basic asbestos handling guidelines among their contractors, & Abbott ruling out any work on the last 500m of the network, we can see how much thought is being put into policy……

    http://sortius-is-a-geek.com/?p=3056

    Hockey now on, once again talking down the economy. It appears that improvement in nett exports is bad. Once again on debt.

    Talking about Swan’s refusal to increase debt cap. It appears it might be broken sometime in the next twelve months. Why the rush. Everything will be fixed by one simple action. Get rid of the none existent carbon tax.

    Please do not vote this mob in.

  325. Dwyer complaining about debate on education being gagged. Maybe she looks at the disgraceful behaviour of Pyne that bought this about. Once again making allegations that the bill will be means testing parents of private school kids. Never heard them debate the bills.
    Another getting up.

    All I heard was abuse, from the Opposition. Abuse of the speakers.

    Believe we are in for a noisy QT.

  327. Swan welcoming questions on the economy. Expect a MSO on the gagging of the education debate.

    Hockey only one asking questions. Suspect today’s task is to talk down the economy.
    Swan doing good. Challenging the ongoing lies.

    Yes, another scare campaign under way. By the Opposition, not the government.

  328. My summary of media coverage for the last week.

    (1) Opposition runs with asbestos is bad; NBN is bad; Gillard is to blame, see we told you they should have done a cost benefit analysis (special assist here by ABC 7.30 report).

    (2) Pyne’s silly stunt on no confidence motion was a dud, oh well they have lots more stunts where that came from;

    (3) Greg Combet at the press club delivers a devastating blow to opposition showing just how bad their environmental policy would be – no significant media coverage;

    (4) The Labor rat brigade (Rudd and Fitzgibbon) show how they can grab attention just by using the media stunt entry door into parliament (see ‘we told you so’ being the “message”);

    (5) Doug Cameron is verballed by the ABC using a cut and past from his interview. He should know better and Gillard has done nothing about the ABC so she can expect nothing better;

    (6) Swan gave an interesting interview constantly referring to a “chart”. The ABC did not have the technical skill to show us the “chart” so much of the interview content was lost. Presentation skills are not rocket surgery, perhaps Swan should ask the Member for North Sydney how to use a “prop”

    (7) AFP now an active player in trying to bring down the government. First the Christmas Island ‘cook up’, now the leak on an Egyptian terrorist.

    (8) Fran Kelly in her ABC interview with the Mirabella now both asks and answers questions – they are both so multi-skilled;

    Oh well back to my hobbies.

  329. A refugee advocate has called for the Opposition Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison to end his “terrorism” witch-hunt, and for the government to instigate the leaking of information by Australian Federal Police.

    “Morrison is a victim of misinformation selectively released by the Australian Federal Police. But Scott Morrison is now guilty of peddling the same misinformation. In the process, he is victimising an innocent man; someone who has been framed by an Egyptian Mubarak-era military court,” said Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition.

    “The government should announce an immediate investigation into the AFP and the immigration department to determine which officers have been responsible for leaking misinformation to the media and to Opposition politicians,” said Rintoul.

    ..“Claims that ‘a convicted murderer’ has been held in low security immigration facilities are simply not true. This asylum seeker has never been convicted of murder or any specific terrorism charges. That much is clear from transcripts of the original trial. The only charge that is still outstanding against him is that he was a member of a jihadist organisation, and that charge is the subject of appeal.

    “Amnesty and other human rights organizations condemned the conduct of the trial when it occurred in 1999. And have continued to condemn it. Since the fall of the Mubarak dictatorship, many of those wrongly convicted in the 1999 trial have been acquitted,” said Rintoul………..

    http://enpassant.com.au/2013/06/05/scott-morrison-should-stop-the-terrorism-witch-hunt/

    Alittle truth goes a long

    “Claims that ‘a convicted murderer’ has been held in low security immigration facilities are simply not true. This asylum seeker has never been convicted of murder or any specific terrorism charges. That much is clear from transcripts of the original trial. The only charge that is still outstanding against him is that he was a member of a jihadist organisation, and that charge is the subject of appeal.

    “Amnesty and other human rights organizations condemned the conduct of the trial when it occurred in 1999. And have continued to condemn it. Since the fall of the Mubarak dictatorship, many of those wrongly convicted in the 1999 trial have been acquitted,” said Rintoul………..

    http://enpassant.com.au/2013/06/05/scott-morrison-should-stop-the-terrorism-witch-hunt/

    A little truth would be nice.

    Fact one. This man has not committed any crimes in this country.
    Fact two. He has not been in the community at any time.

    Fact three. The authorities it appears, only sent one note to immigration. Did not have enough concerns to follow up, when note not acknowledged.

    Fact four. Man moved into higher security, when it became a political matter.
    Fact five. We do not know the details of this man’s history, as it is a matter of security, and such knowledge is not released

    Fact six. Opposition claims the man has not been assessed. Surely if such a danger, ASIO would have continued investigations,

    The last, who fed the Opposition the alleged information?

    It appears that our security departments are suspect as far as the Opposition is concerned, along with Taxation, Treasury and Reserve bank. It appears that this Opposition does not trust any government department. They know better than all experts.

  330. “Scott Morrison’s vendetta against ASIO and the Labor government is leading to a ‘trial by media’ of an Egyptian asylum seeker whose claims for protection have still not been considered by the immigration department. That is the real crime in this situation– and the Labor government should rectify that immediately. The Immigration Department hasn’t ever considered community release for this asylum seeker. Yet, his claims for protection grow stronger by the day.”

    http://enpassant.com.au/2013/06/05/scott-morrison-should-stop-the-terrorism-witch-hunt/

    Yes, vendetta against most government departments. Hockey at this moment railing against giving the ATO more power.

  331. Christopher Pyne is the Tom Waterhouse of Australian politics. He seems to be everywhere, and he is annoying. Toothy, insincere and annoying.

    We most often encounter Pyne in his role as manager of Opposition business in the House of Representatives, a role which gives him maximum scope to irritate the body politic. He also turns up far too regularly at media ‘doorstops’ and on TV panel shows, a glib and facile presenter of the party line.

    There is not a lot of gravitas about Christopher; he is sharp and witty, to be sure, but also somehow lightweight, like he never quite matured beyond the school debating society and undergraduate politics.

    Poodle Pyne, they call him around Parliament, and it’s an epithet which captures well his effete demeanour.http://enpassant.com.au/2013/06/05/scott-morrison-should-stop-the-terrorism-witch-hunt/

  332. I wait eagerly for the reaction of Mr. Morrison, when he is invited by that inquiry, to front and tell them what he knows. Then when he is asked, were did his information come from.

    Morrison, I believe badly over reached in QT. Could not help himself. Most are moving away from convicted terrorist, that is still under Interpol Red Notice. If so, why has not ASIO acted.

    The younger Bishop, I suspect, will also be asked to explain much.

  334. So the Government’s NBN is popular, and is meeting it’s roll out targets. The Liberal Party needs to act, Let’s whip up a good old asbestos scare, well the ABC is on board, so this story:

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-07/darwin-tradesman-alleges-asbestos-breaches-at-nbn-site/4741174

    Note, it’s from the good old “anonymous source” and it has no byline (I guess Liberal Party HQ would be a bit too obvious).

    This is just what the Libs did with “Pink Batts”. The ABC has been told countless times that the asbestos is a Telstra responsibility but they insist on linking it to the NBN name.

    A better story would be about how the Howard government did nothing to disclose the problem prior to the sale of Testra.

  336. lunalava, note in that story the amount of times NBN is mentioned in comparison to Telstra, the company who is actually responsible for this issue

    It also brings into question, just how long have these unsafe practices been going on, as alluded to in your link to an actual news story, rather than one that just flirts around the edges, dropping the ‘bad NBN’ meme as it goes?

  338. After watching the ABC Insiders today I finally worked out Rudd’s game plan:
    (1) distance himself from the loss (it really was not my fault);
    (2) shape the Labor party in his own image after the election;
    (3) ensure that Labor never again strays too far from the real powers controlling Australia (Murdoch and a few very wealthy miners);

    Gillard’s biggest mistake was believing a few Labor rats would do the right thing by supporting Labor policy. Howard and Abbott know how to get revenge on those that dare to disagree with them.

  341. Well, Well, Well (three holes in the ground).
    Just watched Uhlmann and Fitzgibbon on the ABC 7.30 report.
    What, no more condescending jokes from Fitzgibbon?
    Uhlmann could not even face the camera.
    Maybe someone pointed out to the Chief Labor Rat that he holds his safe Labor seat at the sufferance of the Labor Party. After all he has hardly been a star performer in any role except withering criticism of his colleagues.
    I believe Uhlmann getting out of Canberra is also a first – they say travel broadens the mind.
    I say the fool that’s sent to roam, excels the fool who stays at home (but not by much).

  342. lunalava 8.085pm 11/6, I wonder if someone’s also had a word about preselection in Fitzgibbon’s ear?

  343. So my take on the media this week is that the election is now a three way contest between LNP coalition, Gillard Labor government and KRudd and supporters.

    Has no one in the KRudd camp realised that he could not win if given the job. No one understands that the Liberals are delighted by leadership speculation. Given their empty policy cupboard it is their best hope.

    I have watched Gillard begin to rise in the polls and every time, KRudd and his media team bring up the leadership issue. It has happened at least four times during the life of this government.

    Of course “Mr Nice Guy Kev” has the line that he will not challenge for the leadership.

    Well an extended period in opposition is a chance to reform the party but it will not happen because most of the Labor rats like Fitzgibbon have safe seats.

  344. Why? So much has happened this week. Much of it important. Why are we stiol getting Rudd, and the push to depose a female PM.

    “………….hree years of real and imaginary leadership challenges have derailed media coverage of decent issues in favour of flimflam conjecture, writes Kerry-Anne Walsh.

    Here we are again, on the Kevin and Julia merry-go-round.

    Gillard knows Rudd wants his old job back. He covets it, even though he professes to be just a humble backbencher doing his campaigning duty and supporting his Prime Minister; and the media sure as hell know he’s gagging to get his old gig back.

    Over the last three years, many in political journalism, the commentariat and radio land have abetted and enabled this burning ambition.

    It’s a mystery how Rudd and his team have continued to so deftly use the media after one failed and one promised putsch, and dozens of deadlines placed on Gillard’s leadership that failed to eventuate. If Rudd manages to pull it off this time, will the fourth estate acknowledge the role it’s played?…….

    http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4754598.html?WT.mc_id=newsmail

    Cheryl Kernot made a point this morning, that Rudd and his blokes are making a big mistake, if they believe there will not be a backlash from progressive women, if they depose a woman PM.

    In all the chatter from the media, nowhere is there any concern or recognition of how half the community might react. All we hear, is the views of men.

    If we women do not like it, tough, this is the way it is, and going to be.

  345. More

    “..When one deadline fails to eventuate, it should be an embarrassment for the reporter involved; when dozens and dozens failed to occur over more than two years, surely a reporter’s nose would tell them they’d been used, over and over again?

    When the February 2012 challenge inevitably eventuated, Gillard won by the most decisive margin of any Labor leader in a ballot in three decades. Yet somehow, some journalists claimed the fact of the challenge was a victory for their journalistic foresight and inside intelligence, when what they’d done was help create the environment for the challenge.

    Rudd’s desperate ambition to get his old job back would not have gathered pace if the media had treated it as the dull background noise it deserved. As Team Rudd told journalists – in the same breath as they acknowledged they didn’t have the numbers – “It’s all about the momentum.” And the only way to get momentum was through the media, and that’s what the Rudd team received: the gift of almost daily coverage about challenges and growing numbers that undermined Gillard’s leadership and created an entrenched picture of a government in chaos. And a Prime Minister leading a government supposedly in chaos suffers in the polls, because, as Howard used to intone, the public don’t like it and disunity is death….

    http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4754598.html?WT.mc_id=newsmail

    PS. I see poll numbers are going down for Rudd. Does that mean the people of western Sydney do not like what they see. When one looks behind Rudd, the media pack and a few props, to the many walking behind, not even bothering ti turn their heads, is this a surprise. noise from the media of Rudd being mobbed, when accompany video does not back up the assertion.

    Why are the media allowing themselves to be used, by Rudd and his handful of blokes.

    Yes, PM very clever, in encouraging and assisting him to be out in front, on the campaign trail.

  346. Yes, even the media say they are a part of the problem. Why does the public let themselves be conned?

    “……As the ABC’s political editor at 7.30, Chris Uhlmann, remarked frankly after the day of high farce in March:

    The media has played a role in this, and it’s for others I guess to parse how well or how badly the media has done. There’s not a shadow of a doubt that the media has been used to help build momentum, to help build a sense of chaos, particularly this week. And anytime it looked like it was falling off, there was someone else [from Team Rudd] out and about … There is absolutely no doubt the Rudd forces have been using the media quite cleverly for some time now.

    Now we’re back on the carnival ride again.

    In the last 10 days, News Limited and Fairfax have carried up to six separate stories of leaked, alleged internal ALP polling or research catastrophic for Gillard. All of it’s been unsourced, and appears to be unverified. It’s a bastard of a game that’s being played, and the media is part of it.

    While Gillard has made some cracker political and policy mistakes, surely people have to wonder if she’d be where she is now – in desperate polling doldrums and with more leadership fever in the air – if Rudd and his team, and the media that has abetted them, had simply shut the hell up and let her get on with the job.

    http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4754598.html?WT.mc_id=newsmail

  347. I wonder what the spinsiders have in store for us tomorrow. Cassidy has been quiet since the menugate exploded into the headlines.

  349. June 15, 2013 @ 11:56 am

    No way could you call Abbott hearty
    In fact each of the Libs is a smarty
    And behind their façade
    No female regard
    From this cynical Misogynist Party.

    Drooling messages so“Crystal Clear”
    While grimacing from ear to ear
    This Misogynist Lib
    Licks his lip with each fib
    Abbott’s agenda is something to fear

    Don’t believe if you want to be free
    All the bullshit from the LNP
    They continually use
    To discredit and abuse
    Aussies open your eyes and you’ll see.

  350. CU, you must be choofed to have a thread at the gutter mentioning you.

    Gee, the demented spineless person that has a thang for toilet sniffing wants a thread mentioning little ole me. Oh, to be so popular on a backwater blog is surely worth a sentence in the memoirs!

  351. scaper. the gutter would have nothing to discuss, if they did not have me. Glad to be used by them, in keep their site going.

    I am glad to see my message spread, far and wide.

    Scaper, one can be sure of what they write, that I do no longer visit, even to have a laugh.

    scaper, when one spends the day in the gutter, they should ensure they have a long hot shower, before coming back to the company of decent people.

  353. scaper. just read the AWU article, not just the headlines. It appears that Paul Howes still supports the PM. Paul is saying, what is a fact of life today,what is a fact of life, MP’s are free to vote as they see fit.

    One should be careful, not take as gospel, what they read on other sites. Good idea, to go and read full article.

    Shop and Allied, also still support the PM.

    scaper, you do know, the PM is Julia Gillard.

    Thought I would remind you, as the PM is never acknowledge by this by the Opposition media.

    All we hear, is ” she her Juliar and sometimes Julia”.

    Have not mentioned all the other sexist and demeaning terms that are used.

    Never PM or even Gillard.

  355. Tom, there are many journalist starting to say it as it is. Not getting wide coverage. Kathryn Murphy is another. Not saying she supports the PM, she does not. But is calling the spin for what it is,

    I have no problem with criticism of the PM. None whatever.

    Id have problems with nothing but criticism, and no acknowledgement not of the many successes.

    I have problems with whatever the PM says. as being portrayer as failures. Like that speech on Sunday, being about abortion. It was not.

    I have problems with what is nothing more than lies, being given as facts.

  356. PM now on ABC 24., When did politics become a 24/7 job.

    One has to admire the energy of this woman. Never comes across as tired. Seems to relish the fight.

    More investment for the future.

  358. scaper, can I rely on you to let me know, when that other place agrees with me.

    This would concern me, as I suspect I would have got something wrong, seriously wrong.

  359. PM has just told a reporter, to pick up the paper and read the story. Yes, go pass headlines.

  361. The oo making shit up again.

    http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/bizarre-awu-boss-denies-union-will-turn-on-gillard-20130615-2oam3.html

    I just went to their site, and they are in leadershit overdrive. In addition to the above crap, this is their main leads

    PAUL KELLY: Julia struggles as ALP looks at Rudd
    DENNIS SHANAHAN: PM goes or party’s over
    PETER VAN ONSELEN: Poll rise is cold comfort
    CHRIS KENNY: Intentions beyond anyone’s grasp

    Who would pay for this crud?

  362. The PM has just given a long PC, introducing investments for the future. The PM answered all put to her.

    Once again they choose to ignore fact for the rumour mill. Did not even bother, to point out the PM answers to the rumours.

  363. Tom, was watching. Is it me that has a problem. Every time, I make the effort to watch the PM, I do not see what the media reports.

    I see a very strong and direct woman. I see a woman of very strong convictions.

    Must say, I am confused.

    Same when I tune into Rudd’s journeys out west, I do not see the mobs they are talking about.

    Tom, do you think I might have problems with my eyes. I cannot seem to see what others do..

  364. Tom, I also read headlines, then I sneak in behind that paywall, only to find, the headlines have naught to do with what is written, in the body of the story.

  366. Shock jock Howard Sattler’s gay jibe shows disrespecting Prime Minister Julia Gillard is now a national sport

    IN all the mud being thrown this week over ‘menu-gate’ the restaurateur apologised to Mal Brough, Mal Brough apologised to the public. No one thought to apologise to the Prime Minister.

    Of all the disgusting things that get flung at our first female Prime Minister, the idiotic Kentucky Fried Chicken joke most media outlets considered revolting enough to require redaction was relatively tame.

    Sneak a peek at what the Gillard haters say on Twitter, Reddit or try (unsuccessfully) to get published on mainstream media websites and your hair might go grey.

    It’s not just Gillard who cops it from anonymous grubs on the internet. The internet is an equal opportunity abuser. All politicians cop it. Most journalists cop it. Anyone with any sort of profile cops it. To survive they learn to block and report.

    But years of moderating online comments has shown me that the abuse reserved for Gillard is particularly personal, extreme and relentless.

    The proposition Gillard gets more abuse because she is a woman drives many of her detractors to distraction. It’s not possible to measure it scientifically so we can argue about it indefinitely…….

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/shock-jock-howard-sattler8217s-gay-jibe-shows-disrespecting-prime-minister-julia-gillard-is-now-a-national-sport/story-fnh4jt61-1226663729361

  367. I cannot seem to see what others do..

    We all do FU ;). it is apparently the media’s job to re-align our lenses for us to better understand their perspective (world -view)

  368. ………….Howard Sattler is no stranger to controversy.

    The 68-year-old 6PR talkback host is a radio veteran, and was the talkback king of Perth in the 1980s and 1990s.

    He made his debut on Media Watch in 1990 after saying “good riddance to bad rubbish” about the death of three Indigenous children who were killed when the stolen car they were in crashed while being chased by police.

    He was hauled before a hearing by the Australian Broadcasting Authority in 2000 in the cash-for-comments inquiry, which investigated deals he had with Optus, Qantas and Mitsubishi.

    Sattler left his top-rating show on Perth’s 6PR in 2000 after 18 years with the station to join Sydney’s 2SM.

    After a fairly unsuccessful stint in Sydney, and a period broadcasting to the east from his home studio in Perth, Sattler returned to 6PR.

    He was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, after first displaying symptoms in 2011. Radio listeners accused him of being drunk on air.

    Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/national-news/western-australia/howard-sattler-sacked-after-julia-gillard-gay-debate/story-fnii5thn-1226663453289#ixzz2WFwBZUhs

  369. The head of the powerful Australian Workers Union has dismissed a report claiming the AWU had withdrawn its support for Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saying she will ‘absolutely’ lead Labor to the September election.

    The Weekend Australian has reported the AWU would not stand in the way of leadership change, because national secretary Paul Howes had told the newspaper ‘We don’t tell MPs how to vote’.

    But Mr Howes described the report as bizarre, saying the union has since 2010 said it supports Ms Gillard, and would not direct MPs in any leadership ballot.

    ‘In 2010, we said very clearly that we weren’t directing MPs but this was our view,’ Mr Howes told AAP on Saturday.

    ‘We said that again during the last challenge. We say that today, because we continue to support the prime minister, but we don’t direct MPs how to vote.’

    Asked if Ms Gillard would lead Labor to the September poll, Mr Howes said ‘absolutely’.

    ‘She’s the right person to lead the party in September, and she will lead the party in September,’ he said…..

    http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=880061

  370. I was frustrated this week at the inadequate performance of local media at Mal Brough’s menu doorstop, and the failure of MSM investigative follow-up of the guest list, restaurant staff and gaping holes in the multitude of overlapping versions of events. I was reminded of several conversations I have had with MSM journos about why the Ashby scandal has been buried. If I was an MSM editor I’d send a reporter to Slipper’s seat, the one Brough is contesting, to get the story where it happened, I fumed. No money, they replied. Citizen journos need to step in and fill growing gaps in MSM coverage.

    Here are the No Fibs CJs.

    http://nofibs.com.au/outside-the-bubble/

  371. Why are the media allowing themselves to be used, by Rudd and his handful of blokes.

    Fed up, I think it’s more that the msm chooses to follow Rudd around, even though he is a bit of a show pony.

  372. Why are the media allowing themselves to be used, by Rudd and his handful of blokes.

    This little exchange may shine a light on that 😉

  376. As Cassidy said to Piers yesterday, you will have fun defending that stance, or words to that effect. Appears Cassidy is correct for once.

  378. This I lodged on another site. I know many herre read both.

    “bushfirebill. do not despair. Us women know there are many of your type, or at least the dentist you described out there.

    Many of us women know this, because it was people like you that helped when some of us were trapped by those low life minority of men,

    The secret for salvation, lies in the words of that defence head, and his strong speech, that was lost in the noise coming from the media, in their final fling to get rid of a pretty food PM.

    All he said, or words to the effect, hat to walk past such behavior, is to say you are in agreement.

    bushfirebill, maybe that is the conversation, you and decent men need to have at the pub.
    The PM has had the guts to do what is correct for the country, knowing full well that there would be a backlash. Maybe we all need to have the same guts, and get ii behind her.

    Even this morning, we are getting dire warnings, that the dangers from carbon emissions is not a problem for the future, but is here. What’s more, we only have to the end of the decade. Yes, the PM had the guts to go ahead with the mechanism to addressed the problem.

    The biggest condemnation of the PM has been that she has proceeded with policy, regardless of the public outrage, this being seen as lacking politician judgment.

    When one looks at each of the policies, all are considered what is needed.

    Yes, the PM has shown courage to change her stance, when circumstance es change.

    Maybe the PM is naive in her belief, that in the long run, it will be results that matter.

    I believe those 24% sitting on the fence might just come to that belief as well.”

    http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/06/15/memories-dreams-reflections/comment-page-5/#comment-63746

  379. When circumstances change? What circumstances would those be? Please don’t tell me you’re one of those who think Gillard has introduced a carbon tax!

  380. AG and Electoral officers on, in an attempt to get the young to enroll. I urge all to encourage any young person to enroll.. Maybe tempt them with the suggestion, if they want s] the fast broadband for those games, they better get in behind our female PM, as it will be a distant dream under Abbott.

    I believe that will be enough for most.

  382. I believe the PM set up a office to conduct debates between leaders, as a condition of gaining support of the Independents. It was seen that three debates would occur, with the body setting the rules.

    It appears that Abbott is running away from the debates. Is one surprised.

    No, I do not believe we have an carbon tax. In fact I know we have not have one.

    The PM never said she would not bring in this legalization, in fact she said, she would be addressing the issue of carbon emissions.

    At the time, Abbot voiced a comment, why not just have a carbon tax. What was being discussed, was the difference between a straight tax, and a cost on carbon emissions. .

    No, I was thinking more of the actions the treasurer and PM took in relation to not proceed with fiscal consolidation, they had been applying, and to accept a budget deficit,

    The other, I wished did not happen, was to go along with Abbott, in relation to asylum seekers. Yes, Abbott’s policy is in place. It does not work. The shame is, we cannot say the same about the Heuston Plan, as it has not been given a chance.

    I am not sure, that PM still has not got something up her sleeve in this regard, but timer is running out.

    I am sure there will be much said by the Opposition on this subject of asylum seekers today. Then, they might just be stupid enough to go down the track, as Abbott did this morning, accusing the PM of dividing the Nation.

  385. Not really a Media outlet at this point, but have been keeping an eye on AIMN of late for a reason.

    The place seems to be a mirror image to here and lacks any real reporting. Another thing I’ve observed is there seems to be a lack of dissenting posters there which gives the impression by readers that it is somewhat an echo chamber.

    Is an alternative view lead to a ban? Gee, just looked at the last post there a few minutes ago and someone called CMMC wrote “Go fuck yourself.” Nice intelligent bit of abuse that is! Has he got a copyright on that like TB has on his favourite profanity?

    Don’t understand why that place was opened at all, as I said…mirror image.

  387. ABC is now reporting that Defence is to investigate 2500 allegations of sexual misconduct. I recall Abbott and his mates ripping into the Minister for Defence for casting aspersions on our noble warriors.
    Just like his writing a reference for a pedophile priest and his dismissal of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
    Failing to act on cory bernardi who just keeps repeating his homophobic utterances.
    There is a pattern of behaviour here from Abbott and his mates and it says a lot about his values and judgement.

  390. Leigh Sales is getting worse. Watch how aggressive she is towards Craig Emerson on tonight’s 7.30 Report. I counted at least five interruptions by her. She just would not let him speak about Labor policy. Watch also Emerson’s knock out punch to her right at the end.

    [video src="http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/730/video/201306/730s_EmersonSales_2006_512k.mp4" /]

  394. After the first skype scandal at ADFA, a number of Liberals called upon the Minister for Defence to apologise to the ADFA commandant.

    Obviously the Commandant did nothing to change the culture at ADFA. Now with the latest scandal perhaps he should apologise before handing in his resignation.

  395. The media has lost it completely when we have the Age Editorial saying that the PM should use next week to step dawn and hand over to to Mr. Rudd.

    The say this needs to happen to allow discussion on Mr. Abbott’s policies.

    First, what policies, I have only seen aspirational brain farts.

    The second is, why cannot they now comment on what Abbott is doing and saying.

    The media has made the choice to continue with there campaign to depose of a PM. not the public.

    Mr. Editor of the Age, it is time that you begin to do your job, that of reporting the news.

  396. FU

    You got that wrong. The AGE is in love with the ALP. The Age does not want Labor to lose the election. And The Age thinks that Labors best prospect is having Rudd as leader.

    It is not an anti Gillard editorial but a pro Labor editorial.

  397. Where was this in the media. The fifth estate finds the space to report such events. Why cannot the fourth.

    “Robert Oakeshott MP
    @OakeyMP

    Full confidence motion in Treasury and Finance and their forecasts just passed the Parliament without a single vote against it.
    Reply Retweeted Favorite More
    125
    Retweets
    33
    Favorites
    1:5.”

    https://twitter.com/OakeyMP/status/347563995626098688?refsrc=email

    In fact we find the time and space to discuss and debate all the fourth cannot.

  398. Maybe the Age editor needs to develop the skills of this Labor government. They can still get on with the business of governing, while dealing daily with the rubbish, the likes of the editor of the Age serves up every day.

    Mr. Abbott, also seem to lack the ability to do more than one thing as well. He seems on to be able to manage to put the boot into the PM each day. Has not been able to carry out other duties of an Opposition leader, such as debating policies of either side.

    Mr Abbott’s questions within the house and stunts outside it, reveal that Mr. Abbott has poor knowledge of the what the government has done,. let alone intends to do.

    Listening to Lateline last night, much of what Abbott aspire to for the north, is a;ready occurring.

    Such bodies, such as the CSIRO are already researching into what can be developed in the north.

    The trouble with this PM, is that she does not appear to be good at blowing her own trumpet. To busy getting on with the job, in a quiet, orderly manner./

    If she cannot, maybe it is time for us to blow it for her.

    First does one really believe that the PM has ignored the regional solution for the last twelves months, doing nothing.

    It would be completely put of character, if that was so. For the Opposition to under estimate her, just shows their stupidity.

    Maybe the PM is lousy at playing politics and curring favour with the media. Is that necessary a bad thing.

    Does not seem to put weigh on being on the phone to editors day and night.

    That alone is a good enough reason for keeping her.

    “….The 43rd parliament appears likely to sit for one extra day – with Senators notified the upper house will meet next Friday June 28 as the government seeks to push through 33 packages of legislation in the final week.

    The fact that the Senate will sit an extra day means members of the House of Representatives will also probably have to stay in Canberra, in order to consider any legislative amendments made in the upper house.

    A spokesman for the leader of the government in the house, Anthony Albanese, said “no decision has been made” about whether the house will also sit Friday.

    Among the backlog of issues to be considered by the Senate in its final week are:
    the “Gonski” education bills,
    457 visa changes,
    the government’s aged care reform package,
    legislation setting up the referendum on recognition of local government,
    legislation to require big projects to show attempts to buy Australian inputs, superannuation changes, bills to stop tax minimisation by profit shifting,
    a bill to give the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority more powers to compel cooperation with its investigations into drugs in sport
    and proposed changes to the fair work legislation on industrial relations.

    According to a notice of motion circulated to Senators, the Senate is scheduled to sit from 9.30 to 2.40pm on Friday before rising for the final time before the September 14 election……

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/20/asylum-detention-indoneisa?CMP=twt_gu

  399. Also Gillard is under Police investigation. Not a good look during an election campaign.

  400. Neil, are you for real?

    Up to now, I have had some sympathy for you. Sorry, no longer.

    You are either a fake, or have some psychological problems. Personally, could not care which.

    If you cannot see what is wrong with that Age editorial, one should feel for you.

  401. Neil, who says so. One man, obsessed with the story, a story that none of the media is picking up. I would place my bets on Blewitt being the one in the firing line. His signature is on ail documents.

    Neil, when one goes back to this point in any debate, it shows that you and the MSM have nothing on the PM.

    By the way, it is Abbott that has to appear before the courts, not the PM.

  403. Hmmm – Steve “Utegate” “Ashbygate” Lewis. Why is my BS detector going beserk? 🙄

    The unmistakable fact is that Victorian police have been investigating every aspect of this complex affair, including the role that Ms Gillard played – as a lawyer – in providing legal advice to Wilson and Blewitt.

    Steve Lewis wouldn’t know a fact if it bit him on the @#$e… As usual, making $#!t up…

  407. Fordham and Thomas have both been part of the relentless AWU smear campaign, especially Thomas. They may be right, but it would be the first time since they began this vendetta 🙄

  408. Editor-in-chief Andrew Holden says the editorial was published with great reluctance.He says usually it is better for the Prime Minister to be chosen by the people, but the current situation is exceptional.

    The editor in chief should have taken a littler longer to think about it. It is not the PM and ministers that are asking the questions or raising Rudd’s name. It is the media. I suspect the public could not care less.

    We have been told by the likes of Leigh and others, the public only want to hear about the leadership question. Where is the evidence for such a statement?

    “……The Age newspaper has taken the unusual step of calling for Prime Minister Julia Gillard to stand aside “for the good of the nation”.

    The editorial says the leadership debate is preventing Labor’s message about its future policies and vision for Australia getting through to the public.

    The newspaper’s move comes amid continued speculation about Labor’s leadership ahead of the final week of parliamentary sittings before the September 14 election.

    Yesterday Gillard supporter Gary Gray told former prime minister Kevin Rudd and his supporters to “put up or shut up”, while factional powerbroker Bill Shorten said he did not believe there would be a ballot before the election.

    In the editorial, The Age says it has not taken its position lightly. It says it has respect for the Prime Minister, and hopes the reforms she has implemented will remain in place.

    The newspaper says Mr Rudd was a flawed leader and it is not convinced he is a changed man, but that opinion polls suggest his return would make the election a genuine contest.

    It says time is running out and the time for leadership change is now.

    Editor-in-chief Andrew Holden says the editorial was published with great reluctance.

    He says usually it is better for the Prime Minister to be chosen by the people, but the current situation is exceptional.

    “It’s come now because essentially there’s one sitting week left of Parliament,” he said….

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-22/the-age-newspaper-calls-for-prime-minister-julia-gillard-to-quit/4773460

  409. “It’s possible that there may be no caucus meeting, if there is one at all, if there is support for such a caucus meeting, until late in the week,” he told the ABC.

    “I understand the caucus meeting on Tuesday both the Prime Minister and I think Mr Rudd won’t be present because of Hazel Hawke’s state funeral in Sydney.

    “So at this stage it’s a bit academic to speculate.”

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-22/the-age-newspaper-calls-for-prime-minister-julia-gillard-to-quit/4773460

  410. ………..The Age apparently wants its readers to see it as a victim, shaking its head sorrowfully. ‘We would give you substantial policy debate. We want to discuss real issues, and get to the heart of things. If only, if only, we could do that. It’s not our fault. It’s all because of Gillard. If she was gone, everything would be better’.

    Back up a step or two there. I have a few questions for you, Fairfax. And for the rest of the media.

    At what point did Gillard hold a gun to your metaphorical heads and force you to write endless, speculative op-eds about the Labor leadership?

    At what point did Gillard, or any of her Ministers, refuse to talk about policy?

    At what point did Gillard put you in a position where you were ‘unable’ to challenge Tony Abbott on – well, anything, really?

    For that matter, since when has the Federal Government had any control over your editorial standards or content? (With the exception of the ABC – and even then, the government can’t prevent coverage of issues.).

    http://consciencevote.com.au/2013/06/22/for-the-sake-of-the-nation-the-media-should-do-its-job/

  411. This made my day.

    A bunch of journalists jumped onto a Moscow-Havana flight getting wind that Snowdon was aboard.

    They are now stuck on the flight to Cuba with an empty seat where Snowdon was supposed to be sitting.

  412. Just watching Peter Garret say goodbye. There is the future of the Labor Party, Krudd pissing away talent and replacing it with the likes of Bowen. Why? fucked if I know, perhaps Garrett is not a Christian

  414. Fed up @4.52pm since when was a Prime Minister ever chosen by the people.. This is not America, we do not vote for a Prime Minister, we vote for a political party and the PM is simply the elected head of that party..therefore that statement by Andrew Holden does not make a good deal of sense.

  415. Steve, Garrett is most definitely a Christian (which did surprise me somewhat). One of my major criticisms against Rudd when he was previously PM is how he let Garrett be the fall guy in the so-called pink batts ‘debacle’.

  416. Here is the email I got from Krudd, with my reply:

    Stephen,

    In recent years, politics has failed the Australian people. There has just been too much negativity all round. There’s been an erosion of trust.

    Negative personal politics has done much to bring dishonour to our parliament but done nothing to address the urgent challenges facing our country, our communities and our families.

    In fact it has been holding our country back.

    This must stop, and with all my heart that is the purpose that I intend to pursue as Prime Minister.

    I want to acknowledge the achievements of my predecessor, Julia Gillard. She is a woman of extraordinary intelligence, of great strength and energy. She has achieved much under the difficult circumstances of minority government.

    Every effort I have in my being will be dedicated to uniting the Australian Labor Party. No retributions, no pay backs, none of that stuff. It is pointless, it is old politics.

    Together, we can win and defend all that Labor has achieved in the past six years. Join the campaign today or click here to donate.

    Thanks,

    Kevin

    My reply:

    Thanks for this email Krudd. You know the worst bit, I find myself agreeing with Downer, and hating the fact that he was correct, you are a very disturbed person.

    For three years I watched as you white-anted Gillard, someone who achieved what you had no hope of doing ie a magnificent record of legislative reform not only with a minority government but with one third of her own party working against her.

    Krudd just imagine the Queensland state of origin side with one third of the team either indifferent or sabotaging your efforts, the NSW team would love it.

    You have pissed away the creative heart of Federal Labor, all those former cabinet ministers must know something about you.

    At least I can see Abbott for what he is, a self confessed liar and arsehole, you hid behind your fake smile.

    Political assassination works only once, character assassination works every day, you and the News Ltd organisation know this very well. You will have a very brief honeymoon and then you will forever wear the odium of wrecking the Labor Party, history will not be kind to you, as in your heart you have only faux compassion.

    On a personal note you represent everything I find repugnent about Christianity – the phonyness.

    May you reap what you have sown, you deserve every bit of it.

    Stephen Drummond

  417. What needs to be done now, is to redirect that hatred towards Gillard, to Abbott.

    Should not be hard, as he has never been popular in the polls.

    Would love another minority government.

    Rubbish still being said about Gillard. They do not know what she stands for.

    I suspect that Reith got it right, when he said she was old Labor. Which many said they wanted.

    Where is the evidence that the PM fostered hate. Why is Abbott let off the hook, on the standard that politics has sunk too.

    I suspect the public is still not listening.

  418. “What needs to be done now, is to redirect that hatred towards Gillard, to Abbott.”

    Yes lets hate even more. You know hatred seems to be a natural characteristic of a Labor supporter. You seem to get strength from hating. It gives ALP supporters purpose.

    You know Labor and its supporters are setting the example with the personal abuse dished out. Swan even called Abbott a drunkard the other day. I doubt if Swan saw Abbott drunk. Swan just told a baldfaced lie for political purposes.

    Labor first tries character assignation against Coalition voters/politicians. If that fails Labor just tells lies about people. Like Abbott hates women.

    What an immoral political party is Labor.

  420. Neil, it is not us that are hating. I am talking about the hate that exists in the community against Gillard.

    We cannot let it be transferred to Rudd, even though, he might deserve it as much as Abbott. Abbott has unleashed that hate,

    It is fair that he suffers the backlash.

    What comes around, goes around.

  421. Bacchus, how old is that story. Has so much credit, that MSM is ignoring it.

    One would think, listening to some misguided people here, that Gillard was the only one involved. If anyone has to fear, I suggest Blewitt, who had control of the money, buried some I believe, and whose name was on the documents.

    Gillard has gone, No point in any further investigation.

    The most they could have found, would have been a minor procedure misdemeanor, if they could prosecute, after this length of time, would have led to a slap on the wrists.

    Now for Hockey and Bough, I am not sure the same applies.

  422. I do not believe this. Australia is ready for women leaders. They are flourishing in many fields.

    When it has come to politics, by it’s nature, has let a small number of people, who are bigoted, who hate woman and live in the past, take over the agenda.

    Party hacks, in both parties, have used this to attack Gillard.

    Decent people, mostly men, have let themselves be hoodwinked. The head of the forces said, it is time for decent men to stand up.

    It is time for all women to have faith in themselves and demand to be treated with respect.

    “……Julia Gillard’s demise shows Australia is not ready for a woman leader”

    “.Australia’s first woman prime minister was subjected to vituperative, ugly, blatant sexism from the start of her tumultuous tenure.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/26/julia-gillard-demise-australia-not-ready

  425. I hope he joins the Guardian

    “Gillard’s chief spinner McTernan quits”

    http://www.afr.com/p/national/gillard_chief_spinner_mcternan_quits_B5C9MfW08B5w4IgTdAaF5Le

    Scottish communications strategist paid tribute to his former boss, Ms Gillard, as “easily one of the best politicians I’ve worked for and I’ve worked in a range of countries”.

    “Her strategic grasp of politics matches Tony Blair or [British Labour politician] Peter Mandelson, and her strength under pressure and her good humour are unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met,’’ he said.

    Newly minted Treasurer Chris Bowen’s former chief of staff, James Cullen, has also resumed his position. But Mr Rudd’s former chief of staff Alister Jordan will remain as chief operating officer at retailer Target, and former press czar Lachlan Harris will not return either.

    His former press secretaries Kate Sieper and Ranya Alkadamani could also be tempted back.

    The newly re-installed prime minister lamented the lack of “grey beards” in his office after losing his job in June 2

  426. I think we need to let Rudd knw, that putting the boot into Gillard is not on.

    ” SENIOR Labor figures in the Northern Territory are calling for the preselection of indigenous Olympian Nova Peris to be reopened to a rank-and-file ballot in the wake of the federal leadership change.

    Two indigenous former Territory Labor ministers have already declared their willingness to stand, while elder party statesmen are arguing that a ballot would help “heal wounds”.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillards-peris-pick-under-review/story-fn59niix-1226671092515

  427. Waheed Aly has gone insane, or else he’s sneakily campaigning for Abbott. He said on The Project this evening that Rudd and Abbott are virtually the same, and he would like to see an Abbott-led minority government. What he seems to be doing is appealing to people who want to vote independent because they can’t stand either Abbott or Rudd, but suggesting they give their preference to the Libs.

    If you want to bear witness to this stupidity/duplicity, you can see a repeat of The Project at 11.15 tonight.

  428. And the Murdoch ABC certainly hasn’t changed one iota with the change of leadership.

    Over Rudd being verballed by the opposition they showed a few seconds of Rudd and then four Liberals in a row attacking Rudd, Bishop, Downer, Abbott and a Senator in parliament going off in a rave.

    Yet again the ABC’s blatant bias for the Liberals was on display as they repeated Abbott’s verballing as fact and Bishop’s distortion of her run in with Indonesia and indirectly canned Rudd’s statement by not giving the context.

    By the way Indonesia has stated they had no problem with what Rudd said, just domestic politicking, which is the opposite of what they have said about the opposition’s statements on Indonesia and towing back the boats, where the Indonesian Ambassador, Foreign Minister and all the way up to the Vice President have spoken out against the opposition and especially Julie Bishop who indirectly accused the Indonesians of lying, something they are very unhappy about.

    One can only futilely hope that this verballing of what Rudd says opens up the reproofs the Indonesian authorities made against the Abbott, Bishop and Morrison.

  429. ME, I believe that Gillard had something substantial up her sleeve, to come from this meeting with Indonesia. One can only hope that Rudd can carry her work forwarded. I refuse to believe she has been sitting on her backslide doing nothing in the last year. That is not her style.

    Contrary to what Bishop and Co say the Indonesian leaders seem to have liked her. Even going as far as saying, the could not understand why she was replaced.

    One can only hope, as this is the only thing that Gillard did not get the time to put to bed.

  430. Waheed Aly has gone insane, or else he’s sneakily campaigning for Abbott. He said on The Project this evening that Rudd and Abbott are virtually the same, and he would like to see an Abbott-led minority government. What he seems to be doing is appealing to people who want to vote independent because they can’t stand either Abbott or Rudd, but suggesting they give their preference to the Libs.

    He’s an ABC guy isn’t he? Meh, they’ve been campaigning for Abbott since Day 1, and for Turdball prior to that.

  431. Waheed Aly is a free agent. He’s appeared on commercial TV, mostly Ten.

    He’s intelligent enough to know that Abbott won’t wear a minority government. He will sell everything to get power but as soon as he’s in he’ll engineer an election.

    It’s what he threatened to do in 2010, which is the reason the Indies refused to deal with him though he offered them the world, including stabbing two of the Liberals stars in those offers.

    An Abbott minority government is a myth and at most will be of the shortest term possible. He will make sure it fails.

  432. Today’s Daily T intriguing.Suggests News mightn’t approach the election in a way that elates Tony Abbott.

    We can only hope this has a small ring of truth to it. If it does then it will be one of the very rare occasions the Tele does tell the truth about politics.

  433. Windsor gives Mirabella a deserved serving on Insiders. Mirabella the nastiest politician in parliament.

    Good one Tony Windsor.

  434. Haha, Channel 7 News calls fraudband “bullshitband”. Either term is an apt description.

  435. Just started reading “The Stalking of Julia Gillard” OMG.

    All those clever buggers who think they are on a winner with Krudd should do themselves (and the country) a favor and read just how disturbed this guy is.

    Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you had ’til it’s gone.

  436. luna, I suspect not many here are looking a Rudd through rose colored lens. Suspect the opposite is true. We are just accepting the reality, that many, in fact a great many are not going anywhere but to Rudd. Nothing we or the PM Gillard can do to change that. Not all take interest in politics as we do. They perceive Rudd to be their man, and nothing is going to change that. They feel cheated, and are not going to rest until they have their man, back in his rightful place.

    This being a democracy, they have the right to support whoever they like.

    All we can do, is hold on, stop Abbott and hope down the track, things will be sorted out.

    This generally happens in life.

    In the meantime, we can do as much as we can, to keep things on a even keel, and wait for Abbott and Co to lose it, as will happen as sure as night follows day.

    It was nice today, watching the ABC do some hard questioning on all their shows. No not giving Labor a easy go.

    No Queenslanders on that front bench.

  437. Silkworm if you didnt think Tony Burke deserved interruption then you must think, as it seems most broadcast journalists do, that interviews are a place for unregulated unchallenged propaganda from the interviewees. The non sense Burke was trying to spin was utterly illogical regardless of political persuasion. The uncritical policy analysis/debate that arises from the type of civilised diatribes you appear to favour is possibly the greatest threat to good governance in Australia. Emma Alberici keep up the good work …take no prisoners.

  440. Oh sweet Silkworm run out of mulberry leaves? If you have been watching the ABC with a keen eye the tide turned when Leigh Sales did Gillard the extraordinary favour of not personally interviewing Gillard’s crooked ex boyfriend when he surfaced to try and bail Gillard out of trouble over the slush fund. Sales left potentially the most explosive interview of the last 5 years to a unknown untested junior. As it was he made damaging admissions according to the former head of the WA ICAC that left gillard with a serious case to answer that she had at the time engaged in criminal conduct although the statute of limitations had long run out. The junior did not recognise any of the damaging admission as such and did not probe further.

    Sales never really got into the topic area except from the perspective of being tough on her ex-boy friends other partner in crime, the bag man. However Sales sense of embarrassment in hand balling the potentially explosive interview on was palpable. Since then she has been tougher on both side. although because of her ending of the free kicks she’d been giving Gillard it made her tough questioning of Gillard, before the christmas break, seem all the more harsh.

  443. According to the Media, the Prime Minister has blood on their hands because the predecessor was back stabbed and they are not a legitimate government.

    All of these things were said of Julia Gillard but none of these things have been said about Rudd.

    Rudd has done more to deserve this type of slander.

  445. The ABC again proves where it hangs its allegiance. Every news piece I’ve seen and heard from the ABC has exclusively reported the Newspoll 50/50, only one mentioned Rudd’s huge lead over Abbott as PPM, with Abbott now around Gillard’s worst, but not a single news piece mentioned the previous Essential or Morgan.

    This far out the polls are pretty much worthless and only a snapshot of now, not what will occur down the track, like Abbott being booted for instance.

    But why I bring this up is to highlight what appears to be an almost total fawning of the ABC to Ltd. News where they rarely reference other sources outside of News and the IPA.

  446. the ABC to Ltd. News where they rarely reference other sources outside of News and the IPA.

    And it appears that ltdnews and theirabc are about the only outlets not to mention tabots travel rorts.

    And, from toolman’s tummy rub of tabot last night

    TONY ABBOTT: Well, essentially, we will begin to reduce the suffocating burden of red tape which is making it so much harder for business

    http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3798648.htm

    Now, a true reporter would ask if they would be removing some of that pesky red tape Labor introduced to Insulators. But I guess the rubathon was moving along too quickly for toolman to think on his knees.

  447. According to the latest Morgan poll Pyne could be Gone-ski.

    lunalava, it was on the cards in 2010, until The Termite was toppled. I’m not in his electorate to vote him out, but I urge anyone who is, to put him last. Repulsive creature.

    I wonder how many shades of puce he’ll go if he gets slung out. That alone would make it worthwhile.

  448. The Abbott rort issue got a run on Lateline this evening. They gave a run to Slipper’s tweet about ther inconsistency of Abbott getting the benefit of the Minchin protocol and Slipper not getting the benefit.

  449. Silkworm @12.50am, finally a bit of traction on the Liealot rorts. And they gave Slipper’s tweet a nod. At f*cken last!

  451. Yep they’ve recalled him to the enquiry in light of the tape. They want him to explain why it appears he lied to the enquiry.

  452. I hope they have a library of books to chuck at the corrupt old bugger. And then a blow to the kidneys from Wendy Deng.

  454. …and so Krudd’s sell off of the NBN to Murdoch moves one step closer with the removal of Quigley, boss of NBN Co.

    To all the gutless men of the Labor Party, was it worth it?

  455. Krudd at tonights community cabinet:

    ‘Well folks, that’s enough about me, now, what do you think of me’ [Wait for applause, ….waiting,….waiting]

    Krudd watched Gillard at the Community Cabinet and said ‘I can do that!’

    No Krudd you can’t, because you think of yourself first.

    Oh yeah and that terrible bottom lip quiver, that’s God telling you you are an arsehole.

  456. luna, if I was Rudd, I think I would have given it a miss. Showed up all those missing faces of great calibre, that are now missing. The atmosphere seemed different, than those of Gillard’s. There seemed to be a trace of anger within the room. Not sure who it was aimed at. Starting on time might have helped.

  457. Fed up – I reckon Julia Gillard greeted people with respect. Advice to Krudd:

    r.e.s.p.e.c.t. find out what it means to me.

    Loved the way Krudd’s goodie-two shoes mask dropped when the indigenous guy pulled him up for not welcoming his local group.

  458. Heard this very interesting piece on ABC Radio National Media Report.

    Innovative newspaper developments in the United States

    The gist is that whilst publicly owned newspapers are dying and laying off journalists, privately owned localised newspapers incorporating a mix of delivery methods are growing and hiring journalists.

    For instance there’s a newspaper started by two men who made their wealth out of the internet and have moved to paper and online delivery of news for the city they live in.

    Wonder if this will happen here as it would be the death knell of Murdoch’s 70+% newspaper ownership in this country?

  459. Haha, Rudd wipes the floor with Bolt on the Bolt Report interview.

    Shows Bolt is not a reporter’s arsehole. Falls to pieces when he gets someone who doesn’t agree with everything he says.

  461. In fact. Bolt is like more of our visitors, interested in only proving their point of view. In fact, as obsessive as many that come to this site are.

    Bolt was back to stating things that even Media Watch pulled him up on as lies.

  464. Rudd vs Bolt

    Bolt certainly never got on top of Rudd, despite repeated gotcha-style questions about guaranteeing when the boats would stop.

    Rudd did however force Bolt into defending, indeed denying, his climate change skepticism. Bolt actually said he did not deny “climate change”.

    Anybody who’s familiar with Bolt’s position would’ve quickly spotted the deft splitting of hairs here: Bolt probably does “believe” in so-called “climate change”, but only the most narrow and literal interpretation of the expression.

    In the context of the current debate however “climate change” is the skeptic’s euphemistic re-badged term for “Anthropogenic Global Warming”, which Bolt vehemently rejects.

    Bolt is very lucky Rudd didn’t switch to that term and expose Bolt’s duplicity.

    There are plenty of conservatives however who are concerned about AGW whose loyalties would’ve been sorely tested.

    Not all conservatives are stupid.

  466. Rudd did tell Bolt he was happy to go back again. That is after Bolt said words to the effect, that I hope I have not harmed you to much. The arrogance of the man

  467. At least, the Telegraph is being criticized for it’s front page. One they say, one might expect to see on the eve of the election, not the first day.

    Murdoch has bought one of Murdoch’s senior executive to run their campaign.
    Good, I hope the Telegraph keeps it up. That is the over the top and over reaching.

  468. Murdoch’s man has the nick name of Col Pot, because it rhymes with Pol Pot 🙄 ….. I am so glad that Rupes has brought this man over from the States…… I mean look at the good job he did for Mitt 😆

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