Who do you prefer - Laurie Oakes or Hugh Riminton?

I was astonished when I viewed a video titled Oakes hasn't lost his touch, with the byline: Laurie Oakes remains on top of his game after he dropped a bomb on PM Julia Gillard. It was a discussion between by Geoff Elliott, Media Editor and Caroline Overington, 'Media Diary' for The Australian.

Do play it through its full six and a half minutes - to do so click here.

Overington begins by describing the Oakes question to Julia Gillard at her National Press Club appearance last week as a 'bomb' and “a classical example of how journalism should work”. She goes on to describe how journalists should approach their 'target' with a question the target is not expecting and to which they won't have prepared an answer, and 'drop' it into a telecast arena so there is no way the question can be dodged. After replaying the actual question and Gillard's response, Overington goes onto advocate the use of this 'classic example' in the training of journalists. She asserts that the Oakes 'bomb' shows how on top of his game he is.

Although it may horrify you as you view this short video, it will repay your time, as it will give profound insight into how at least one journalist from The Australian believes journalism should work, how the game should be played.

I was incredulous and horrified that any journalist in this country could believe that deliberately ambushing a recently-appointed Prime Minister at a National Press Club appearance with a question not related to the prime purpose of the event - to unfold to the Australian people the vision and plans she had for the nation - was 'classic' journalism, to be copied by novitiates. As we saw, it detracted substantially from subsequent coverage of Gillard's actual address, sucking up a lot of the media exposure, thereby depriving the electorate hearing much of what Gillard proposed for the next term of Government. Calculatingly, Oakes did us great disservice by distracting us from what the media itself is screaming for from Gillard - substantial statements of policy. Why fume about lack of policy and then, when it's being delivered, in Oakes' own words, 'put a spanner in the works' and wreck the process?

Does it have to be like this? Do we the viewers have to put up with journalists like Laurie Oakes, Kerry O'Brien and Tony Jones savaging politicians from all sides of politics with aggressive, rude questions, impertinently put by people whose only claim to fame is the powerful position the media affords them? They ask questions as if they already know the answers, as if they already know what ought to have been done or said, as if their subjects are schoolchildren who have messed up, lied or have shown themselves to be incompetent or ignorant, who have not done their homework and who are unable to do what is expected of them. Tony Jones' interview of Julia Gillard about the East Timor regional asylum-seeker processing concept was disgraceful. If you want to confirm that, read the transcript here.

After some very schoolmasterly questions, Jones said, “I just can't understand why you didn't pick up the phone and speak to Xanana Gusmao, who after all is the prime minister of the government of East Timor who would be responsible, his government at least, for approving this, not the president.” Note this is not a question - it is a statement of Jones' opinion, which incidentally showed his ignorance. Gillard replied: “Well, Tony, you seem to have taken some umbrage at this….”. Exactly - the schoolmaster had taken umbrage at this schoolgirl's actions. Now what right has Jones to take umbrage? Who is he to not just question his subject, but gratuitously to tell her what she should have done?

No, it doesn't have to be like this. There are journalists, just a few, out there who conduct themselves with propriety, who are able to ask searching questions without rudeness, with respect and consideration for the interviewee's position. One who springs to mind is Channel Ten's Hugh Riminton, who, after an illustrious overseas career, is now a political journalist. His CV includes: “Riminton has won Australia's top journalism awards, the Walkley and the Logie, as well as prestigious honours from New York's Columbia University and the Asian TV Awards. In all, he has been honoured for international reportage from Iraq, Sri Lanka, PNG, French Polynesia, Fiji, Kosovo and Sudan. He holds a Masters degree from Macquarie University.”

He sometimes substitutes for Paul Bonjiorno (who is himself a sound and courteous journalist) as host of Channel Ten's Meet the Press. In case you've not witnessed Riminton's approach, you can hear his conduct of Meet the Press on 18 July when he interviewed Nicola Roxon and Galaxy's David Briggs. To hear as much as you wish of Riminton's interview, click here.  You will have to endure the ad and watch the preliminaries of Meet the Press.

You can also see the transcript by clicking here and then clicking: 18 JULY 2010 - NICOLA ROXON AND DAVID BRIGGS, which you can download and open.

Let's take a couple of Riminton's questions to Nicola Roxon: “Now,can you tell us, in very simple, clear ways, how is my health, how is the health of all Australians, going to be better under Labor than it would be under the other lot?”, and later: “Okay, well, you've set out to get national health and hospital reform and, of course, WA is not part of that at the moment. Will you be able to, by election day, say that WA has moved back in with the rest of Australia?”, and further on: “Okay, now you are Minister not only of Health but also of Ageing. Of course, we know that health gets ever more expensive, and as we age, it gets ever more expensive.The Prime Minister has made it plain that we are moving forward, as she says, not to a big population but a sustainable population, but as the Minister of Health and Ageing, isn't it your job to make the case to the people that if we are going to pay for our health costs as we get older, we're going to need more children, more migrants, essentially a bigger population, to broaden the tax base?” These are all well phrased but penetrating questions, questions that require a thoughtful answer, yet courteously put with respect and consideration, without the use of abrasive words.

You may have seen him recently sensitively interviewing Blanche d'Alpuget and Bob Hawke after the telemovie Hawke. Although some of the questions were 'hard' ones, Riminton's approach was always courteous and polite, and the entire interview congenial.

Belligerence is not necessary. Rudeness should be a no, no. Discourteousness should be taboo, after all these are our elected representatives. Journalists should remember that in the 'trustworthy profession' stakes they are 35th on a list of 40 professions, just a couple of notches above politicians with real estate agents and sex workers in between. Is it any wonder that politicians rate only above car salesmen and telemarketers, treated the way they are by the media and in copycat fashion reviled by the public. Whilst acknowledging that politicians certainly contribute to their lowly position on the 'trustworthy totem pole', I believe that the media contribute profoundly to that state of affairs. Imagine how the public's opinion of its elected representatives might improve if journalists showed them respect and courtesy and approached them with intelligent but evenhanded questions. We might be surprised and delighted with their response, and the quality of political discourse might rise from the slough of despond in which it is mired most of the time.

I for one do not want Laurie Oakes 'classic' journalism - I find it repugnant. Give me Hugh Riminton any day.

What do you want?

Rate This Post

Current rating: NaN / 5 | Rated 0 times

FFreddy

21/07/2010Paul Keating...."Laurie Oakes that bloated canetoad" Catherine Overington..."Laurie Oakes the classic journalist" I know which one I prefer!

Rx

21/07/2010Yes, the sensitive, informed, respectful, and policy-enquiring questions are bound to be responded to better by politicians. With fuller, more considered, topical responses. Gotcha! questions and inane gossipy fabrications only raise the interviewee's defences, bringing forth dismissiveness, guarded verbal obfuscation or avoidance. What's the benefit to the audience of that? Sensationalists like Oakes now is are demeaning themselves and their profession. But more than that, they demean their audience with the no-value interview style. And their disrespect towards figures of the highest office is another strike against. I don't believe Oakes was always like this. In his prime days I doubt he'd have dreamed of carrying on in the demeaning manner he has lately. The pain of irrelevance, plus a perceived need to prove himself anew to the latest crop of dumbed-down journalistic recruits who got their degrees off a Corn Flakes packet five minutes ago, must be what's causing him to writhe ever more sensationally and pathetically. For Oakes, and those like him, I feel sympathy mingled with disappointment.

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Ad Thankyou so much Ad for another brilliant column for us to enjoy & appreciate, what would we ever do without you. [quote]You may have seen him recently sensitively interviewing Blanche d'Alpuget and Bob Hawke after the telemovie Hawke. Although some of the questions were 'hard' ones, Riminton's approach was always courteous and polite, and the entire interview congenial[/quote]. I did see that interview Ad & I agree with you (I find it repugnant. Give me Hugh Riminton any day). Hugh Riminton restores my faith in the profession, he is a very nice person. Laurie Oakes may have earned his reputation a long time ago, somewhere in the past, but he has become very cynical, sarcastic in fact at times hurtful & cruel, I find him to be very unconcerned & unconscientious of his interviewee's feelings. Wouldn't everything be so much nicer and more enjoyable, if we could get some of that old fashioned respect and courtesy back into everyday.

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Ad Ad this workchoices is never ending for Abbott it just gets worse, now until the question of changing the Fair work Act, or the Electrol Act is cleared up, even then it will not go away. I think Phoney is dogged and doomed, his campaign washed up. This is a link to about the gaffe I spoke about earlier, excellent piece by Bernard Keane. This is a Phony gaffe: WorkChoices zombie rises,Bernard Keane, Crikey As if it would help his case, Abbott declared this morning that his advice had come from Shadow Attorney-General George Brandis “one of Australia’s finest lawyers”. Undoubtedly, Brandis holds the view that he is in the top rank of Australian jurisprudence; whether that view is widely shared is another question. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/21/back-from-the-dead-coalition-ballot-proposal-goes-far-beyond-workchoices/

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010FFreddy, Rx, Lyn Thank you for your comments and kind remarks. You are probably right about Oakes – that he hasn’t always behaved like he did at the National Press Club, but I still remember how he ruthlessly skewered Cheryl Curnow and Gareth Evans some years ago. I’ve read his collection of long past pieces and found them interesting and at times prescient. One wonders if he is under pressure at Channel Nine to prove his worth as he nears retirement and that the Press Club ‘bomb’ was designed as much to firm his grip on his job as it was to put down Julia Gillard.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010debbiep Thank you for your link on the last post to [i]New media, old journalism[/i] 
by Jacinda Woodhead on [i]The Drum Unleashed[/i] today. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2958905.htm It is a fine appraisal of the state of the media today, old and new. The link within the piece to the US [i]ProPublica[/i] is worth pursuing: http://www.propublica.org/ Under ‘About Us’ there is a description of the site. Lamenting the decline in investigative journalism there comes the statement: [i]”It is true that the number and variety of publishing platforms is exploding in the Internet age. But very few of these entities are engaged in original reporting. In short, we face a situation in which sources of opinion are proliferating, but sources of facts on which those opinions are based are shrinking. The former phenomenon is almost certainly, on balance, a societal good; the latter is surely a problem."[/i] This is what [i]TPS[/i] has been saying for years about the MSM. Nearer to home, Tim Dunlop makes a telling statement on the same theme in his piece on [i]The Drum Unleashed[/i] of 20 May [i]Political pawns in a media game[/i] http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2903940.htm Referring to the nasty piece by Chris Wallace that appeared in [i]The Australian[/i] on May 15, [i]Canberra Press Gallery turns on an ADHD Prime MInister who has lost his way[/i], http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/canberra-gallery-turns-on-an-adhd-prime-minister-who-has-lost-his-way/story-e6frg6zo-1225866990110 Dunlop says: "Instead of a profession dedicated to informing the public, an image sometimes emerges of journalists as privileged insiders dispensing opinion and favours independently of anything other than the requirements of their own whims." Woodhead comments: [i]“The industry has cut back on journalists, who weren't paid much to begin with, and those remaining are subject to numerous time and resource constraints, making unearthing stories challenging. But it's time to reevaluate the purpose of journalism, and the newspaper. Rather than breeding more commentators in the guise of journalists in contemporary Australian media, shouldn't we be finding ways to fund investigative reporting?”[/i] Indeed. Should we then be surprised when we are subjected to Laurie Oakes ‘classic’ journalism that involves no more investigation than repeating a corridor whisper, or perhaps even something less substantial than that?

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Lyn Thank you for the link to Bernard Keane’s [i]Crickey[/i] piece: [i]WorkChoices zombie rises[/i] http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/21/back-from-the-dead-coalition-ballot-proposal-goes-far-beyond-workchoices/ Once again Tones has shot himself in the foot. Whether he is right or wrong on the legal aspects, he has once again propelled WorkChoices into the media spotlight, all to save $24.5 million, but in my opinion more likely to punish unions by forcing them to pay the full cost of secret ballots. If that is so, it is again a case of doctrinaire politics overriding commonsense, an attribute we have seen in Abbott for years, and which we fear should he become PM. He could have avoided the WorkChoices issue being rekindled once more, but no, he’s again gone too far. Even if the legal opinion he’s quoting in support is correct, that will earn him kudos only with his rusted-on supporters – the rest of the public will simply ‘hear’ once more that ‘Abbott will fiddle with WorkChoices if he comes to power.’

Johnny Button

21/07/2010Howdy Ad An enjoyable and insightful piece. With respect to the 'classic' Oakes question to Gillard, has any journalist bothered to ask Oates what was the point of his question? So what if an arrangement between Rudd and Gillard was discussed. Pointless journalism if you ask me. He was not shedding any light on Australia's future. His behaviour only supports the comments you made in your piece. Have not seen Rimmington's work since he joined Ten (must keep an eye out on him).

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Johnny Button You’re so right – what was the point of the Oakes question other than self-aggrandisement or perhaps self-preservation, which at least would be understandable, even if not laudable? But if it were simply to cast Julia Gillard in a poor light, to score a nasty put-down, that would be deplorable and disgusting. As you say, it contributed nothing of any benefit to our nation. Is your pseudonym based on the Labor minister John Button, who was a school acquaintance of mine?

Johnny Button

21/07/2010Hi Ad Yes the psuedonym is based on the Labor Minister (God rest his soul). He came across as a good bloke and I hope he was like that at school. I am very fond of all those wonderful Labor characters from the 80's/early 90's (heck even some of the Coalition ones as well).

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Johnny Button Yes, John Button was a good bloke and highly respected from schooldays onward. He was an outstanding minister who laid sound foundations for the car manufacturing industry. I last talked with him shortly before his untimely death.

Rx

21/07/2010Headline currently on the [i]The Age[/i] website reads "[b]Running up the white flag on foreign affairs[/b]", accompanied by a thumbnail-sized photo of a nervous-looking abbott. http://www.theage.com.au/national :-D The story itself is here: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/running-up-the-white-flag-on-foreign-affairs-20100720-10jk6.html

George Pike

21/07/2010John Button would have been happy to see Labor pour a considerable amount of assistance into the car industry during and after the GFC I would imagine...it certainly saved a lot of jobs. Especially in the parts manufacturing shops. It is hard to believe that the Liberals tried to stop that assistance...and now they stomp around manufacturing premises as if they were God's gift to the industry! ACL Bearings would have gone to the wall for sure down here in Tassie if Labor had not come to the party.

Rx

21/07/2010Another one for [b]ABC WATCH[/b] please, Ad Astra. By poster, Bushfire Bill, [i]The Poll Bludger[/i], Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 11:03 am http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/20/highlights-of-day-three/comment-page-26/#comment-528162 Quote: I’ve had the radio on since 6am this morning and listened (at least in the backgroud) to ever single ABC radio news bulletin. Every single one of them has started with: (a) “The Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says…” or (b) “The Federal Opposition says…” EVERY one. The impression slow thinkers would get is that the Oppos are setting the entire agenda, leaving the big-spending, big-taxing governent scrabbling around behind them trying to catch up on the Oppos’s dynamic and policy-rich march towards inevitable victory. --- [b]In response[/b], poster BigBob, [i]The Poll Bludger[/i], Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 11:10 am, wrote: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/20/highlights-of-day-three/comment-page-26/#comment-528171 Quote: I spent over ten hours driving yesterday through multiple states and ABC stations. Every bulletin/news slot lead with “The Federal Oppostion says….”. That’s at least 20 times I heard that. Now, William has pointed out comments about how slick the ALP machine has been – surely at least a few of the bulletins should have been lead by an ALP talking point. On the whole, the reports within were fair enough. ---

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Rx Tony Abbott has gone feral on the ‘saving’ front, but there is likely more to it than that – doctrinaire politics – that also serves to cut down initiatives Kevin Rudd initiated. His small-minded approach to international affairs would see us shrink into our small burrow down-under, in contrast to Rudd’s approach of enhancing our role in world politics, something he did with style. George No matter what people think about government support for manufacturing, the fact that many jobs were preserved by government action is a laudable.

George Pike

21/07/2010The link below takes you to a story in Tasmania's Advocate...a super faux pas by Abbott here! http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/abbott-queries-braddon-funding/1890583.aspx

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Rx ABC WATCH updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/ABC-Watch.aspx

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010George Yet another instance of Tony Abbott’s vindictive approach to spending. He’s not just cutting expenditure, but inflicting pain on Labor initiatives and electorates as he goes. That our ‘conviction’ politician!

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Folks Have you picked up on Joe Hockey’s intensified approach to news and current affairs interviews, as exemplified by his interview with Lyndal Curtis on [i]AM[/i] this morning. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2959641.htm Here’s an excerpt that focuses on the Coaltion’s spending cuts: LYNDAL CURTIS: If we can go now to the spending cuts you announced yesterday. A document you put out yesterday outlined $23.8 billion in savings, but the press release that accompanied it said as you've said this morning there are $45.8 billion in savings. Where's the extra $20 billion? 

 JOE HOCKEY: As we've outlined previously, it's cuts to the NBN, it's also the sale of Medibank Private. We are about; we are about reducing the total cost burden to the tax payer. 

Now the cost burden to the tax payer includes going out into the market and borrowing money and if you look at something like the NBN, it has no cost benefit analysis, the numbers even by their own admission are heroic that back the Government's assessment that they can roll this out. 

I say to you we are facing a very significant moment in Australian politics. We either go down the path of re-electing a bad government or we put in place a party that has done it before, that has been a proper government before, that has gone down the path of reducing the cost of living to families. 

That's what we stand for. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: You use, as you say the $46 billion is gross savings, you will end up spending some of that. How much will you spend? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Well you will see that during the course of the campaign, but what I can tell you absolutely is that at the end of the election it will be perfectly clear to the Australian people that under the Coalition we will spend less than Labor, we will tax less than Labor, we will pay off their debt again and we will go down the path of easing part of the pressure. 

You can't ease all the pressure but easing part of the pressure on those family budgets and taking upward pressure off interest rates. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: Does that mean you can deliver a surplus earlier than Labor's promised? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Ah well, Labor's never going to deliver a surplus. They'll never do it. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: OK. When are you going to deliver the surplus then? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Well we will, I tell you what we will have a better idea in about seven days time when the updated treasury figures are released. But I say to you this. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: The treasurer put out...

 JOE HOCKEY: His figures, not treasury's figures. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: But surely they come from treasury don't they? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Oh we've had so many figures Lyndal over the last few weeks. I mean Wayne Swan doesn't know if he's Arthur or Wendy, Arthur or Marther. I mean he just, he is so confused about the numbers. They don't give anyone confidence and that's the core issue in this election. That's the core issue in this election. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: So you don't know now though, you can't say now though whether you'll be able to bring in a surplus either bigger than Labor's or earlier than Labor's promised?

 JOE HOCKEY: We will, I promise you; we will deliver a bigger surplus than Labor. There's no doubt about that. Labor's never going to deliver a surplus, they never have. When I heard Julia Gillard talking about we believe in surpluses I nearly fell off my chair. 

They've never delivered one. The last Labor surplus was in 1989, 1989. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: But you can't say how much bigger than Labor's? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Oh well it will be significantly bigger than Labor's I can promise you that. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: In the billions of dollars?

 JOE HOCKEY: But Lyndal you're assuming they'll deliver a surplus. Labor will never deliver a surplus, they'll never pay off the debt, Australians are going to face higher taxes to pay for all of Labor's spending. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: You've said that a Coalition government will always have interest rates lower than a Labor government. Interest rates are at 4.5 per cent now, they were down at three per cent in April last year - can you get them lower than that? 

 JOE HOCKEY: Well the bottom line here is controlling inflation and at the moment the government has its foot on the accelerator. It is borrowing $100 million a day, every day, just to fund its expenditure today and then it's got the debt on top of that. 

So this government by, with its reckless spending is putting upward pressure on inflation and so the Reserve Bank is trying to put its foot on the break. It's trying to slow things. 

It's increasing interest rates and the electorate is hit both ways. We've got higher electricity prices, higher water prices, higher public transport prices, higher house prices and Labor's spending more and more money with its foot on the accelerator. The Reserve Bank is slamming its foot on the break with higher interest rates and if it doesn't happen this month it will happen in the next few months unless we get inflation under control. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: And you believe you can have interest rates at lower levels then they've been under Labor?

 JOE HOCKEY: On average, on average, interest rates... 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: So they won't go down to the three per cent they were last year? 

 JOE HOCKEY: On average interest rates under the Coalition have always been lower than under Labor. We are about smaller government than Labor, we are about careful spending, we do not believe in the Labor debt and we'll repay it. 

 LYNDAL CURTIS: So can we not take averages from the last couple of years where interest rates were at what were called emergency lows? 

 JOE HOCKEY: No. You can't take the interest rates from the last couple of years. You've got to look at Labor during its terms in government and our terms in government. 
 Lyndal did seem to be trying, but Joe clearly has decided that arguing logically from facts and figures is either too tedious or more likely untenable, so he decided that the only way to cope is to drown any attempt at logical discourse with bluster and blather – just keep talking, insisting that everything you say is gospel truth and irrefutable. This is the approach of those devoid of factual evidence and verifiable proof. So let’s label him [b]JOE BLUSTER BLATHER HOCKEY[/b] and watch him every time he speaks for verification of this designation. The Coalition campaign gets worse by the day.

Jason

21/07/2010AA, I think the whole situation with Oakes is over the top, even the media were saying words to the effect that when Lorrie turns up at the press club you know he has something big. Well I couldn't care less if a deal was made or not, and to borrow a line from Howard " I will lead my party for as long as they want me to" But when its all said and done since the budget leak that he had way back when and made his name nothing as great has since come along, but I would have thought even the great Oakes would have sent a cadet to ask that question.

George Pike

21/07/2010Tony Abbott is trying to tell the world that he will keep inflation at zero...how else can you stop price rises? The Liberals were calling the increase in home prices as "increasing real wealth" when they were in power...and last but not least, is Abbott forgetting that interest rates went to 16% when John Howard was treasurer in the 70's, and they only stopped there because the Fraser government intervened and blocked further increases with legislation?

Jason

21/07/2010George, You should know that unless it's "carefully scripted and written down" it can't be believed, even the piece tha AA put up from this mornings AM interveiw with Shreck, what was that all about? The libs seem to be into sound bites for the nightly news and not much else at the moment. I would think that the only reason they are doing poorly at the moment is, since Abbott became leader they have been trying to stop the infighting and have done very little policy work.

George Pike

21/07/2010He tried a bit of policy work this morning...running through the fields with the kiddies for Channel Nine's 11:00 am propaganda slot..then announcing a policy that looks like it was undercosted by 700 million! You just have to giggle hey!

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Ad Could we do a thousand Cheers for Hillbilly, in gratitude for her last piece [b]"So Many Questions, So Few Answers"[/b] attracting a [b]record 239 [/b]quality enjoyable comments for all our wonderful contributers to "The Political Sword" Thankyou very much Hillbilly.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Jason I do recall that infamous Budget leak to Laurie Oakes. It seems that most journalists would die for an ‘exclusive’, a dramatic leak, a secret that no one else has. That seems to be what they strive for, and when it comes they use it for their own glorification. To us ordinary folks it really is pathetic. George The talk about the Coalition always keeping interest rates lower than Labor is just empty rhetoric, shown to be so as interest rates kept rising under John Howard and reached record lows under Kevin Rudd due to the GFC. But as every knows the level of interest rates has very little to do with what the government of the day is doing. This ‘we’ll always keep interest rates lower’ is nonsense and we know it, as it’s the Reserve Bank that determines interest rates.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Lyn I agree. HillbillySkeleton's last piece was marvellous and the response spectacular.

janice

21/07/2010[quote]Belligerence is not necessary. Rudeness should be a no, no. Discourteousness should be taboo, after all these are our elected representatives. Journalists should remember that in the 'trustworthy profession' stakes they are 35th on a list of 40 professions, just a couple of notches above politicians with real estate agents and sex workers in between. Is it any wonder that politicians rate only above car salesmen and telemarketers, treated the way they are by the media and in copycat fashion reviled by the public. Whilst acknowledging that politicians certainly contribute to their lowly position on the 'trustworthy totem pole', I believe that the media contribute profoundly to that state of affairs. Imagine how the public's opinion of its elected representatives might improve if journalists showed them respect and courtesy and approached them with intelligent but evenhanded questions. We might be surprised and delighted with their response, and the quality of political discourse might rise from the slough of despond in which it is mired most of the time. [/quote] Well said Ad astra. Journalists should be held accountable for the mischief they create. The victims of their rudeness and gossip mongering (often to the point of slander and/or character assassination) are simply obliged to take whatever they dish out. I have never considered Laurie Oakes to be other than a nasty individual who enjoys kicking his victims in the guts with no thought or compassion for the hurt his journalistic revelations cause to families and loved ones.

Jason

21/07/2010AA, Could the different styles between Oakes and Riminton be due to the fact that Oakes was once the Trex of the political landscape and while Kerry packer was around Kerry still wanted to be a player in serious news. Hugh on the other hand is more aware of other forms such as this medium and has adapted better where as Oakes now writes for Limited news and Nine is owned by private equity company, and the market that read him on a Saturday would rather be on Akerman or Bolts blog.

George Pike

21/07/2010The parents of the children who were shamelessly exploited by the Liberal Party PR machine and the school's management in Tony Abbott's little propaganda excercise today, should all call for the sacking of the headmaster and anyone else involved. It really makes you wonder just how corrupt some school executives are when you see exploitation of innocent children carried out so ruthlessly, as was the case today. The fact that the Liberals will destroy most of the benefits that the Labor Party have introduced into the education system over the past two and a half years makes this exploitation truly despicable in nature. Even Abbott's new payments for school kids is seriously questionable...as they will see the computers in schools program ripped away, while paying rich families who can buy their kids computers repaid that expense. If they pay one grand for the computer and one grand for uniforms etc, they will only be recompensed one grand in total and thus be WORSE off than under Labor, who will be paying the full cost of the computer and software in the schools, and the full cost of the uniforms etc. It is a shockingly divisive plan by Abbott, aimed fairly and squarely at the wealthy elites. The top end of towners will be recieving the full $2,000 for the twenty odd thousand they spend on their kiddies, while the bottom enders will get a few hundred because they can only afford to spend a few hundred, if that, on their kids...great deal Abbott!

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010janice, Jason We seem to have similar views of Laurie Oakes - a News Limited journalist who cares little for his victims. They are but minions in the media mill. George Isn’t it pathetic that kids become pawns in the media game of making politics and politicians trivial. It’s an insult to our intelligence. Yet this is the scripted charade that politicians have to endure for the pleasure of the media who operate in the belief that this is what the public wants. Well we don’t. This is pathetic. Already the Coalition seems to have got its sums wrong - but you have uncovered an even more serious issue - what looks like class divisiveness. I suppose that should not surprise us.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Folks Tony Abbott seems to have found his niche - a judge in Red Faces on [i]Hey Hey It's Saturday[/i]. He's much better suited to that than Prime Ministership of this nation.

NormanK

21/07/2010Ad astra Thanks for a very thought-provoking piece. You've put your finger on a problem which is probably never going to be resolved. If U.S. tabloid news is anything to go by (and we are almost certain to follow it) this situation is only going to get worse. Oakes is an aging star player who is called from the bench to play small cameos and as far as his employers are concerned the other day he scored a wonderful goal. This harks back to Michael's fabulous post on a previous thread re celebrity journalists. I'm not sure I agree with Kerry O'Brien being included on your list as being in the same mould as Oakes but this is the thought-provoking aspect of your article. His latest interviews with Kevin Rudd and then Nicola Roxon fall squarely within the box but they were both extraordinary aberrations where for some reason he became personally and emotionally involved. His interview with Hockey tonight and Monday's Gillard one were more like his old self. The social contract between interviewer and interviewee, which ensured a dignified conversation, has been thrown out the window by journalists, leaving politicians with very little room to move since they can't afford to be seen to be getting angry with journalists and so try their best (at times) to answer the question asked. As you have mentioned many times elsewhere, this is one part of the cycle which leads to dumbing down of debate. With regard to the postmortem, Overington was appalling in her simpering praise. It was like a qualified vet educating veterinary students in how best to run over household pets in order to drum up business. To be honest, I was more horrified by her take on the Oakes' question than by the question itself. This is not to say the question was anything other than cynical and self-serving. Without a doubt, Riminton is the preferable role model. Hillbilly Skeleton Job well done. Jason You may be interested in this. http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199561063.do

Jason

21/07/2010AA, Abbott may have found his niche on "Red Faces", perhaps NormanK can give his crystal ball a polish and tell us how Abbott will perform on "Red Kerry" at 730pm one day next week!

Miglo

21/07/2010Thanks for another great piece Aa. Laurie Oakes is on the nose IMO, after once being a journalist I admired a respected for a number of decades. From this moment forward he's banned from the Cafe.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Folks Did you see Joe Bluster Blather Hockey this evening on the [i]7.30 Report[/i]? He gave the same performance as he did with Lyndal Curtis this morning on [i]AM[/i]. Kerry O’Brien started out to probe and question Hockey’s gross assertions, but seemed eventually to give up, having no counter to the loud and seemly unstoppable tirade that now habitually pours from bluster blather Joe. Kerry seemed to be resigned to getting nowhere and so wound up the interview with a quizzical look on his face. Who could blame him? For his part, Joe too seemed to be getting exasperated, hoping it would all soon end. He looked as if he was just going through the motions, aware that the battle is steadily being lost.

jimbo

21/07/2010Really i am finding it very hard not to swear about this absolute brain dead moron abbott.When is he and his so called front bench going to realise it is not about them it is about the people of australia,their wishes and aspirations as the taxpayers of australia.People want hospitals,a good health system a good school system and modern up to date infrastructure.Media need to realise too that it is not about them either that the electorate want an unbiased judgement of both parties and their policies not the medias opinion,if they need to give an opinion on the election do it at the appropriate time and place on voting day.My god i noticed today that even humpty dumpty is talking in circles like andrew robb this diahorrea from the mouth might just be running through the entire front bench of the liberal party.Its a bit like their new ad out yesterday showing how good they are economically they are going to double dip on savings they can make from the school halls,just check out the add.Where o where is the media questions to the three liberal treasurers on this policy,you know the ones larry,curly and moe

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010NormanK I agree with your assessment, particularly with the simpering adoration of Laurie Oakes by Caroline Overington. His question was appalling; her holding it up as an exemplar of top journalism was egregious. Jason It is this interview with Kerry O’Brien that Tony Abbott fears; he will approach it with memories of his last encounter. Expect many but, but, buts. Miglo I too enjoyed Laurie Oakes column when he wrote in [i]The Bulletin[/i]. He’s gone downhill since then. It this natural attrition or is it due to the all-pervading influence of News Limited?

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Ad [quote]For his part, Joe too seemed to be getting exasperated, hoping it would all soon end. He looked as if he was just going through the motions, aware that the battle is steadily being lost.[/quote] I think Joe Hockey failed miserably on the 7.30pm report tonight. Hockey was sulky cranky, and on the defensive. Kerrie O'Brien thought he was talking to Julie Bishop dressed up in different clothes, KO definately was getting nowhere, and really didn't receive one sensible answer. Did you hear Joe Hockey say, "Your'e in control Kerrie you can say what you like" I'd love to know what Peter Martin thought of that interview, maybe he will tell us tomorrow.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010jimbo While bluster blather Joe is an overt exhibition of what we used to call blather-skiting when I was a kid, Andrew Robb does the same covertly in his typical low-key melancholic way. He makes no more sense than Joe. Abbott is no better. They insult the intelligence of the electorate with their gobbledegook, hoping I suppose some will believe it while others take it as read, erroneously believing they know what they are talking about. If they believe what they say, they are incompetent; if they don't they are disingenuous.

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Ad and Everybody Here is out marvellous Grog on day 5, thankyou Grog [b][i]Election 2010: Day 5 (or Moving Stationary), Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i][/b] Seriously – on Sky news John Hewson, Cheryl Kernot and Kieren Gilbert were getting themselves in a huge lather just thinking about what could possibly be going on with this seen of a local MP giving a speech at a school. The subtext was amazing! Especially as his speech was on at the exact time as Julia’s http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/07/election-2010-day-5-or-moving.html

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Lyn I see we have the same view of Joe's performance tonight. I think he's near to tossing it all in, especially when up against the likes of Red Kerry. I sense he's becoming tired of being Tony Abbott's fall guy - while Tony is on [i]Hey Hey It's Saturday[/i], Joe's carrying the can on the [i]7.30 Report[/i]. It will be interesting to watch him over the next few days. I'm off now to look at [i]Lateline[/i].

vote1maxine

21/07/2010Hi AA Joe Bluster Blather Hockey along with that economic illiterate Abbott have a combined financial & economic IQ in single digits. I can never forget IR Minister Hockey's defense of Workchoices in 2007. "Wages under the Liberals will always be higher, but if Labor get in there will be a wages breakout leading to higher inflation and higher interest rates." And this man is the Alternate Treasurer!! I wouldn't be surprised if he still carries his lunch money in his pocket tied in a corner knot in his hanky.

Ad astra reply

21/07/2010Lyn Grog was great, as usual. Thank you for the link.

HS

21/07/2010Ad Astra, When considering who it was that was praising Laurie Oakes style of journalism, I'm not surprised that he was being praised to the heavens. You've got to remember that it was Caroline Overington that, at the last election, when George Newhouse was running for the ALP against Malcolm Turnbull, actually physically attacked Mr Newhouse, a well-respected local lawyer. She tried to excuse her pathetic behaviour by saying she was tired and emotional after an intense and long campaign. However, as she was subsequently stood aside from her job at 'The Australian', that showed the incident was more than a mere bagatelle. Cynically, however, and indulgently, as Mr Murdoch has always seemed to do with his favoured children, before too long Ms Overington was back on deck, ready, willing and able to lay into the Labor Party on the bosses behalf. She should've been charged with assault; instead she got her job back and an increased role with News Ltd. Which goes to the essence of the problem with journalists such as her, Laurie Oakes, Tony Jones and Kerry O'Brien, Dennis Shanahan,... They have become a protected species, never able to be, and no proprietor or Managing Director willing to, sack them. They are like marquee players for sports clubs, able to get away with blue murder as long as they keep playing the game well for the boss, surrounded by a phalanx of flunkies, ready to paper over any cracks in their carefully-crafted, 'hard-hitting' facades. In my mind, however, 'hard-hitting' is just a euphemism for 'bully'. Not to mention the sniggering tone these people adopt towards their interviewees. It is irritating and objectionable in the extreme, and if only there was some way we could vote these people out of the journalistic 'house', by god I would. Only then would the journalists of the caliber of Hugh Riminton, as you have stated, be rewarded with the kudos they so richly deserve, and which we, the viewing public, aching for adult conversations with our politicians served up by our proxies the journalistic interlocutors, are crying out for.

HS

21/07/2010George Pike, On Abbott's sleight-of-hand Education Rebate, did you hear his simpering Shadow Educatoion Minister, Christopher Pyne, gloating about the fact that their new proposal would help pay for his children's Violin and Piano lessons? Why should my taxes pay for this wealthy individual's children's Violin and Piano lessons? Especially, as , so he said, 2 of his 4 children are 'Special Needs'? Which, and I don't begrudge 'Special Needs' children having Piano and Violin lessons, but, they are never going to end up playing Carnegie Hall, are they? Which is what I would consider justification for the State subsidising with taxpayers' money, the lessons. That is, if they have potential to be great. Not to stroke the egos of their parents, who just use these things as pathetic shows of their material superiority over us poor beggars who cannot afford these things for our children, no matter how talented they may be, on the other hand. And even with the rebate I know I couldn't afford a year of music lessons. Actually, this latest policy from Abbott is of a piece with his other great failures, the Denatl rebate, which has been rorted to the hills by unscrupulous Dentists and their equally ethics-free-zone patients; and the Medicare Safety Net, which allowed well-off individuals to have the taxpayers of Australia pay for their Private Medical treatment, after they had reached a financial hurdle only they could afford to get over. Tony Abbott is thus showing himself to be a craven elitist, just as I have been told he is by people who know him.

HS

21/07/2010As for the school that he was at on Wednesday, did you know that the Principal praised the BER for what it had provided for his school community? That didn't get much of a run in the News bulletins though, did it?

HS

21/07/2010NormanK, Thank you. :) Righteous indignation spurs me on.

HS

21/07/2010If only I could tell you the dirty little secret I know about our Mr Oakes. However, I have been sworn to secrecy by another journalist.

HS

21/07/2010lyn, Thank you! It was my pleasure. :)

HS

21/07/2010Has anyone else noticed that Tony Abbott appears to have been given a going over with the 'Spray On Hair' for his spot in the first Liberal TV ad?

Grog

21/07/2010Ah bugger Lyn - you cited a sentence with a spelling error in it!!! (Fixed now!) "this seen"??? Geez... :-)

HS

21/07/2010You're right, AA, the Opposition appear to think if it sounds right, they'll get away with it. When I read that transcript of the interview with Lyndal Curtis, I couldn't help thinking that the facts had become irrelevant to Hockey and he was more concerned with crafting a convincing soundbite that would infect the listener's mind with the impression he was trying to create. The facts could go hang, it seems.

HS

21/07/2010I'd also like to know what his line about borrowing $100 milliion per day to fund their expenditure is supposed to signify? I thought that the Australian economy was a $1 Trillion dollar economy? Doesn't that mean that our government, as well as borrowing, is also able to repay money in large quantities, and that's what governments like ours do every day? I'd also like to know how much Howard and Costello borrowed every day to fund THEIR expenditures, and that was without a GFC.

Lyn

21/07/2010Hi Grog For god's sake Grog, don't worry about it, it's not a spelling mistake, we all make those blessed typo's all the time. Even Mao's last dancer, I just finished reading had typo's, I wonder how many of us are trained qualified typists.

Lyn

22/07/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Hey Hey It's ... another TONY ABBOTT GAFFE, The HindSiteBlog[/i] The latest monumental screw up was his appearance on Hey Hey tonight. The scenario looked like it was ripped from the state-run TV broadcast of some ex-Soviet emerging democracy: gawdy sets, a live band, nonsense interjections, a fading pop star and a national politician. Amongst all that, Abbott guffawed and squirmed his way through possibly the worst hour of prime time television of the year. http://hindsiteblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/hey-hey-its-another-tony-abbott-gaffe.html [i]Highlights of day five, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Election 2010: Day 5 (or Moving Stationary), Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] Seriously – on Sky news John Hewson, Cheryl Kernot and Kieren Gilbert were getting themselves in a huge lather just thinking about what could possibly be going on with this scene of a local MP giving a speech at a school. The subtext was amazing! Especially as his speech was on at the exact time as Julia’s http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/07/election-2010-day-5-or-moving.html [i]The Liberal's WorkChoices dilemma, Jeremy Sear, Onymous Lefty.[/i] And how did the surviving Liberal MPs respond to this? By blandly declaring that this policy that they had waited a decade in power to introduce, this policy that really represented the fundamental core of their party, was “dead”. http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/ [i]Political fairy tales, Tim Dunlop, The Drum[/i] Everything thing the Opposition says on this topic is arrant nonsense and if you don't believe me, ask Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, or the head of our own Reserve Bank, Glenn Stevens. http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/2010/07/political-fairy-tales.html#more [i]Lies, damned Lies and implied repeal, Ken Parish, Club Troppo[/i] Any who did would instantly realise that the Coalition’s promise to amend the Electoral Act to force unions to repay the Australian Electoral Commission for the costs of running union ballots effectively renders completely meaningless Abbott’s more general promise not to change Labor’s Fair Work Act. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2010/07/21/lies-damned-lies-and-implied-repeal/ [i]Debt Free. Got any other ideas to stifle growth, Peter Martin[/i] By the way, The Coalition isn't actually promising to pay off government debt materially sooner than Labor. Joe Hockey told me yesterday that he wasn't yet in a position to make such a promise. But you wouldn't know it from its rhetoric about the urgency of the task.) http://petermartin.blogspot.com/2010/07/wednesday-column-debt-free-got-any.html [i]Raw deals and burnt offerings, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] ignore pretty much everything that The Australian has ever printed and will ever print. It is only a paper read by the elites; no seat, no election has ever swung on anything that has ever come out of that paper. Yes, it would take a real leader to say, "who gives a damn what's in The Australian?" http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2010/07/raw-deals-and-burnt-offerings-i-love-it.html [i]Highlights of day four, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] A summary of yesterday’s events that didn’t get posted overnight due to internet trouble. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]What size the ALP vote hit from closing rolls early, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i]When Julia Gillard announced August 21 as the election date rather than August 28, one of the consequences was that the electoral roll closed a week earlier than it ordinarily could have – http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/ [i]Hey Tony, Your Conservative Views are Killing People., Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] Real lives are at stake, and for Mr Abbott and those like him to think that his archaic views, actions and words on homosexuality and abortion have no consequences ”in the real world” is reckless, disingenuous and contemptuous .http://guttertrash.wordpress.com:80/2010/07/21/hey-tony-your-conservative-views-are-killing-people/ [i]Queensland warms to Julia, Rob Burgess, Business Spectator[/i] Across the fours electorates, among 1600 respondents, the poll showed Labor’s two-party preferred vote has risen from 48.5 per cent to 52 per cent from mid-June to the present. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/POLL-POSITION-Bob-Browns-sex-challenge-pd20100721-7JTCG?OpenDocument&src=rab [i]The implosion of Kevin07, Stephen Hagan, On Line Opinion[/i] For the son of a dairy farmer who joined the Australian Labor Party at the age of 15 and demonstrated his intellectual capability by being named dux of Nambour State High School in 1974, Kevin Rudd certainly had his eye on the big prize a long way from the finish line. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10707

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

22/07/2010HS, more to the point regarding O'Brien's $100 million per day question to Hockey, was the fact that O'Brien totally avoided to mention the fact that the GFC took $170 billion out of the tax receipts...if the government had not borrowed an equivalent amount to keep all existing and promised expenditure on track the economy would have collapsed. The funds that would then be required to meet the shortfall to cover the cost of the increased unemployment etc would have meant that the government would now very likely be borrowing as much as $300 million per day with no recovery and no return to surplus in sight for the foreseeable future. That omission by Hockey and O'Brien was scurrilous to say the least. Another shortfall from O'Brien was how he avoided putting the "cost" to parents of providing the much glorified school costs support. All those small businesses out there who are doing it tough already, will NOT be over the moon at the fact that they are going to lose a tax cut, and $5,000 per year in investment allowances, to pay for a $2,000 refund on their $4,000 school bills! Those parents who are on the low to medium wage scales would also be horrified at the thought of losing up to $200,000 in extra superannuation when they retire, simply to help them with the few hundred dollars they pay in school costs now. Let's face it, the media are deliberately and deceitfully withholding information that is critical for people towards making an informed decision at the ballot box....and that is nothing less than treachery of the lowest order.

HS

22/07/2010lyn, Sorry to be pedantic, but it's 'gaudy'. :) A bit like one of my favourite architects, Antonin Gaudi, whose work was very gaudy! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudi

FFreddy

22/07/2010I saw an appalling piece of journalism on the ABC's News Breakfast show on Wed. morning. Andrew Robb was being interviewed and was going on about 'Labor's debt, spending etc'. He then turned to the interviewers and with a pained, contorted look on his face said quizzingly "you do know we have the highest interest rates in the western world?...and its all the result of Labor's reckless spending". Now any journalist worth their salt would have perhaps challenged Robb about the highly contestable link between our present interest rates and the stimulus spending but you would have thought they would have at least pointed out that we had the highest, or near highest, interest rates during the Howard years and how did Robb account for that. It's not rocket science. Instead his statement was allowed to go through to the keeper and the next question was about Joe Hockey's remarks re: PHilton. No wonder ARobb is presented as some credible 'heavy-hitter' if he's allowed to get away with crap like that. I've only watched this show a couple of times in the last year and I missed a later interview with Craig Emerson so I've little sense of the show but at the very least this was very shoddy journalism.

HS

22/07/2010FFreddy, I guess interviewers are treading on eggshells with Andrew Robb because they don't want to make him depressed, and boy are the Opposition exploiting that to the hilt, very cynically. As in he appears to be able to get away with saying things that an ALP MP wouldn't escape scrutiny over.I say it also because I notice how they have leveraged Andrew Robb's, undoubtedly serious mental illness into a platform to launch their Mental Health policy off. I guess it's what any political party would do under the same circumstances, but I think it's just a little bit tawdry.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi Ad Media Wrap Crikey: [i]The elusive magic number on population, Amber Jamieson, Crikey[/i] Rudd’s booting will continue to haunt Gillard’s campaign, says Barrie Cassidy on The Drum: http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/22/the-elusive-magic-number-on-population/

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010Lyn LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated with [i]Crikey's Media Wrap.[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

22/07/2010At least most residents of the regional areas of this country will not be bored to death by a 24 hour Liberal PR campaign by the ABC news crew...we don't get HD digital telly out here! It will be very interesting to see the first two hours of News 24 on ordinary telly tonight though....to see if I'm right about the ABC giving free publicity for the Liberals ad nauseum. They are certainly doing that via ABC radio already!

HS

22/07/2010I don't know if 'Rudd's booting' will continue to haunt Julia Gillard's campaign. From someone who would know: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/22/2960732.htm?site=thedrum

HS

22/07/2010This article by D.Shanahan appears to be definitive and as unbiased as he could be wrt the meeting between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard on June 23: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-rudd-accused-of-welshing-on-leadership-deals/story-fn59niix-1225895322163 Seems neither party has clean hands. Though, at the end of the day, what difference it makes in the great scheme of things I don't know.

Rx

22/07/2010I won't be watching ABC AntiLabor24 either.

George Pike

22/07/2010Isn't it amazing how the media have taken Mark Latham under their wing and are hanging off his every word...as long as it's anti-Labor! The hypocrisy of certain sections of the Australian media is as sickening as it is boundless! Channel Nine and Twiggy Forrest are also reviving the anti-MRRT(RSPT)ads as well, and they chose to announce the fact on the day that the PM is attending the funeral of a fallen Digger...pretty low even for slimy Nine and an incredibly greedy mining magnate.

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010George, FFreddy The ABC is an enigma. Last night Kerry O’Brien was clearly annoyed that Tony Abbott had turned up an invitation to appear this week on the [i]7.30 Report[/i] and had sent blather bluster Joe instead. This morning on ABC 774 Melbourne radio Jon Faine was livid about Tones appearing on [i]Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday[/i] to judge [i]Red Faces[/i], something Faine considered undignified for a potential PM, instead of fronting for the [i]7.30 Report[/i], and annoyed that Phoney Tony had declined an invitation to the Faine show. Barrie Cassidy though was less critical of Tony, and in talking about the launch of ABC 24 this evening at 7.30 pm (also simulcast on ABC 1), hinted that there would be an exclusive story that they are still cooking up. No doubt they want to start with a spectacular splash, so let’s see what the story is – anti-Labor, anti-Coalition - we’ll have to wait patiently.

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010HS Dennis Shanahan’s piece starts with the vagueness for which we know him so well: [i]”Julia Gillard faces claims she reneged on a deal to put Kevin Rudd in cabinet before the election and that she has left him without prospects of holding a ministry. But Mr Rudd faces counter charges that he, too, broke conditions of the original deal on the dramatic night of June 23 when Ms Gillard confronted him over a leadership transition.”[/i] But who is making ‘the claims’? Shanahan, or someone of consequence? This is the same as the hackneyed ‘sources say’, or better still ‘usually reliable sources say’. What does it matter? What does Shanahan think he’s likely to gain from this? Only the tragics will want to probe. Normal people will let it quietly pass over them.

HS

22/07/2010AA, I guess I'm stunned when DS shows any semblance of even-handedness. Though you may be onto something as to the reason why he wrote the story. Maybe he justs wants to tarnish both players?

HS

22/07/2010This is a very apt, if wordy, article on Internet blogging commentary: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/19/commenting.on.news.sites/index.html#fbid=OGAIyzpzN9k

George Pike

22/07/2010http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DysbcRWOBzw0&h=61b97 A little faux pas from Tones...from Paul Howes'facebook site..

HS

22/07/2010I wonder how long TAbbott can evade scrutiny from the likes of Jon Faine and Kerry O'Brien?

George Pike

22/07/2010Sorry, did that wrog....try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysbcRWOBzw0

Rx

22/07/2010If the Liberals are feeling somewhat rattled by the WorkChoices controversy hanging over their heads, imagine how intense the situation would have been if Costello was their leader going into the election!

HS

22/07/2010Re Kevin Rudd and the UN offering him a job(from ABC News Twitter feed): Mr Rudd's spokesman says UN job would not be based in NY and would only require limited meetings, meaning he could continue as MP.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi Ad Couple of links everyone may be interested in: [i]POLL POSITION: What happened to J-Gill's accent?, Rob Burgess, Election 2010, business Spectator[/i] But just what is that accent? It’s not Kath & Kim, and certainly not their upper-class alter-egos Prue & Trude. http://www.businessspectator.com.au:80/bs.nsf/Article/POLL-POSITION-Sense-and-insensitivity-on-Afghanist-pd20100722-7KT3T?OpenDocument&src=kgb [i]The ABC's 24-hour news channel « ,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i] In the 24/7 news world the ABC stands for independent free-to-air news, and as a competitor to Sky News and it will provide more fuel to the running feud between the ABC and News Corporation. Will the ABC's service mean a greater recognition that our local politics is increasingly shaped by global forces? http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2010/07/the-abcs-24hour.php#more

Lyn

22/07/2010 Hi Ad Trying again: POLL POSITION: What happened to J-Gill's accent?, Rob Burgess, Election 2010, business Spectator http://www.businessspectator.com.au:80/bs.nsf/Article/POLL-POSITION-Sense-and-insensitivity-on-Afghanist-pd20100722-7KT3T?OpenDocument&src=kgb

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010HS Thank you for the link to the commentary on Internet blogging. Having read what could happen, I feel we are fortunate on [i]TPS[/i] to have such a well-mannered group of posters.

BH

22/07/2010Even tho we know the journos can be manipulative it's awful to hear Overington enthusing about their means and way. It's all so grubby and disrespectful to the voters. I used to enjoy Laurie Oakes articles in The Bulletin but he has turned into a sour, grumpy old man. Perhaps it's his weight which must be putting a lot of stress on his body and, in turn, affects his ability to have happy thoughts. His irrelevancy in this age of fast communication is on show and I suspect that his employment opportunities are diminishing. It's a difficult time for Laurie but that doesn't mean he has to resort to rubbishy tactics. He's demeaning himself. Thanks AA - We didn't really need Overington's modus operandi exposed so brutally but if it helps more of us realise what the pollies are up against then it may be to the pollies benefit.

Gravel

22/07/2010Ad Astra Another fantastic article. I have had a-pac on for an hour or two, they are still trying to run the bad Rudd, bad Gillard line. Interestingly they also mentioned the smaller miner's might start another ad campaign about the mining tax. My instinct is to think it may backfire on them this time as most people are 'over' it and won't distinguish between the deal with the big miner's and this lot, I'd think most would think blooming miners going back on their deal and don't want to pay any tax. Also they had Lenore Tayler talking about the book 'Shit Storm', it was very good, I might just have to try and get hold of a copy. Oh and thanks to Lyn? I think, who gave the instructions for the gravatar thing as I was having the same trouble as Janice. I'm about to find out if I got it right.

Gravel2

22/07/2010Okay that didn't work, I forgot to add the number, if doesn't work I will give up. :-)

Gravel2

22/07/2010Wow it did, sorry people but I'm pleased, big thanks to whoever it was that gave those great instructions. :-)

NormanK

22/07/2010Hey! Hey! Its Tony Abbott! The Mad Rabbott in 7.30 Reportland Kerry : Hello and welcome to the programme. Last Monday you may recall we had Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the show and we have been trying since then to balance the books by giving Opposition Leader Tony Abbott equal time. He's a very busy man it seems but we did manage to get together in the studio a little earlier today. I should warn viewers that they may find parts of the following interview disturbing. Kerry : Tony Abbott. Thanks for joining us .......... Tony : Good evening Kerry. Kerry : ........... finally. We are now in the aftermath of the Leaders' Debate and some less than kind commentators are saying today that Julia Gillard wiped the floor with you last night. What was your take on how it went? Tony : Well uh Kerry you know that Ballroom is never my strong suit. If we could have moved on a little sooner to the Latin section I'm sure I could have ..... ow. Sure was a long long hot summer night. Stabbed in the back in the middle of the night. Kerry? Kerry : The debate. Last night. How do you feel it went? Tony : I thought it went very well personally. Ah can't cha tell I'm ah doin' fine. She handled the guitar very well, I liked the wig and I thought she did a great Julia Gillard impersonation ow ......... but Labor will never deliver a surplus. Never. Kerry? Kerry : Are you alright there, Mr Abbott? You seem a bit distracted. Tony : I'm fine thanks Kerry. It's been a long couple of weeks and uh ..... Kerry : Nine days. Tony : ........ a long couple of nine days and uh ....... and uh ........ lately things, they don't seem the same .. ow ..... school uniforms and violins. This chair's not very comfortable, Kerry. Having some budget problems, are we? Funding for, and rates of interest in, the ABC will always be lower under a Coalition government. Kerry : We had Mr Hockey on the programme last Wednesday .................... Tony : Straight talker, Joe. What you see is what you get. And a lot of it, I might add. Ow. Kerry : ........... and we got into some difficulty trying to clear up potential conflict between your pledge to leave the WorkFair legislation untouched and the need to alter Electoral Commission legislation to enable you to collect 25 million dollars in savings through not reimbursing unions for the cost of compulsory secret ballots. Will you acknowledge that there is an inconsistency there? Tony : Of course Kerry. If you don't beat the eggs to a nice fluffy consistency then it will never rise. Matt has tried a couple of times to show me ..... ow. Sorry Andrew. One hundred million dollars each and every day. Kerry? Kerry : Mr Abbott, are you wearing an earpiece? Tony : Yes Kerry. (patronising) We live in a digital age Kerry. They're called Electoral Enhancement Earpieces or EEEs and they're based on hearing aid technology. You know the cute little in-ear ones which this wasteful Labor government has been handing out free to pensioners since the first months of the Rudd dictatorship. Kerry : Who do you have advising you? Tony : Well, in my right ear I've got Joe Hockey just in case you ask a question which requires obfuscation ow bluster ow serious economic visionary elucidation. Well I stand up next to a mountain. If you stray into an area with concrete numbers involved, I've got Andrew Robb in my left ear to make sure the sums add up. I find mathematics a bit depressing actually but Andrew just loves it. Straight talker, Andrew. Slow, but straight. Kerry : Do you think it's fair to be using artificial enhancements to improve your performance? As a sporting man you must ..... Tony : Wait though Kerry. I haven't told you the best bit. A senior Party member, after one of his regular trips to Thailand to investigate the prices paid for young boys on the sex market over there, brought back a marvellous device. It's a cross between a cattle prod and a uh ......... and a uh ...... suppository. After you've been wearing it for a couple of minutes, you hardly even notice it. Except when you sit on a hard chair. It's affectionately referred to by the boys and girls as Abbott's Anti-Hyperbole Stimulator. It's Wi-Fi enabled and runs off tiny little batteries which deliver a surprisingly large shock. Andrew has brought along one of his most trusted staffers to operate it. You might remember him Kerry. He was the one who kept Andrew on track during his press conference after Joe's astonishingly brilliant visionary speech to the Press Club in May. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7m_k3uYI8c His name is ah ... his name is ah ... ow ....... OW ..... Keith. HIS NAME IS KEITH! Keith is a master of non-verbal communication. And another straight talker. Kerry : Ah. Tony : Sssssss. AAHS, Kerry, AAHS. I know what I want but I just don't know how to, go about gettin' it ..... ow. Machine men with stay-sharp knives. Kerry? Kerry : There are rumours circulating that your war-chest for this campaign is getting a little light-on. Are these sorts of gadgets a wise way to spend limited funds? Tony : Without a doubt Kerry. We would have liked to hire a couple of OOHS but we will have to make do with EEEs and AAHS. Kerry : What's an OOHS? Tony : We don't talk about OOHS Kerry. Kerry : Okay. During some of your Party's recent press conferences and in press releases there's been mention of 24 billion dollars in ... Tony : That's a big number. As is 700,000 dollars. I've got money but I don't know why .... ow. Kerry : .... savings and at other times the figure is 47 billion .... Tony : That's a VERY big number Kerry. Yeah I know - thanks Joe. Kiss the sky. Kerry : ........ dollars. Could you explain the difference between the numbers? Tony : Certainly Kerry. Can I phone a friend? Mm. This is not something I know a great deal about but I'll have a stab at it. Let's see - 47 billion ...... 24 billion ....... that's a difference of ..... ah .... of ah ........ 24 billi ......... 23 billion, thanks Andrew. Now, if six turned up to be nine? I don't mind. I think I'll go for "B" Kerry. Lock in "B". Kerry : Mr Abbott, I don't think you're taking this interview very seriously. In fact you don't seem to be taking this whole campaign very seriously. Do you still believe this is a winnable election? Tony : Of course, Kerry, of course I do. It's only a question of who will be doing the winning, isn't it? Do you have a gong here by chance? Pity. There must be some kinda way outa here .... ow. BER full of pink batts. Kerry : You brought out one of Mr Howard's favourite slogans when you promised that interest rates would always be lower under a Coalition government. And yet ...... Tony : And they will be Kerry, they will be. All we need to do is drive the economy into a brick wall and ow ... ow .....OW! Kerry? Kerry : And yet Glenn Stevens of the RBA said in a speech recently, and I quote "There is virtually no net public debt in the country at all in contrast to much of the developed world. The most recent figures out of Canberra was a peak of five or six per cent of GDP. So far from that being the highest in history, it is closer to the lowest." What's your response to that? Tony : Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Mmph. Ow! You want me to bake twenty Year Four students into a pie? That's a very big pie Kerry! Yes ...... Yes ....... Of course Joe ....... As soon as we've finished here ........... MacDonalds ............... You can have what ... ever ... you ... want. Okay? Take anything you want from me. Kerry? Kerry : Interest rates? Tony : Falling, falling, falling. It seems the more I talk the less interest there is in .... ow. Kevin Rudd will hang over Julia Gillard's head like the Ghost of Leaders Past. Kerry : On the subject of boat arrivals, Scott Morrison said .......... Tony : Scott! Another straight talker Kerry. Our front bench is made up of straight talkers. Joe - straight talker. Andrew - straight talker. Julie - straight talker. Never shuts up actually .. ow. Christopher - straight talker. With a circus mind that's running wild. Scott - straight talker. We are a party made up of straight talkers Kerry. Between us we are talking ourselves straight into the biggest election defeat in ow ....... ow ...... OW! 800 pound gorilla. Kerry? Kerry : Does this mean you are conceding defeat this early in the campaign? Tony : No of course not Kerry. That's a lie. I never said any such thing. HEY! I wish Joe wouldn't throw the microphone on the desk when he storms out like that. Hey Joe, where ya going with that gun in your hand? Ow. Borrowing to pay off Labor's unemployment figures. Kerry : So you rate yourself as still in with a chance of taking power? Tony : Yes Kerry. But who would have thought that Callum would fall at the last hurdle. Dessert was never his .... ow. Do-nothing government, devoid of ideas and hoping to stumble over the line with old policies and in some cases no policy whatsoever. Kick it to me! Kick it to me! They want more running. More running. Kerry. Kerry : Mr Abbott, we are rapidly running out of time so just briefly on a lighter note, were you surprised by who won MasterChef last night? Tony : Kerry I don't have time to watch commercial television. I've got an election to win. Kerry : Tony Abbott. Thanks for your time. Tony : My pleasure Kerry. Ow! Ow! Pluck! a! duck! Andrew! I thought it went really well. Can't we talk about this later. I know you wanted me to use the Paris Hilton line but you know what O'Brien's sense of humour is like. And what's with all the Hendrix lyrics? Crosstalk? What's that?

George Pike

22/07/2010It looks like Journalists are bit snooty and pretentious where-ever you go! http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2010/07/26/100726ta_talk_mead

George Pike

22/07/2010Did anyone else notice how Karen Middleton was "made up" like Morticia when she ran her usual anti-Labor spiel on SBS news last night? Maybe she was being a bit of a smarty bum over the union's Abbott Family ads hey!

janice

22/07/2010Congratulations Gravel. Yes, it was our very own helpful Tweety Bird Lyn who gave the instructions. It amused me no end though that in order to get my User Name through I had to make it "foreverjanice" because the numbers bit didn't work.

janice

22/07/2010Given that Abbott has been so vocal about debt and deficit and finding these so-called savings, I wonder when, or if, someone asks him if he intends to reside at the Lodge if he happens to get elected, or will he do a Howard and make Kirribilly House the centre of an Abbott government.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi Gravel I love your gravatar, proud of you you did well. Could you tell us the significance of it, that's only if you want to. Janice "foreverjanice sounds lovely, now when you take another photo of Paddy you can change your gravatar. Don't forget to keep a record of your user name and password, otherwise you will have to go through the whole procedure again. Cheers my friends

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010BH I’m glad you appreciated this piece despite having to endure hearing what Caroline Overington had to say to learner journalists. No wonder journalism is so poor in this country if that's the advice they get. Gravel Thank you for your kind remarks. I’m glad you got your Gravatar sorted out. In fact it takes time, sometimes hours before a Gravatar that you selected becomes operative. I had to wait for mine to change too. NormanK Thank you for another delightful piece of satire. Although bluster blather Joe insisted that Wayne Swan did not know if he was Arthur or Martha, that description is much more apt for Phoney Tony as your piece shows so starkly.

Gaffhook

22/07/2010The first cab off the rank to derail the garbage MSM is for Julia to introduce legislation banning foreign ownership of media. He had to become a US citizen to own US media and the same should apply here. That would be a good start.

George Pike

22/07/2010Spot on Gaffhook! Looks like I was spot on with my forcast that the new news 24 on the ABC would be nothing more than a free 24 hour Liberal PR vehicle as well. The garbage they dribbled about Kevin Rudd and the great mighty security cabinet was perfect proof of that...that was the same security cabinet that John Howard asked to devise ways to legitimise the invasion of Iraq and to come up with "ways" to control terrorists in Australia...as in the Dr Haneef Affair!

vote1maxine

22/07/2010ABC News24 launches with an attack on Labor Govt. Kevin Rudd either missed National Security Committee of Cabinet meetings or kept dept heads waiting upto an hour. Howard never missed such meetings. Big whoop! I rather have our PM late for meetings rather than being blissfully "unaware" of a AWB corruption scandal, Wheat for Weapons, which indirectly placed our troops in a war zone to greater danger. Or a PM who deliberately tries to use Defense personnel to mislead the Australian People aka Children Overboard.

Gaffhook

22/07/2010Yes George. That would be the same John Howard who was personally at the security meeting which didn’t pass on the same warning to Australians that was given to Americans re Bali nightclubs in 2002? The second cab off the rank for Julia is to clean out the lieberal rat nest at the ABC. Does not matter how you try to lodge a complaint you get the same fluff piece from some poor staffer who has to respond with a "we try to be nice".

Ad astra reply

22/07/2010George, vote1maxine, Gaffhook As expected ABC News 24 tried hard to get off with a flourish, but the best it could do was a beat-up on Kevin Rudd not attending some Security Cabinet meetings – pretty ancient history now. The real intent though is to hammer Julia Gillard for not ‘pulling him into line’. This ‘scoop’ was what Barrie Cassidy referred to this morning on ABC radio. It really was weak, as was the next hour that I watched. If this is the best they can do they will be scratching for an audience. We should expect the Opposition to try to get some mileage from this, but it is so obstruce and of so little interest to the public generally, I believe they will struggle. It will be interesting to see the extent to which News Limited outlets give this ABC exclusive airplay.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi George, Gaffhook and Vote1maxine [quote]ABC News24 launches with an attack on Labor Govt. Kevin Rudd either missed National Security Committee of Cabinet meetings or kept dept heads waiting upto an hour. Howard never missed such meetings. Big whoop! [/quote] What upsets me is where is the proof, what because Chris Uhlmann said so. [quote]Commonwealth officials and cabinet sources have told the ABC that, as prime minister, Mr Rudd showed a casual disregard for the national security committee[/quote] Commonwealth officials and cabinet sources, who are they, how reliable are they, what meeting or meetings was it Kevin Rudd missed, which date, what are the sources names. Nobody says so, but we did have a Global Finacial Crises, Kevin Rudd couldn't have been busy. Anyway where was Kevin Rudd, on which ever particular day this was supposed to have occurred, was he in the country, was he having a picnic at the Lodge in the rose garden, who knows. They are trying to pin the sin on Julia Gillard, she should have done something about it, like what, tell the media, naughty Kevin he is in woop woop and he is supposed to be at this meeting. Oh! and did you hear the emphasis on a 30 year old staffer, like as if Allister Jordon is some cleaner from the locker room, 30 years old he is far too young. Rudd faces cabinet neglect claims, Chris Uhlmann, abc news 24 The revelations also raise questions about Ms Gillard's role and whether she raised any concerns about key areas of the administration. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/22/2961618.htm

nasking

22/07/2010ABC 24 hr news. A RIGHT-WING, NEO-CON, CORPORATE ORGY. Not only do they start w/ the typical Rudd bash. Then manage to piss on Gillard & the Ministers by using the word “kowtow”. And criticise gawd knows how many policies. But they also use Tim Blair of the Daily Telegraph & a couple of saboteurs pretending to be anything but corporate arse-lickers, to basically set-up the scenario that fckn SERFCHOICES could be the next GST… and I assume that means they’re saying that not only was the war-mongering, anally-retentive on providing profits for armament & security companies John Howard a STAR at attending all of the security meetings… but in fact was the most courageous politician EVER because he pushed for workplaces legislation that kept them union fckers down, made sure the workers did not benefit from flexible hours worked… and was the hero of business always willing to sacrifice to make those profits when the worker lacking in risk pursuit, innovation & sheer bastadry for the good of the society was just keeping the “movers & shakers” down… and asking for unrealistic conditions…when it should be generic knowledge that some people are SUPERIOR to others…as they climb the mountains. Thankyou very fckn much ABC for destroying the DREAM of an alternative to Murdoch claptrap… It only took you one & a half hours. N’

nasking

22/07/2010And I noticed on the DRUM section the ABC even managed to bring in Australia’s NEO-CON lot, by way of Chris Berg of The Institute of Public Affairs. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Institute_of_Public_Affairs You might enjoy his views on climate change…remind ya of a few on this site?: Climategate: What we’ve learned so far http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/1775/climategate-what-we%27ve-learned-so-far SACK THE HEAD OF THE ABC. He’s a CORPORATE TRICKY DICK. The ABC is INFECTED. We do not have a democracy…we have a CORPOCRACY. N’

nasking

22/07/2010And I didn’t fail to notice how not only were the ABC 24 hr shows backgrounded in Liberal/Tory blue colours… but also on The Drum they managed at 8:55 pm to sneak in a promo (a few seconds shot) of the Liberal candidate for Ballarat, Mark Banwell, straight from the Liberal site w/ slogan “Standup for Australia…stand up for shonky action”. A less than subtle attempt at subliminal messaging. Considering Banwell had nothing to do w/ the discussion. Needs to be reported to Media Watch. The ABC have hit an all-time low. A Lib propaganda machine. N’

Bilko

22/07/2010Having stopped buying SMH,AGE and Murdoch's trashy rag years ago and then recently driffting further away after blog access to the same when they all went feral against labor. This week I bought the Fin review hoping to see some real analysis of the economic status as defined by both parties no chance just the same drivel. I now despair that unless the whole of OZ electorate accesses these blogs and gets both sides of the spectrum they will be blindly led to the chopping block. This 100 million a day spending NOONE is refuting it or even challenging it. Goebbles would be spinning in his grave at the big lies so many it seems being spun that the earth is in danger of hurling off into space or even "Uranus" as mentioned earlier in the comments. And don't get me started on the Abbott Broadcasting Company (ABC) I might just join the OH in Hospital until the election blows over. Possum lift our spirits like in 2007 and I pray that the general public has more sense than the MSM credit them with.

jimbo

22/07/2010Not that my view is overly important but my choice between Laurie Oakes and Hugh Rimmington would be the latter Hugh Rimmington as i have seen a few of his reportings in recent times and found them to be balanced,unbiased and presented very well.Not so long ago i would probably have voted for Laurie as i had total respect for him over three decades but i find in an ever decreasing number of ethical journalists that it may be an idea to have a listing of all journalists that we could put on the internet and allow bloggers to give them a point score on the way they handle their job their ethics and their honesty and have something like an honour roll to give credit for their courage in a time where a majority find it easier to run dishonest and biased stories.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi Nasking Good on you, excellent comments, brilliant observations. [quote]The ABC have hit an all-time low. A Lib propaganda machine. [/quote] What a let down, here's me so excited about ABC 24, I was contemplating giving up pay TV because Sky News is so pathetically biased.

jimbo

22/07/2010On channel tens late news you will find if you watch it that julia has surged further ahead as preferred prime minister.maybe the electorate are getting wise to the bias shown by the msm,the dirty campaign the libs are running and the utter stupidity being shown by the liberal front bench.

Lyn

22/07/2010Hi Ad and Everybody Grog's excellent column on Election day 6, perfect, thankyou Grog: [i]Election 2010: Day 6 ( or sustainable seems to be the hardest word) Grog, Grogs Gamut[/i]In lieu of any real election news today, the opposition and the media got itself into a lather about Julia Gillard’s sustainable population argument http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/07/election-2010-day-6-or-sustainable.html

nasking

22/07/2010BTW Lyn...Banwell’s Lib site was put up TWICE. Check it out. 8:55 pm the first time (when they were discussing, pissing on some Brown character…re: Greens). Banwell was brought up later. This double act I believe was a way of pushing Banwell into viewer’s minds. Not just an innocent error. The fact “the holocaust” was referred to re: his accusations on BER…which relates to Gillard…can’t be a mistake. A deliberate attempt also to SWAY key JEWISH vote. And those recently watching many Foxtel films related to Holocaust…including ‘The Reader’. See SBS stuff as well. I know NEO-CON when I see it. Look at the ABC 24 hr’s initial news. Related to Security. Praising Howard (even tho the Iraq War shift away from Afghanistan was criticised Howard, Downer, nor Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld not brought up in that instance…not even in later headline news…just Rudd re: Homeland Security). Look at next topics…Terror in Indonesia. Afghan War. In Drum section & elsewhere less than praising stuff on Rudd & United Nations (UN). Who despised the UN more than the Neo-Cons & Fox News/Murdoch empire? I rest my case. ABC INFECTED. N’

janice

23/07/2010This huge "scoop" revealed at the launch of ABC24 is a sample of what the anti-Rudd election would have been had Rudd not been rolled. No wonder the Abbott camp were caught flat footed when they found themselves facing Julia Guillard. They were left with their dirt barrel filled with material aimed at the wrong target.

Gravel2

23/07/2010ABC24, we lasted five minutes. On Poll Bludger, they are saying that the bloke "....Barry" was the one who told and kept up the lie about the children overboard, and has never forgiven Kevin for pursuing it. Thanks AA, lyn, and janice. The gravatar is the Australian 2 shilling postage stamp which immediately brought my grandmother to mind. Now I've just shown my age. :-(

Gravel2

23/07/2010Bilko, in the Age online there is a writer, Kathryn Murphy I think, that has an article today about the debt and deficit thing, which is excellent, I don't know how to do links, maybe lyn could help there. Also Peter Martin blog is excellent too. There are a couple of good economics writers out there, so don't despair.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Gravel I think this is the story: Debt bogeyman a good scare tactic - if you ignore the facts , Jessica Irvine, SMH Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey ever take much time to explain their assertion - the debt bogeyman is just too good a soundbite to spoil the illusion with detailed explanations. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/debt-bogeyman-a-good-scare-tactic--if-you-ignore-the-facts-20100722-10mxp.html cheers

Bilko

23/07/2010Thank you gravel 2 have a read of Jessica Irving on SMH "Debt bogeyman a good scare tactic - if you ignore the facts" also a good read, may the force be with us.

Lyn

23/07/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Advertiser Poll: 67-33 to Labor in Kingston, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] Morgan has published preferred prime minister ratings from a phone poll of 719 respondents conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, which shows Julia Gillard leading Tony Abbott 58-29 among all voters, 62-22 among women and 54-36 among men. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Election 2010: Day 6 ( or sustainable seems to be the hardest word) Grog, Grogs Gamut[/i]In lieu of any real election news today, the opposition and the media got itself into a lather about Julia Gillard’s sustainable population argument http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/07/election-2010-day-6-or-sustainable.html [i]Election 2010: an exceedingly dull campaign. But Why? Eva Cox. The Stump[/i] emphasis given to asylum seeker/population/immigration dog whistle efforts by the politicos and media. Expert poll readers claim it is not a major vote changer but it has become a hot media issue and obliging interviewees are ready to express probably quite genuine fears and anxieties displaced from other sources. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/ [i]Debtwatch: How things change, Peter Martin[/i] We’ve got $57 billion worth of deficit and heading towards $90 billion worth of debt." http://petermartin.blogspot.com/ [i]Work Choices Lives On in Fair Work, John Passant, Theangle.org.[/i] Of course he really wants to extend it further, and give the bosses more ‘flexibility’. But he won’t say that in the run up to the election. http://theangle.org/2010/07/22/workchoices-lives-on-in-fair-work-act/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=workchoices-lives-on-in-fair-work-act [i]CHOKER: Abbott’s compelling case strangled by bad Workplace Relations plan, Jason Gould, Vex News[/i] avuncular Joe Hockey only made matters worse by appearing on Red Kerry’s show last night and proclaiming what was all the fuss about because it was ‘only $25 million’ that was being cut. http://www.vexnews.com/news/10237/choker-abbotts-compelling-case-strangled-by-bad-workplace-relations-plan/ [i]Andrew Bolt assumes the worst of women, Tobias ZieGler, The Stump[/i] in my opinion, his disparaging views about the judgment of women and those who voted for a black President says a lot more about himself than it does about those voters. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2010/07/22/andrew-bolt-assumes-the-worst-of-women/ [i]Mayne throws hat in ring for Northern metro, Andrew Cook, The Stump[/i] Crikey founder Stephen Mayne has made good on his threat to run for a seat in the state upper house at the Victorian election in November. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/

George Pike

23/07/2010The really shameful admission from the media and the Liberal elites over the supposed Rudd void at security cabinets is the fact that they they vilify the use of someone as being incapable of adequately representing the PM because of his age! You watch all the 31 and unders go out there today demonising Rudd for daring to use someone as young as themselves to reperesent himself at cabinet meetings! These same media elites and the Liberal scaremongers like Julie Bishop and Christopher (gone next term) Pyne, don't seem to mind the fat that those 31 and unders are controlling 100s of billions in the world's financial sector, or that they control aircraft and ships loaded to the gunnels with nuclear warheads, or that they command Aircraft carrying 500 people at 35,000 feet, or that they undertake very high level security operations for all the intelligence organisations around the globe.... This entire furore is just worthless nonsensical political propaganda delivered by media elites who think they are above the rest of us by a very wide margin. The fact that these same people tirelessly run the image that the party that a man who represents the wealthy elites is actually very best friends of the masses, while the woman who lives in the bungalow in the western suburbs of melbourne and who represents every worker in the nation, is the evil despotic tyrant who must be displaced at all costs!

George Pike

23/07/2010Excuse the typos, trying to listen to ABC and type at same time!

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

23/07/2010Julias speech on the ETS was too long and complex for most people to grasp I think...should have just said Labor will run a referendum at the next election with the following question: do you want a carbon trading scheme introduced as of the next year, if "yes" at what level should it be set? 10% 20% or 30% of ninteen ninty levels by 2020. That would have let the public decide once and for all what they want done and put the matter to rest for ever.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad Collective contempt as week one draws to a close, Amber Jamieson, Crikey but already on the election obstacle course Tony Abbott has been singed as he tried to cremate WorkChoices, http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/23/commentary-wrap-collective-contempt-as-week-one-draws-to-a-close/ ABC News 24 races to air, Jason Whittaker , Crikey it’s clear the ABC was keen to demonstrate to the furious Sky News (and part-owner News Limited) staffers watching at home its major advantage over the 24/7 news incumbent — international reporting. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/22/around-the-clock-and-the-world-abc-news-24-races-to-air/

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad This is an excellent column by Tigtog: National Security Committee Meetings & Past & Present PM's, Tigtog Hoyden about Town This leak smacks totally of senior defence and/or police personnel feeling slighted by the age of Alister Jordan sitting in as Rudd’s representative. Jordan may “only” be 31, but he was Rudd’s Chief of Staff, the most senior person in the PMO after Rudd himself, not some junior office boy. The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office is surely entirely the right person for Rudd to delegate as his representative at meetings that he cannot himself attend. http://hoydenabouttown.com/20100723.7846/national-security-committee-meetings-and-past-and-present-pms/

George Pike

23/07/2010The link is to a Justin story on the PM's climate change action speech...note the headline...obviously rabble rousers were of far more interest to the reporter than the substance of the speech. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/23/2962015.htm?section=justin

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi George, Those rabble rousers, were the Young Liberals. The one that was taken out by the Federal police was a Young Liberal. Reported by Sky News Ashliegh Gillen, as Dressed in a suit so as he looked like a journalist, enabling him to get closer to Julia Gillard. George, thankyou for your link, I haven't read it yet, but I suspect Abc are not mentioning Young Liberals.

Jason

23/07/2010AA, Here is some satire for your ABC watch! http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/piersakerman/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/here_is_todays_news_an_abc_of_bias/

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010George I missed the speech at the university, but have just seen the subsequent press conference. Everything she said there was crystal clear and eminently sensible. She answered questions lucidly, although avoiding a question about whether she would establish a similar ‘citizens assembly’ to achieve consensus about asylum seekers. She elegantly batted away some rudely-asked questions, controlled the press pack calmly, and although some journalists looked less-than-satisfied with her answers mainly because they were out to embarrass her and didn’t, most seemed to be as satisfied as any milling press pack can ever be. She showed prime ministerial aplomb, confidence and competence. She was positive and dare I say it, forward looking. The contrast with Tony Abbott could not be more stark. How could anyone witnessing her performance today choose negative, obstructionist, backward-looking Phony Tony? She is the real deal.

George Pike

23/07/2010I was just whipping through the letters in the SMH regarding the ABC's news 24 program, and one guy had the nerve to state "24 hours of news as seen by the ALP"...I seen one eyed Liberals before, but that guy had to take the cake! I left a note there asking just which part of the great illustrious scoop on Rudd's security cabinet avoidance or the Andrew Forrest tirade was pro-Labor...and they were the only "serious" political events discussed from memory...so it will be interesting to see the replies...

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010Jason ABC WATCH updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/ABC-Watch.aspx

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010Lyn What a sensible piece by tigtog on [i]Hoyden About Town[/i]. It puts this beat-up into perspective: http://hoydenabouttown.com/20100723.7846/national-security-committee-meetings-and-past-and-present-pms/

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad Glad you liked the piece by tigtog, I thoroughly enjoyed every word. Sure puts everything in order, after reading Tigtog, I'm hearing Joe on ABC 24 announcing, National Security Committee Meeting, this and that one can't help think, how stupid they are.

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010On the morning of the launch, Barrie Cassidy said there was something special coming up but that it was still being ‘worked up’. My hunch is that Chris Uhlmann had banked on something juicy arising from the day’s campaigning, but since Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott has called a truce that day to attend a soldier’s funeral nothing emerged, leaving Uhlmann scrambling to come up with something, and this was the best he could do. You’re better than this Chris – you’ll have to do better next time or we may categorize you as just another pedestrian journo. And please don’t complain if my hypothesis is wrong; having a story wrong doesn’t seem to concern journalists much, so long as it sounds plausible. What a cheek the ABC has to run news items on its earlier bulletins that this ‘scoop’ threatened to overshadow Julia Gillard’s speech on climate change, when it was the very ABC that, by running this line, was itself creating the overshadowing. It is incredible journalism to pointedly comment on the potential damage of a news item as if it had come from elsewhere, when it was created by the ABC itself. Bushfire Bill would see that as ‘bootstrapping’ [i]par excellence[/i]. It has had little airplay today except what the Coalition has said and what has been said on ABC outlets This astonishing and ‘damaging’ ‘scoop’ will not run beyond this evening’s bulletins, and will have no effect on the election.

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010Folks Today's Morgan: [i]The latest telephone Morgan Poll conducted during the first week of the Federal Election campaign finds Two-Party preferred support for the ALP is 55.5% cf. L-NP 44.5%. Since Prime Minister Julia Gillard called the Federal Election the Morgan Poll has conducted two Federal voting intention polls. The Face-to-Face Morgan Poll conducted last weekend - the weekend the election was called (July 17/18, 2010) showed the ALP clearly ahead on a Two-Party preferred basis - ALP (56%) cf. L-NP (44%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would win easily. This week's telephone Morgan Poll (conducted on the nights of July 20/21, 2010) shows the ALP primary vote is 44%, ahead of the L-NP 38.5%, the Greens at 11.5%, Family First 2% and Independents/ Others 4%. The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is now at 122, with 54.5% of Australians confident that Australia is 'heading in the right direction,' compared to 32.5% that say Australia is 'heading in the wrong direction.[/i]

Gravel2

23/07/2010Lyn Thanks for that, I did a big oops with the writers name. Maybe Kathryn Murphy's name stuck in my head because she wrote a great article the other day ridiculing Abbott. Just to add a bit to my post on the ABC24, we both said, "Is Julia supposed to be Kevin's mother?" I did notice this afternoon a very brief news item on radio saying Kevin has put out a statement refuting the falsity of the report and saying that a cabinet minister always filled in for him when he couldn't be there, but he always attended the vital meetings.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Gravel2 My pleasure Gravel. "Oh Lord it's hard to Humble when you're perfect in every way. This guy's ego knows now bounds: I will be next PM: Abbott, Tim Leslie ABC and yes, I think that I will be the next prime minister of Australia," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/23/2962738.htm?section=justin

Rx

23/07/2010I enjoyed your comment at July 23. 2010 02:38 PM, Ad Astra. Well said! Uhlmann is skating on the thin ice of his reputation and credibility right now.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad [i]Advertiser poll: 67-33 to Labor in Kingston, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] Respondents favoured Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott by 68 per cent to 22 per cent, which http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]That Kingston Poll -Kapow, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i] even if it is overcooked a few points the Labor – a 57/43 result is still bad for the Coalition, let alone a 60/40 or, as the headline results here suggest, 67/33. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/07/23/that-kingston-poll-kapow/ [i]Day 6: Election leaflet website launched, Ben Raue, The Tally Room[/i] Australia First has distributed a leaflet in the seat of Riverina that launches a very nasty attack against African refugees http://www.tallyroom.com.au/6139#more-6139

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad [i]Inconvenient truths for the Coalition, Rob Burgess, Business Spectator[/i] The Coalition will be smarting at a string of inconvenient truths produced by Roy Morgan’s latest polling. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/POLL-POSITION-Gillard-will-feel-Rudds-pain-pd20100723-7LTJ9?OpenDocument&src=sph Rudd defends national security record, Emma Rodgers, ABC Through a statement issued by a spokesman, Mr Rudd defended his record http://www.abc.net.au:80/news/stories/2010/07/23/2962519.htm?WT.mc_id=newsmail

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad ABC again: Rudd defends national security record http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/23/2962519.htm

janice

23/07/2010 Gravel said: [quote]I did notice this afternoon a very brief news item on radio saying Kevin has put out a statement refuting the falsity of the report and saying that a cabinet minister always filled in for him when he couldn't be there, but he always attended the vital meetings.[/quote] I heard that as well Gravel but only once. Obviously the ABC and others aren't particularly interested in giving much air time to Rudd refuting the story. I also heard a snippet from Julia defending Rudd over this as well. Ad astra, I tuned into a woefully biased session on ABC radio this afternoon but unfortunately didn't catch enough of it to find out which reporter (woman) was running it. The segment consisted of a panel of three made up of Cheryl Kernot, Bob McMullan and Nick Minchin who were answering questions put to them by the presenter. The woman journo consistently allowed Nick Minchin to rave on in long rants of untrue statements and then cut off Bob McMullan midway through his first sentence when he tried to refute the rubbish Minchin stated. It was so blatent - "I'm going to interrupt you there, Bob and ask Cheryl what she thinks about...." I was so angry that if I'd known who the journo was and the programme, I would have phoned the ABC and given them a serve. It is by far the worst bit of radio broadcasting I've ever had the misfortune to hear.

HS

23/07/2010Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been able to join in today but I have tendonitis in my right arm as a result of lifting heavy crates full of kitchen comestibles out of my old kitchen and into my new kitchen this week, and, not being a spring chicken anymore(yes, I know you are surprised), I break down easier these days. :) When I type it hurts therefore. Thankfully it is slowly getting better. So I'll dip in and out in short spurts...ouch!

Rx

23/07/2010Ad Astra, May I suggest Janice's post (July 23. 2010 06:24 PM) be included in our [b]ABC WATCH[/b] section? Quote: "I tuned into a woefully biased session on ABC radio this afternoon but unfortunately didn't catch enough of it to find out which reporter (woman) was running it. The segment consisted of a panel of three made up of Cheryl Kernot, Bob McMullan and Nick Minchin who were answering questions put to them by the presenter. The woman journo consistently allowed Nick Minchin to rave on in long rants of untrue statements and then cut off Bob McMullan midway through his first sentence when he tried to refute the rubbish Minchin stated. It was so blatent - "I'm going to interrupt you there, Bob and ask Cheryl what she thinks about...." I was so angry that if I'd known who the journo was and the programme, I would have phoned the ABC and given them a serve. It is by far the worst bit of radio broadcasting I've ever had the misfortune to hear. "

George Pike

23/07/2010I don't know if mainlanders realise it but the extent of Liberal biased media coverage in Tasmania is around 80% at least. The ONLY tv station we get that is even moderately neutral is Ten on digital telly from Melbourne...every locally based station is pro-Liberal to a disgusting extent...as are ALL the radio stations. The two Fairfax papers give us a bit of relief, but even they refuse to question the local Liberal candidates about locally sensitive questions such as the NBN, school spending and Super clinics. It is great to be able to link to so many positive sites from the Sword, but I fear the vast majority of the Tasmanian population are being politically manipulated at a rate that would be similar to the Goebellian brainwashing of the populus in Nazi Germany in the thirties. This is a foul blight on our democracy and it has to be stopped before we really do end up with a completely hopeless government, one that will do far more harm than good, especially to the common people. Keep up the good work then people. I hope we see the polls continue to favour the only side worthy of governing our country, you are certainly doing your bit to keep Labor riding high.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi George Your comments are excellent, you should submit a small piece to your local newspaper. The comment you have just written would be perfect.

janice

23/07/2010Rx, I emailed Bob McMullan and asked if he would advise me the name of the programme and the journalist.

HS

23/07/20102 pts: 1. Paul Keating was a Federal Minister by the time he was 31. 2. It is well known that the Defence Establishment is anti-Labor, which is where the leak probably came from as well as KR's ALP foes, as evidenced by the fact that Adm. Chris Barrie(he of the 'Children Overboard' cover-up fame on behalf of his civilian masters in the Coalition), was wheeled out of obscurity to tut-tut about KR. Even Hugh White, who is normally staunchly Coalition-inclined(he used to provide cover for the WMD story for Howard), wasn't jumping on the bandwagon of Rudd-bashing. Though he did say that it instead showed KR's micro-managing nature, probably being elsewhere when the meetings were on.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Hillbilly I have missed you today, sorry to hear about your tendonitis, hope it gets better soon. Typing is probably good for the repair process. Good news about your kitchen though, how good is that, getting a new kitchen lucky you. Excellent 2 points, but have you noticed how they emphasize Alister Jordon, Joe Hockey recently, as though 31 is not grown up yet. Also have you seen a photo of Alister, well!

janice

23/07/2010HS, I feel your pain dear girl and hope it eases asap. The older we get the more we forget how vengeful our bodies can be if we stress them too much :).

HS

23/07/2010From the ABC article wherein TA said he was going to win the election, he also seems to be intimating that he knows he will lose the debate against JG: 'Despite his confidence during today's launch, Mr Abbott earlier cautioned Liberal voters about expecting a good result from the 'worm' on Sunday, saying it traditionally did not like Liberal leaders.'

BH

23/07/2010Janice - that ABC program was the World at Noon or Midday Report and the journo was Eleanor Hall. I agree with you that Minchin was allowed to prattle on for ages while Bob McMullen was cut short. Minchin was saying that the immigration levels were 300,000 a year, said it over and over. McMullen said 'that is not true, that's a lie" but Minchin kept on saying it and when McMullen finally got a chance to refute it properly by saying it included temporary visitors he was cut off by Hall because she said she wanted to get onto a lighter note. The segment ended shortly after so Minchin's comments stood. I thought it was unfair. McMullen was cut short through most of the segment.

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010Rx Chris Uhlmann is vigorously defending his story tonight – as one would expect. The ABC has mustered several security experts to say how bad if would have been if Kevin Rudd had not turned up to NSC Cabinet meetings, but I heard no one who had actually been so affronted. So they are responding to hypothetical questions. janice, Rx The item to which you refer was Eleanor Hall interviewing Cheryl Curnow, Nick Minchin and Bob McMullan on [i]The World Today[/i]. The transcript is here. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s2962200.htm I’ll add it to ABC WATCH.

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010HS I agree with your comments - it would not be difficult to find people who feel upset at something Kevin Rudd might have done. This sort of beat-up is dead easy - any junior could manage it. As you say, Chris Barrie hardly covered himself with glory over the 'kids overboard' affair - he was a John Howard man. So he would be an obvious 'source'.

NormanK

23/07/2010Janice & BH Your ABC Radio show is here. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s2962200.htm You're right. It was terrible. "ELEANOR HALL: Cheryl Kernot do you think .............. CHERYL KERNOT: Well she's already saying ............... ELEANOR HALL: Nick Minchin there is though ...................... NICK MINCHIN: Well this is what's ........................... ELEANOR HALL: Well look these are both ......................... TONY ABBOTT (archival 1): We have no plans ...................... TONY ABBOTT (archival 2): Obviously I can't .......................... ELEANOR HALL: Nick Minchin it's a bit like ................... NICK MINCHIN: Well Tony has ......................... ELEANOR HALL: It does expose ................. NICK MINCHIN: Look I don't think so ........................ ELEANOR HALL: It's buried many times, actually. NICK MINCHIN: Even cremated. But I think ................... ELEANOR HALL: Cheryl Kernot? CHERYL KERNOT: I think the problem ...................... ELEANOR HALL: Bob McMullan, Tony Abbott .................... BOB MCMULLAN: Can I go back to Tony Abbott first?" The above exchange would have covered 5-6 minutes with Bob twiddling his thumbs. "NICK MINCHIN: Well real action to get rid of the $95 billion worth of debt this Government has built over three years which is going to be a very tough job. CHERYL KERNOT: I'll let you defend that Bob. BOB MCMULLAN: Well was the best economic management record in the world something that we should be ashamed of? Everybody, the only country in the world that doesn't think Australia managed the global financial crisis better than anybody is Australia. Everywhere else you go… ELEANOR HALL: Now, I am going to interrupt you there… BOB MCMULLAN: …people say it's the best. ELEANOR HALL: I am going to interrupt you there Bob. Now the former treasurer Peter Costello made fun of Julia Gillard's accent when he was mocking the "moving forward" slogan." Hall interrupts because we don't want to hear about world-class economic credentials - we want to get back to that slogan. And the fact that Gillard is (shock//horror) a woman. The migration exchange was equally lamentable.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi NormanK Your are just a shining star, thankyou for your enjoyable pieces.

HS

23/07/2010Well, well, well. If you want to know what the real agenda for Workplace laws is that Tony Abbott has up his sleeve, you will read this: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/demands-for-wa-ir-reports-release-20100723-10nz3.html

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad and Everybody Here is Grog on Election Day 7 [i]Election 2010: Day 7 (or the campaign reaches its policy nadir), Grog. Grogs Gamut[/i]Abbott is almost irrelevant in this election – both sides are just going through the motions. No one seriously thinks the Libs will win, and both sides know this – so Libs are just saying any old thing knowing they’ll never have to implement it, http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/

Michael

23/07/2010That announced policy of cutting 'immigration' by 120,000 is such a blatant lie, when the figure of 300,000 has clearly been identified as including temporary arrivals in this country for such short-term purposes as education and limited-time contract work. Not immigrants at all. The immigration levels remain officially set at 180,000 per year, so all the Coalition is doing is saying it will match Labor in real terms, presumably by cutting the convenient fictions they peddle about the remaining 120,000. In short, if they were in government, suddenly saying... "oh, that 120,000. Just visitors". What I seriously do NOT understand, the likes of Eleanor Hall and others in the media virtually gagging Labor figures setting the record straight aside, is why this Government seems so loath just to call the Coalition spokespeople and their media acolytes on the out and out lies they tell about immigration numbers, supposed BER blow-outs in the billions, houses 'damaged' because of the insulation program etc, etc. Resource Super Profit Tax, for that matter. Are they just flabbergasted at the gall of the likes of Abbott, Bishop (J), Hockey, Minchin, and can't believe anyone will swallow their nonsense? That is a very careless position to take. People in this country tend to take figures spouted by men and women in suits as some sort of gospel. I mean, can anyone seriously explain why polling indicates that the Coalition is "better at economic management"??? In short, Labor can't rely on what Rudd and now Gillard seem to take as a given - that commonsense will win through. Not when fear and loathing are stoked up by Tony "I will be the next PM" Abbott and his coterie of con-artists.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad [i]I will be next PM: Abbott , Richard Farmer, Political Owl[/i] It is a daring politician who defies the conventional campaign wisdom that appearing over confident is a sure fire way to lose votes. Yet that is what Tony Abbott has done today [quote]The Liberal Party campaign tacticians must be beside themselves with horror at the lack of discipline their man has shown. [/quote] http://politicalowl.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-will-be-next-pm-abbott.html

Ad astra reply

23/07/2010Michael, Lyn Tony Abbott is becoming a loose cannon. Hubris is dangerous for politicians. The polls are running against him, so perhaps he's decided to go for broke. Well, let him go. Off now to watch [i]Lateline[/i].

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Ad Our friends over at the cafe chatting: Friday Siesta at the Cafe Miglo , Cafe Whispers Results that show that Gillard and Labor are giving Abbott and his wannabes a caning. That sure is some funny public resentment that you spin. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/friday-siesta-at-the-cafe-6/

HS

23/07/2010Can you believe Dennis Shanahan? He's just said that "If Julia doesn't wipe the floor with Tony Abbott in the Debate she'll be seen as a lesser leader". That's the biggest load of old cobblers I've heard from Shanahan for a while, and he's capable of some doozies.

Lyn

23/07/2010Hi Hillbilly But, if I remember rightly, Dennis said Phoney won the health debate. We will see how many more doozies he has to say in a minute.

HS

23/07/2010Climate Change is Tony Abbott's territory? According to Shanahan it is!

HS

23/07/2010Why do people take Dennis Shanahan seriously? Now he's trying to put out the line for people to swallow that if Tony Abbott loses the election, but not by a lot, then that is a good enough win to hang onto the Liberal leadership and stave off a challenge from Malcolm Turnbull!?! The only reason MT stayed around was so he could take over again after the election loss.

HS

23/07/2010Hi lyn, Much ado about nothing summed up Lateline I think.

Lyn

24/07/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Nielsen: 54-46 to Labor; Westpoll marginal seat polls William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i]The good polling news for Labor continues to pile up: the first Nielsen poll of the campaign, unusually published on a Saturday, has Labor with a two-party lead of 54-46, compared with 52-48 a fortnight ago. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/24/nielsen-54-46-westpoll-marginal-seat-polls/ [i]Gillard (58%) clearly preferred over Abbott (29%) as ‘Better PM’[/i] More Approve of Gillard’s ‘Handling of Job’ (58%) than Abbott’s (42%, Roy Morgan http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2010/4537/ [i]Election 2010: Day 7 (or the campaign reaches its policy nadir), Grog. Grogs Gamut[/i]Abbott is almost irrelevant in this election – both sides are just going through the motions. No one seriously thinks the Libs will win, and both sides know this – so Libs are just saying any old thing knowing they’ll never have to implement it, http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Moving forward to real action gets us absolutely nowhere , Mungo MacCallum, National Times[/i] Moving Forward is inane enough, but it is not quite as silly as Real Action, which is not only a pointless cliche but sounds very like Re-election - precisely what the government wants. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/moving-forward-to-real-action-gets-us-absolutely-nowhere-20100723-10oqz.html [i]Non-policy or anti-policy, John Quiggin[/i] The conservatives, under the leadership of Tony Abbott and (effectively) Barnaby Joyce, are utterly unfit for government, and have shown themselves more interested in stunts and cheap populism than in serious policy formulation http://johnquiggin.com/index.php/archives/2010/07/23/non-policy-or-anti-policy/ [i]Is there any way we can make Sunday's debate worth watching? The Hindsite Blog[/i] I worry that no matter what we do to change the format of the debates, we won't be able to do much more than tweak the outcome. I hope I'm wrong though http://hindsiteblog.blogspot.com/ [i]Hey Hey It’s Agony , Dominic Knight[/i] Most unpleasantly of all, when Abbott walked onto the set, he was booed. Which I’m sure is horrible under most circumstances, but must be especially galling coming from people with as low standards as a Hey Hey audience. http://www.domknight.com/hey-hey-its-agony/ [i]back to Schools, Ben Eltham Inside Story[/i] opposition leader, who has shown a Howard-esque liking for policies that channel public subsidies to citizens and private providers in spheres such as health insurance and paid parental leavehttp://inside.org.au/back-to-schools/

macca

24/07/2010Off topic...a great quote on Crikey; Barry Cassidy’s attempt at gravitas came over like Hopalong Cassidy - all hat and no cattle. Says it all really.

HS

24/07/2010macca, Amazing, isn't it, how these so-called political pundits think that their opinions are more worthy than ours because they have been 'inside the beltway' since jesus was in short pants, and we haven't? However, the one thing that I have noticed with the 24/7 news cycle is, how much the 'Press pack' follows each other around in circles, sometimes ever-diminishing, with nary an original thought between them. So, in many ways, our opinion out here in punterland is more informed than theirs, because at least we all live in the real world.

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

NormanK

24/07/2010macca http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-5jZs8K_o0

George Pike

24/07/2010HS, the fact that Shanahan is making it obvious that News Ltd (and the ABC, Turnbull is back on Q&A next Monday....again!)are punting on a Turnbull return, proves beyond all doubt that the anti-ETS stance taken by both News and the Liberals is a complete charade aimed at undermining the government for the purpose of getting the Liberals back into power. The fake opposition to the ETS will disappear in a instant should the Liberals regain power and plant Turnbull firmly upon the emporer's throne. I don't know what plans Murdoch has for this country, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there won't be a hell of lot of equity and fairness for the masses involved.

George Pike

24/07/2010Hi Lyn, I've had many such pieces printed over the years, (including a couple of letters of the month in old Bulletin). I've had good old waffle on in the mainland and foreign papers as well as the local variety. I've written something like 14,000 letters via email to most of the major papers, ABC, politicians, foreign media etc (20 odd recipients to most emails) since 2003...so I'm getting quite famous down here for being a solid supporter of the progressive cause. I actually predicted to Julia Gillard and the media that she would eventually become PM way back in 2004. I was quite surprised when they ran with Kevin Rudd, he didn't have the "true Labor credentials" in my mind...it worked out eventually though I guess. I also suggested to the government in late 2007 that they should do everything possible to maintain employment levels to stave off recession, no matter what the cost, and that the reintroduction of the investment allowance would keep manufacturing and industrial retail going...I suggested that they bring it back in at the old 40% level and was quite surprised when they actually brought it in at 50%..it worked a treat too. I also told them to look very closely at the senior public service when the OzCar affair was blowing up..it became obvious to me long before then, that Howard had riddled the service with Godwin Grech types who would do anything to help get the Liberals back into power should they ever lose it. I guess what I am saying is that all we have to do is to keep fighting the good fight, popping a bit of advice in here and there and hope it has the desired affect, and all will be well in the long run. I am very glad I stumbled on your site because I thought I was a lonely voice in the wilderness until then...it is truly great to see that I am just one of many people who deeply care how the country is governed and not just how fat their wallets are..

Gravel2

24/07/2010janice I heard that too, I even forgot Bob was on the show until he tried to set them straight on the immigration numbers. At the time is was first mentioned by Scott Morrison, tying in refugees and immigration it was refuted but the media took up the 300,000 and it is still running with that figure!!! HS Sorry about your arm, hope it gets better soon, we don't realise how debilitating it is until we are affected by something like this. And on your last post I completely agree. We are fortunate to have people like you, AA, and all the contributors to this blog that do a bit of research, actually listen to what is being said and not exaggerate or misinterpret every thing that is said by Labor.

George Pike

24/07/2010Make you gag this one! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abc-picks-sides-while-the-editor-in-chief-watches-on/story-fn59niix-1225896320487

Gravel2

24/07/2010George, Wow you are very active, congratulations. I have noticed that after Julia took over the Labor lot have been on the radio and in the media a lot more, before the election was called, it was good to hear them after only hearing the other side all the time. The one thing that I thought was a mistake was that Labor didn't keep disputing the immigration numbers until they were blue in the face, they just seemed to give up. When Scott Morrison started yakking about the asylum seekers I was screaming silently for Labor to get on the front foot with that and make it well known that the Libs voted for the more humane treatment........ I sincerely hope that after the elections, if we win, that when the Libs start trying their lies and deceit that Labor jump on them straight away and hammer the truth home for weeks if necessary. Gee I wonder why the Libs and Green don't like the idea of everyday people, 150 of them, having a look at the evidence and having their say......I thought we lived in a democracy and that we should be allowed to have our say whenever, not just at election time.

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi George Thankyou for writing to me 9.59am. I do enjoy what you have to say. [quote]I am very glad I stumbled on your site because I thought I was a lonely voice in the wilderness until then...[/quote] George we are all very, very, pleased you stumbled on our site George, you definatley belong to us, on our sfe haven "The Political Sword".

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi Ad Don't upset the neighbors laughing too loud: [b]ABC Bias[/b] [i]24 Hours Of Bias Now On The ABC? , David Richards, Smarthouse.[/i] The Australian newspaper also raised issues about Kerry Obrien's coverage of the election and his handling of two major interviews. http://smarthouse.com.au/Content_And_Downloads/Industry/B3G4X7E4 [i]ABC picks sides while the 'editor-in-chief' watches on , Geoff Elliott, Michael Sainsbury, Caroline Overington, The Australian[/i] O'Brien ripped into Hockey about the opposition's decision to bury and cremate Work Choices, and to support Labor's industrial reform, saying at one point: "I suggest to you that it defies credulity." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abc-picks-sides-while-the-editor-in-chief-watches-on/story-fn59niix-1225896320487 [i]ABC’s 24-7 news no pie in the Sky, Best News Lenta[/i] The potential loser in this is Sky News, the faction News Limited-owned broadcaster that launched in 1996 and has made a style for itself largely on the back of its fleet-footed coverage of treaty politics and its Canberra-based correspondent David Speers http://bestnewslenta.info/entertainment-abcs-24-7-news-no-pie-in-the-sky.php

George Pike

24/07/2010What amazes me about the Greens is that they want everything and they want it now, even if that means robbing themselves of even half a victory. Neither major party are going to deliberately set out to lose the elction by giving the other immense leverage by way of the perceived, and hard to argue against, increased costs of living that an ETS would invoke. The government have made it clear that those costs would be more than offset with increased pension payments and tax offsets, but the Liberal will override and drown out those facts with the use of scaremongering via their media mates every time...just as they do with their scaremongering tactics over asylum seekers. Have no doubt about it, the media are the main cause of procrastination amongst politicians. Murdoch, Stokes and co will do ANYTHING to get the government of their choice into power to suit their corporate ends...they are a festering sore on our democracy, it is as simple as that.

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010Lyn, HS, George I anyone had any lingering belief that Dennis Shanahan was capable of balanced unbiased commentary about the election campaign that would have been erased last night. He came across as an active Coalition spear-thrower. He dismissed Tony Abbott’s poor start to the week over WorkChoices with the reassurance that it was good that he got that out of the way in the first week. Of course it’s not out of the way – Labor will see to that. Then he set up Julia Gillard for failure at the debate, insisting that if she didn’t wipe the floor with Abbott as Kevin Rudd did, she would be seen as a lesser leader. You can be sure, that no matter how well she does, his assessment will be that she was not as effective as Rudd, and therefore a failure. He also insisted that Abbott could win the election, which of course he could, but offered no qualifications to that view, although his own beloved [i]Newspoll[/i] (and several more recent polls) showed Abbott slipping and the Coalition falling behind. He could have added that it might prove to be a tough fight and that lost ground would have to be recovered, but no, he just let it float there as a real possibility. Sometimes Shanahan seems to blur reality and his own wishful thinking. Then on the subject of a successor to Abbott he seemed to me to push into the background the possibility of Malcolm Turnbull returning, first by saying that Abbott would remain leader if he won (of course) and if he lost by a few seats, and then by insisting that there was little support for Turnbull in the party room. Shanahan has not been a Turnbull supporter. He wrote several adverse pieces about him toward the end of his time as leader as he saw that he was unlikely to lead the Coalition to victory. In my view, despite his impetuosity and the calamity of the Grech affair, Turnbull stands head and shoulders above the rest as a suitable leader. The question is whether, in the event of a Coalition defeat, particularly a substantial one, the party room conservatives will accept that the Abbott experiment was a failure, in much the same way that Labor accepted Mark Latham as a failure, and change back to Turnbull. It would take only one member to change his/her vote. I can’t image that Liberals would be stupid enough to consider Joe Hockey for the top job, especially after his indifferent performance during the election.

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010George I’m so pleased that you find [i]TPS[/i] to your liking and that you have joined us in the dialogue about contemporary federal politics. Thank you for your generous comments. You obviously have had long experience in writing – 14,000 items is a vast number. Your contributions here are valuable and appreciated. You may wish to consider writing original pieces for [i]TPS[/i].

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010George Your link to the Elliott, Sainsbury, Overington article vividly illustrates how writer bias insinuates itself into the optics and the words journalists use. We here on [i]TPS[/i] see the ABC as biased towards the Coalition; they see the opposite, although they found it necessary to cast well back into history for some of their examples. It does not surprise me at all to see Elliott and Overington expressing these views after viewing the video they made on the Oakes 'bomb'. The best that can be said of their assessments is that they are consistent. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abc-picks-sides-while-the-editor-in-chief-watches-on/story-fn59niix-1225896320487

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

24/07/2010Thanks Ad...it's not that many really, when you spread them over seven or eight years...and it's very easy to go from webpage to key board nowadays hey. Too easy really...it lets you scribble your intense feelings and send them off into the ether instantaneously, when a bit deep thought should have preceeded some of those replies! I gave Malcolm Turnbull a good old biff under the ear via email once...and to his credit he just replied and made me feel a bit of a dope for going over the top. Here's a link to one of those arch conservative journos who just lets it all flow forth without too much scrutiny at all! Miranda Devine...at least SMH give you both sides of the picture, as nonsensical as one side is! http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/pms-so-sure-bobs-your-uncle-20100723-10p27.html

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010George Thank you for the link to Miranda Devine, who writes just like Coalition members speak - full of sarcasm, negativity and destructiveness. Nothing the Government does is right. Like most political journalists she sits and pontificates, but never offers her brilliant solutions to problems Labor politicians seemingly cannot solve. What a luxury to be able to criticise so trenchantly but never having to offer an alternative. This is why I don't read what she writes. It is aimed at an audience that holds similar views to hers - the rest of us ignore her.

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi Ad Looks like the election is going to be cancelled, because Phoney has won. In Phoney's address to the Party faithfull in Perth: My words: He has praised himself for bringing down Kevin Rudd, and said they are not expected to win the election, but they will win. [quote]Mr Abbott told the party faithful that while the Coalition is not expected to win the election [b]he believes it can.[/quote] [b]"he believes it can", is incorrect,[/b] Tony Abbott said [b]not expected to win, but we will win[/b], not he believes it can, as reported by the ABC. [i]Abbott highlights women's influence, ABC[/i] "This is the supreme challenge of my life." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/24/2963147.htm?section=justin Mr Abbott told the party faithful that while the Coalition is not expected to win the election he believes it can.

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010Lyn That's Abbott hubris and not great English. If he loses he will probably utter 'Wees was robbed'.

Ad astra reply

24/07/2010Folks From now on, I'll be on the road and attending to family commitments until tomorrow morning.

George Pike

24/07/2010The link below to a story in Justin regarding Tony Abbott's newfound adoration of all things feminine, shows us all just what a hypocrite he truly is. For one, it wasn't that long ago that all women who wanted abortions were evil (take away the political facade and that would still be very much the case), then he once swore that paid maternity leave would occur over the Liberal Party's dead body...and only a couple of days ago he was sniggering at his partner in crime's sexist snide remarks against Paris Hilton, a young woman he wouldn't know from a bar of soap! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/24/2963147.htm?section=justin

HS

24/07/2010George Pike, I second the nomination of AA for you to put down your thoughts in a post for this site. I'd love to read what you have to say and your opinions about a particular topic of your choice. You have a way with words, that's for sure. :)

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi George Doesn't the arrogance and the ego get to you, doesn't matter if he has three wives an one daughter, and 6 Julie Bishops, he is still a chauvinist [quote]Mr Abbott says he is still confident that the Coalition can win the election[/quote] ABC reporting "can" win the election, Abbott said [b]will win [/b]the election. George I second Hillbilly, for you to write a few pieces, I really mean a lot of pieces for the Political Sword.

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi Hillbilly This link is what women think of phoney: Tony Abbott vs Women Everywhere SHIRTLESS does NOT equal more female votes, Tony Tones- keep your shirt on, and your mouth shut. At least then you’ll stop offending people. http://youaredoingthatwrong.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/tony-abbott-vs-women-everywhere/

Lyn

24/07/2010Hi Everybody Our friend Miglo has an interesting topic over at cafe Whispers: [i]More boats. More bullshit,Miglo, Cafe Whispers [/i] So the MSM is still trying to give credibility to Howard’s lie about children overboard so they publish a pretend statement from a pretend sailor. Doubt my words? http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/more-boats-more-bullshit/

Lyn

25/07/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Election 2010: The First draft of Julia Gillard's speech on Climate Change, Grog, Grog's Gamut.[/i] Speech: Julia Gillard, "Moving forward together on Climate Change" http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]2010 Election and the gift of arrogance, Admin, New Politics[/i] an unusual snippet of information on the ABC News website, where Tony Abbott has decided that he can’t wait until the formalities of an election to declare that he will be the next PM. Why wait until election night? 57 per cent of those polled prefer Julia Gillard as Prime Minister; 27 per cent prefer Tony Abbott), declaring publicly that you are just about to become Prime Minister is asking the voters to make sure that you don’t become prime minister. http://www.newpolitics.com.au/blog/?p=25 [i]Nielsen, Workchoices and the Rudd Effect, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i] As we know, since Gillard became PM the ALP vote has improved – so this is suggesting that the current ALP voting stock (a voting stock level that puts Labor in a large winning position) is treating Gillard as a net plus – http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/07/24/nielsen-workchoices-and-the-rudd-effect/ [i]Week 1 – Labor’s sleepwalking strategy working a treat, Bernard Keane, Crikey[/i] The ABC was the most egregious offender in this regard, with its overhyped new 24 hour news channel kicking off with a nonsensical and, given later revelations by Rudd, almost malicious beat-up about his national security record. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/07/24/week-1-labors-sleepwalking-strategy-working-a-treat/ [i]Day 8: Nielsen, marginal seats polls, Ben Raue, The Tally Room[/i] Labor’s two-party preferred vote is up two to 54%. On primary votes, Labor is up three to 42, the Coalition down one to 41 and the Greens down one to 12. http://www.tallyroom.com.au/ [i]Election 2010: Melbourne the seat to watch, The Angle.Org[/i] Since the campaign started, most media attention has been on Tony Abbott’s ability to kick own goals over industrial relations, some early coverage of asylum seekers and the “East Timor solution,” climate change policy and the fact that the Greens and the ALP have come to an agreement on preferences.* http://theangle.org/2010/07/24/election-2010-melbourne-the-seat-to-watch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=election-2010-melbourne-the-seat-to-watch [i]Australian Election Special, The Diplomat[/i] The Diplomat speaks with John Roskam, head of the Institute of Public Affairs, about immigration, climate change and taxes. http://the-diplomat.com/2010/07/25/australian-election-special-2/ [i]Putting the People's Summit under the microscope, Ken Parish, Club Troppo[/i] [b]The only sensible approach in the short term is the one Gillard has adopted[/b]: acknowledging that climate change is a real and serious problem that will require a carbon price as part of any workable long-term strategy, http://clubtroppo.com.au/2010/07/24/putting-the-peoples-summit-under-the-microscope/ [i]Three Graphs & a silly Question: Debt & Housing, Tom Conley, Big P Political Economy[/i] The answer shows that the RBA is not really worried about debt at all - either public or private (household). Although the Governor is less sanguine than some in the RBA about growing household debt even further. http://tomjconley.blogspot.com/ [i]Next Cpi print will be a cracker & runs risk of politically tarnishing RBA... Christopher Joye, Concrete Detail Blog[/i] Glenn Stevens has been an ALP voter all his life, and was the guy inside the RBA who found most fault with the Liberal Party's interest rate arguments during the 2004 election. I have no idea whether this is true, http://christopherjoye.blogspot.com/ [i]Mark Latham on the ALP, Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i] Their political strategy is to back away from any policy reform that is too unpopular or too risky with western Sydney. Western Sydney is their touchstone. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/ [i]Senator Fielding on Carbon - Citizen's assembly has already spoken and said "No" , Australia. to. News[/i] Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding says we already have a citizens’ assembly and it’s called the Parliament and it’s voted down a price on carbon twice. http://australia.to/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=28&Itemid=213 [i]Women love Julia, Peter Brent, The Australian[/i] Mark Kenny reported in the Adelaide Advertiser a poll in Kingston that has Labor ahead by a bonkers 67 to 33. (2007 result 54.4 to 45.6.) http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mumble/index.php

HS

25/07/2010I have never seen so much spam on TPS before! Looks like that wowgold site really is keen on getting under the unsuspecting's guard.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010HS Apologies. That was one of the worst spam attacks we've had, many from the same source. I deleted a lot last night and at least twenty this morning (I didn't count). Lyn I'll post your links after [i]Insiders[/i].

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Ad Did you see Joe Hockey's interview with Laurie Oakes, complete and utter shambles, Hockey just lost the plot, wow! Looks like this Phoney immigration Policy is another great big gaffe.

Bilko

25/07/2010not being paranoid or anything but is possible that the spam attack is from the dark forces (Libs)because the views here are not what they want spread around, may the force be with us Off to the Hosp now the OH is up and about in a wheelchair but confined to the hosp grounds

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Bilko Excellent News, wheelchair bad, but up and about is great. Tell her we are barracking for her. Maybe the spam is the Young Liberals, something they would think up.

George Pike

25/07/2010Isn't it incredible to watch the media blame everyone but themselves for the quandries taking place over immigration and climate change. This is despite the fact that it is the media who are relentlessly driving the Liberals' purely obstructionist views, which only creates further public anguish over both issues, to the point where it would be political suicide for the Labor Party to take any firm decisive action over either. Just check out this link to Justin. It provides a very clear demonstration of how the media's continual airing of worthless obstructionist politics can muddy the waters for what would otherwise be a clear cut easily defined bi-lateral policy stance. By giving voice to the garbage being trotted by the coalition, the media are knowingly creating pulic uncertainty and anxiety over nothing...and that is a shocking indictment on the ethical and moral standards under which the modern media operate. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/25/2963428.htm?section=justin

Rx

25/07/2010Another one for [b]ABC WATCH[/b] please, Ad Astra. By poster, The Big Ship, [i]The Poll Bludger[/i], Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 9:31 am http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/24/nielsen-54-46-westpoll-marginal-seat-polls/comment-page-23/#comment-533245 Quote: "What’s this? Michelle Levine from Morgan’s on Insiders in what looks like a coffee shop spruiking their electorate profiling research? Talk about a right wing takeover of the ABC – first News Ltd hacks infesting all areas of ABC current affairs, now the right-leaning Morgan’s getting a free kick for their commercial research? Are there no limits to how low the ABC can sink?"

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Once again Hugh Riminton was balanced and fair on [i]Meet the Press[/i] this morning in his interview with Penny Wong; Joe Hockey was once again in blather bluster mode in his interview with Laurie Oakes who exposed the fraudulence of the Coalition’s immigration ‘target’ which turns out to be around what’s predicted by BIS Shrapnel to occur with existing Government policy, and [i]Insiders[/i] was reasonably balanced, with Barrie Cassidy putting the brakes on Andrew Bolt, and Malcolm Farr being the best balanced. As he’s one of the journalists asking questions in tonight’s debate, let’s hope we get sensible questions.

Rx

25/07/2010 Another one for [b]ABC WATCH[/b] please, Ad Astra. By poster, chinda63, [i]The Poll Bludger[/i], Sunday, July 25, 2010 Quote: "Far be it for me to reignite the ABC bias argument, but I just watched a news update on ABC24. Number 3 story was the debate accompanied by 4 pieces of election trail footage … all of Tony Abbott. How on earth can they possibly justify that?"

Rx

25/07/2010Another one for [b]ABC WATCH[/b] please, Ad Astra. By poster, IMOHO, at [i]The Poll Bludger[/i] Friday, July 23, 2010 at 10:08 pm http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/23/morgan-55-5-44-5-to-labor/comment-page-10/#comment-531792 Note the different treatment for the parties: The Coalition "<i>announces</i>; Labor "<i>defends</i>". Referring to ABC News 24. Quote: More evidence of bias. Tonight during “The Drum” the headlines underneath continually announced: “Abbot announces $90 million for ….. security” (I think it said “border and port security”, followed by “Gillard defends climate change ‘gobfest’”

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Rx [quote]What’s this? Michelle Levine from Morgan’s on Insiders [/quote], Michelle Levine was acting as Queen cheerleader for the coalition, unbelievable. Rx did you notice on Insiders, 2 video clips of Phoney, one of his love in speech, with Hockey and Costello's sarcastic, slimey comment about moving forward, another one of various scenes, of Phoney running everywhere, no comment from Barrie Cassidy, or the panel. Video clip of Julia Gillard saying she can cook toast, laughter, sniggers, snide comments from Barrie and the panel. Karen Middleton pulled Bolt up once that I heard.

Rx

25/07/2010Hi Lyn No, I didn't watch it. I can't stand to watch [i]Onesiders[/i] any more. "Can the Cass!" Any program of political commentary 'featuring' Akerman and Bolt has no business calling itself "balanced". I've read many Akerman pieces over the years (through gritted teeth) and never ONCE have I seen him write anything critical of the Coalition. He's a Coalition spear-thrower of the first order. The ABC is really out of line lately.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Folks I've just counted the spam that came in yesterday afternoon and this morning (I get an emailed copy) - 42 in all, and about a half seemingly from one source. If as you suggest Bilko this may be an attack of the 'dark forces', I suppose we should take it as a compliment that they think this site poses a threat that’s worth attacking. I wish I could stop the spam, but this blog engine does not provide a mechanism. I ask for your patience. When I’m at my computer I delete them as the arrive, but ‘when I’m away, the spam will play’.

Rx

25/07/2010Ad Astra, Please don't apologise. It's not your doing. Perhaps you could report the spam to the origniators' ISPs?

George Pike

25/07/2010I hope I didn't attract the spammers with the link I put to the Sword on Facebook. I have been looking for the link to try and delete it but it appears to be gone. It's a shame BlogEngine can't put a simple filter on the site, maybe the Sword's own ISP can think of something.

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Ad Don't you get worried Ad, the spam is there, as Rx said it's not your fault. It's not hurting us one little bit we can jump over it easy. Like you said, maybe we should feel complimented.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi George Don't you worry either, you did a good job putting "The Political Sword" on Facebook. The spam has been hanging around for a long long time.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Rx ABC WATCH updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/ABC-Watch.aspx Re the spam - maybe I need an iPad to carry everywhere I go. I used my son-in-law's iPad last night at a grandchild's first birthday party to delete a swag of spam. Thank you for your tolerence.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Lyn Re the spam, I agree that although it's irritating it's easily ignored. Thank you for your forbearance. As mentioned to Rx the very portable iPad may be what I need to delete spam when I'm away from my main computer. You’re right, Joe blather bluster Hockey was in full flight this morning once again trying to defend the indefensible. Don’t you love the way he shakes his head in mock incredulity that anyone would question the veracity of what he says. Laurie Oakes convincingly nailed him with the BIS Shrapnel projections that showed Australia would have net immigration a little below the Coalition’s target anyway.

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Ad The Debate: [i]The Great Debate!, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] coaching in both posture, delivery, nodding, smiling, avoiding eye contact and feigned insincerity, and this precisely where Julia Gillard has Tony Abbott by the nuts. http://guttertrash.wordpress.com:80/2010/07/25/the-great-debate-2/

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010George Who knows why the spam comes? I notice spam 'attacks' come intermittently, with just moderate numbers in between. So we may see it die down in a day or two. It's good that you've put [i]TPS[/i] on Facebook; if that has attracted spammers, so be it. My ISP is Bigpond; I'll check with them if they have a remedy.

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Ad Bernard Keane on the Latest Phoney gaffe: [i]Abbott and Morrison’s desperate ploy on immigration, Bernard Keane, The Stump[/i] As Crikey showed in April, the Coalition’s record of rhetoric on immigration this year has been hopelessly confused and based on either blatant deception or simple inability to count by the Liberals’ appalling immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/07/25/abbott-and-morrisons-desperate-ploy-on-immigration/

janice

25/07/2010Ad astra, I know bugger all about computers etc, but I used to get spammed unmercifully until my No.1 son removed the 'security package' I had on my computer and installed Zone Alarm Security Suite. It is too expensive for me but No.1 son kindly pays it for me. I don't get any spam of any kind any longer. No.1 tells me he uses Zone Alarm because it is the only one he's found that works and causes no problems. So, there you go. Perhaps you might want to look into it?

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Lyn Thanks for the additional links - Bernard Keane nails it well - more Coalition sleight of hand, but the tabloids have either not picked the deception, or are giving the Coalition a free kick, or both. LYN’S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

janice

25/07/2010Lyn, a new pic of Paddy for my gravatar. I couldn't get a close-up shot of him because he's suspicious of the camera.

George Pike

25/07/2010Hi Ad, I only put the link on a piece I wrote for one of the Labor Party pages...people commented on how they had checked it out (the Sword) and liked it very much...so there will likely be more plusses than minusses out of it I guess. Damn nuisance though...we used to get rivers of the tripe on our university webmail...they eventually changed mail hosts and the problem was cleared up instantly. I will have to disagree about the Oakes interview a bit....I think a true journo would have asked Hockey how Abbott could run around spouting forth pro-feminist drivel after he giggled at the cowardly footyshed sexist commentary from Hockey himself towards Paris Hilton...a young woman who wasn't there to defend herself...just a few days prior. He also refused to point out that the massive loss of tax receipts forced the government to borrow in order to just maintain the budget imperatives...instead he chose to let Hockey rave on ad nauseum about debt and waste. I wonder what would have happened to this country if the government had just taken that $170 billion in lost tax receipts straight out of the budget...it is too horrible to contemplate really.

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Janice I Love your up to date picture. Paddy is very handsome, & I can see looked by a very loving master.

TCEPSER

25/07/2010Item for ABC WATCH ABC NEWS24 Watching News24 on its first night and the next day provides irrefutable evidence of bias : First the much heralded but actually 2 year old story, with one aim only - to undermine Julia Gilllard and Kevin Rudd, and distract from Labor Party policy announcements. Aart from a last minute clarification by Uhlman on the first evening, that the staffer "didn't chair" the meetings, he and News24 continued to use the word "deputised", and others with the same intent for the next two days, to imply that Rudd deputised his staffer to take on his role as PM. Then, for more evidence of bias (and downright rudeness!), News24 spent minutes showing us the heckler being put down by the security people while the PM continued to speak (with admirable dignity) about Climate Change. This goes against the normal practice of ignoring any disruptions and continuing to focus the camera and the sound on the speaker, let alone shows the disrespect and disdain that the ABC is attempting to encourage. The ABC's rudeness and comtempt for Ms. Gillard was topped off with cutting her off in mid-sentence, just when she was getting into details about programs. And why? So that News24 could have Ms.Trioli asking another journalist for her opinion. The other journalist had a pre-prepared list of how many other committees and consultations the Rudd Govt. had already been through, so that she could immediately dismiss Labor's Climate Change policy without any attempt at analysis. But were we taken back to the PM? No. It was more important to have yet another replay of the News24 add, wherein they exhort us to feel privileged and informed because the ABC is there with their "accurate" news. The following news headlines told us almost nothing about the PM's CC policy, but heaps about the heckler! The next evening, during "The Drum", the headlines underneath the vision displayed, "Abbot announces $90 million for border security", thereby announcing Liberal policy, followed by, "Gillard defends climate change 'gobfest'". The latter headline communicates absolutely no information about Labor Climate Change policy, but derisively gives credence to someone's oppositional point of view.

TCEPSER

25/07/2010Item for ABC WATCH INSIDERS Sunday 25 July 10 Barrie Cassidy interviewing Simon Crean. Simon Crean attempting to explain how he felt even more for Kevin Rudd than just sympathy, but that he also empathised with him because of their parallelled circumstances. So Barrie Cassidy attempts to twist what Simon Crean is saying by suggesting that Crean had "empathy" but not "sympathy". Crean later responded to Cassidy's attempt to suggest that Crean had little sympathy for Kevin Rudd, by outlining the advice he would or could have given Rudd, viz., that Kevin Rudd can no longer be the Leader and so just has to become a member of the team etc. This was later reported on the Radio National News as if Simon Crean was admonishing Kevin Rud and calling for him to just get on with it and become a team member.

Jess

25/07/2010Hi Lyn & everyone at TPS, I just wanted to drop by to say a big 'Cheers!' for the link to my post. I never realised that Tony Abbott with his shirt off was so damn popular!!! Excusing my extreme ignorance (I wasn't actually aware of this blog, or how popular it is!) thanks again for the link, and I'd like to reassure one and all that TPS has sucked me in, and I may well become a regular reader/observer! Cheers, Jess

George Pike

25/07/2010Another blatant piece of journalistic bastardry was Cassidy's little snipe at Crean over the new extensions to the redundancy support package..."and it will all be paid for by the taxpayer" was the sleazy retort...and those people weren't taxpayers themselves for the probably twenty odd years before they were made redundant? If they are more recent employees, they will more than likely go on to pay tax for many years to come when they get re-employed elsewhere anyway. It all just goes to show how keen the ABC's snipers are to blow anything and everything that Labor introduce out of water with baseless pointless biased innuendo...

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010TCEPSER Thank you for the material for ABC WATCH - great examples of bias. I agree with your analysis. ABC WATCH updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/ABC-Watch.aspx

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Jess A big welcome Jess, thankyou so much for visiting the Political Sword. We all do hope you keep coming back, Ad Astra will be very pleased. [quote](I wasn't actually aware of this blog, or how popular it is!) thanks again for the link, and I'd like to reassure one and all that TPS has sucked me in, and I may well become a regular reader/observer![/quote] We might hold you to that Jess, seeing I have it in writing, Tones said, that means gospel. Yes I linked your blog on Phoney Tony last night, well done Jess, very enjoyable blog you have there. By the way I don't think Tony Abbott, is so popular without his shirt on, I think voters just get pleasure out of seeing how damn stupid he is. Phoney wants to be Prime Minister Oh! please. Love this paragraph: [quote]Now, Tones, let’s refer to that elusive “female vote” that you have been chasing recently. Yes, the female vote, Tones. Yes, Tones, females are ALLOWED to vote these days. It’s not 1800′s anymore. And stop telling me you want to go back to ‘the good ol’ days”. I have my lynching stick out, Tones, and I’ll use it on you if you keep dribbling that bull shit.[/quote] http://youaredoingthatwrong.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/tony-abbott-vs-women-everywhere/ Cheers

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Jess Welcome to the [i]TPS[/i] family. I'm glad you enjoyed the site. We have many great bloggers contributing here. We hope you will visit often and leave comments.

NormanK

25/07/2010Sometimes you just can't win. On Channel Ten's 6.00 pm bulletin up here in we-hate-Julia-land (beautiful one day, revengeful the next) where we are constantly reminded that we just can't wait to lash her back over Kevin, a reporter thought up a great new spin. Because Labor's slogan is that "perambulating onward" thing and because Ms Gillard doesn't wish to speak at length on Kevin Rudd, she has painted herself into a corner. According to the logic, Gillard is now in a position where she CAN'T speak about the GFC and the government's adept handling of it since this is looking backward and talking about the verboten one. Presumably many an other topic falls into the same category so we can expect short, stilted opening remarks from the Prime Minister tonight and all because a cunning Channel 10 reporter caught her out. Bugger. Ad astra Unless the spam is annoying you personally (having to delete it) or affecting the site, I join the voices saying don't worry about it. Back on topic, Blather Bluster is due for a dummy-spit any day now. Who's running the book on Mr Abbott having a brain explosion or a maniacal laughing fit tonight? Put me down for ten bucks. Hillbilly Sorry to hear about your tendonitis - perhaps speech recognition software is the answer? janice Love Paddy's new photo. Gravel If you care - you don't need the "2" in your username to post here or elsewhere. Your gravatar follows your email address not your name. Lyn You're a treasure. Your links are my first port-of-call every day. Thank-you. And just you remember - we banana-benders hate Julia. That god-disbelieving, back-stabbing, childless, back-stabbing, commitment-shy, back-stabbing, Australian-accented back-stabbing treacherous female deserves all the lashings we can dish up.

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010George Thank you for your comments about Barrie Cassidy - he really was trying to get an 'empathy but no sympathy for Rudd' story from Simon Crean, whereas Simon was emphasizing that since he had suffered a similar fate, he felt both emotions. I've added your comment to ABC WATCH: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/ABC-Watch.aspx

George Pike

25/07/2010"Smalller mining companies will relaunch their advertising campaign against the Federal Government next week.."Justin, 25/07/10. The typo was Justin's...the ABC's editorial staff just keep getting more incompetent every day! The smaller mining companies can go for their lives...now that we, the public, know EXACTLY to what extent these greedy hungry despots are ripping us all off, it will be great to see them bring scorn and contempt down upon themselves enmass...

Jess

25/07/2010Cheers everyone! And yes, I'm in absolute agreeance- I'm yet to meet a person who has 'enjoyed' Tony Abbott shirtless. However, I've met quite a few that have enjoyed his budgie smuggler/shirtless/iron man physique stupidity. I sense I may enjoy watching the comments unfold here :-)

Jess

25/07/2010Additionally- apologies for my Gravatar! Usually it doesn't display quite that big- I'm sorry for subjecting you to an involuntary dental exam on my behalf!

Canbra Dave

25/07/2010Have a look at the subject mentioned in this news article - http://www.news.com.au/features/federal-election/david-barker-says-we-shouldnt-have-a-muslim-in-parliament-after-being-dumped-by-liberals/story-e6frfllr-1225896667300 "A DUMPED Liberal Party candidate is refusing to back away from controversial remarks he made about Muslims and the atheism of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. David Barker has been replaced as the party's candidate for the safe Labor seat of Chifley in Sydney's west. Mr Barker, who calls himself a "man of strong Christian faith", reportedly used his Facebook site to accuse Labor of moving the nation closer to being a Muslim country. ..He said he would claim the seat of Chifley "as mine". "When I get in I will give my votes, all of them, to God who is on the side of the Liberal Right," he said. Mr Barker, in a letter to local Christian leaders seeking their support, pointed out Ms Gillard was an "atheist" and that his Labor opponent in Chifley, Ed Husic, was a Muslim. A defiant Mr Barker told the ABC there should not be a Muslim in Parliament. "I'm not anti-Muslim. I believe every one should have their own beliefs," he said. "But I don't know if we want at this stage in Australian politics a Muslim in the Parliament and an atheist running the Government." But Mr Abbott said attacks on people, based on their religion, had no place "whatsoever" in the election campaign. "They will not made by me," he said." This man evidently forgot that we are in Australia, not America. That we don't vote for our candidates based upon their religion, and that being a muslim or an athiest has no bearing on a person's capacity for public office. This is in stark contrast to the USA where the fastest way to a political death is to claim that you are anything other than christian. This is one case where I can support Tony Abbott completely.

HS

25/07/2010Canbra Dave, Tho you should support the ALP more for choosing the Muslim candidate. :)

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Norman K Thankyou for telling me you enjoy reading Today's Links, so nice of you. [quote]we banana-benders hate Julia. That god-disbelieving, back-stabbing, childless, back-stabbing, commitment-shy, back-stabbing, Australian-accented back-stabbing treacherous female deserves all the lashings we can dish up.[/quote] Exactly the right attributes,, she has got my vote.

Gravel

25/07/2010Norman Thanks for that bit of advice. I could not believe Hockey this morning. When Oakes fronted him with the Glen Stevens saying our debt is minuscule, Hockey said he told the Reserve Bank they were wrong!!!! Wow this is all just amazing. I do note however, none of these things get repeated on ABC radio or elsewhere. They should all hang their heads in shame. Ad Astra I just skip over the spam too, so don't get tied up in knots about it, most of us understand and don't expect you to be at the computer 24/7. :-0

HS

25/07/2010NormanK, Thanks. :) It's slowly getting better. The problem is I'm getting older.

Lyn

25/07/2010Hi Ad Over at Cafe Whispers Min asks [quote]policies aside, Abbott is personally unpopular. And so Cafe people what is it? [/quote] Abbott’s women worries…Min Cafe Whispers There has been a fair amount of speculation about this phenomenon of why women don’t like Abbott, in fact Liberal voting women aren’t all that keen on him either. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/abbotts-women-worries/#comment-3821

Canbra Dave

25/07/2010HS, Obviously.

George Pike

25/07/2010Isn't it incredible how people like Don Randall conveniently forget that Bob Hawke was an agnostic. Therefore he was not exactly a stickler to the high christian values that the Liberal zealot contends should be prequisite for all past, present and future Prime Ministers to hold. Strange how the Liberals offhandly debunk all previous intellectual thought on the seperation of the church from the state too hey! They must be smarter than all those silly old French, German and English philosophers and United States Presidents who brought political and social enlightenment to the world I guess... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/25/2963556.htm?section=justin

Ad astra reply

25/07/2010Folks I've just posted [i]Destructive politics - Abbott style[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/07/25/Destructive-politics-Abbott-style.aspx I realize you'll be preoccupied with the leaders' debate for the next couple of hours and then probably [i]MasterChef[/i], so I'm not expecting immediate responses.
How many Rabbits do I have if I have 3 Oranges?