Balance or men who stare at coats
INTERVIEWER
Good evening. Tonight, in order to meet our efficiency targets, we’re bringing you the same interview we gave you last night. Representing the PIPA or Private Institute of Public Affairs we have Mr Wim Berk. And to provide balance, we have someone representing the Welfare Lobby, Ms. Melanie Hart. Let’s start with you, Ms Hart. You recently stated that you felt the Abbott Government was telling the poor to go to Hell, then trying to charge them for the trip…
BERK
If I could just get a word in here, I’d like to say that this is typical of the ABC, people on the Right like me are never given a go.
INTERVIEWER
I was intending to let you respond after Ms Hart had explained her statement.
BERK
That’s right, give your comrade first crack at the audience.
INTERVIEWER
Well, would you like to respond.
BERK
Yes, I would. This sort of thing is exactly why the ABC should be privatised. Government institutions are always less efficient because they’re answerable to nobody whereas, private ones are accountable.
INTERVIEWER
Do you have anything to back that up?
BERK
Yes. Lots of people agree with me.
INTERVIEWER
I mean, is there any evidence to suggest that private companies are more efficient. For example, have the privatisations in energy companies led to lower prices and better service?
BERK
Lower prices than what.
INTERVIEWER
Than when they were government run.
BERK
Of course. It goes without saying. No need to actually look at figures
INTERVIEWER
Well, what about service? I waited on the phone for half an hour the other day waiting to speak to someone about changing my energy plan.
BERK
Half an hour? Have you tried ringing Centrelink lately?
INTERVIEWER
Have you?
BERK
No, why would someone like me need Centrelink. But I believe that some people have been waiting on the phone since last Christmas.
INTERVIEWER
If I could just bring Ms Hart into the discussion at this point…
BERK
But we already know her position. She doesn’t believe in personal responsibliity, If it were up she’d let all those people who’ve hit the welfare jackpot sit around without contributing to society.
INTERVIEWER
The welfare jackpot?
BERK
Yes, it’s a pretty good life, sitting around, watching TV, taking drugs and growing fat.
INTERVIEWER
Surely you don’t think that it’s easy to survive on the dole. Doesn’t that contradict the concept that people on $150,000 can’t afford to pay more tax?
BERK
Not at all. People on $150,000 have greater needs.
INTERVIEWER
In what way?
BERK
Well, some of them have mortgages for a start. Not to mention the fact that they can’t hang around all day in moccasins and a track suit.
HART
If I could just…
BERK
Excuse me, but I’d like to finish my point.
HART
Well, I’d just like to know if private institutions are more accountable, how come you can refuse to tell the public where your funding comes from?
BERK
We’re a private body. We’re not accountable.
INTERVIEWER
But didn’t you just say that private institutions are more efficient because they’re accountable.
BERK
Yes, but that was in different context.
INTERVIEWER
I’m just looking for consistency.
BERK
Well, you’ve certainly found at the ABC – it’s consistent. Consistently biased. I mean, when was the last time you had a person like me on.
INTERVIEWER
Just now.
BERK
But before that.
INTERVIEWER
Last night.
BERK
See a whole twenty four hours has gone by without a voice for sanity.
INTERVIEWER
Unfortunately we’re running out of time, so if I could just ask Ms Hart for a final comment.
BERK
Typical – give the left the final say!
INTERVIEWER
Tune in to “The Insiders” every Sunday for a replay of this interview.
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Return to home pageBloody beautiful RB,
“No it wasn`t now POQ you Leftard”
I thought you were Barry Cassidy regurgitated there.
“No he`s not and the ABC has to be sold off as it`s totally wrecked and useless,you Leftards,if we get a dollar for it we`ll be lucky”
If I can get up off the floor without further rib-cage spasms…Perfect, not a word out of place.
Which is more than you can say for that hippy bitch Hart- you can smell the whiff of pot from here- working off that latest post orgy/abortion spasm so that the voice of sober reason and moderation, Berk, couldn’t get a word in edgways!!
those pot sellers are great capitalists though we could do with a bit more competition – might improve the quality and bring down the price. But seriously the first plank in any progressive manifesto should be for a return of state owned banks. And I don’t necessarily mean ‘state’ owned, though 6-8 of those around the country would be useful too. Selling off the banks rates up there with the worst things the Labor party ever did.
To prove the satire is closer to reality than a comedy sketch ABC News Breakfast had yet another IPA spokesperson on doing the newspaper story rounds.
For a supposed left wing biased media organisation the ABC certainly is predominate by right wing guests. Then again one of Howard’s enquiries into ABC bias did find it to be biased slightly in favour of the Howard government. That didn’t stop him stacking the board with anti-ABC hard right wing members and putting in an oversight to ensure it leaned even further right, whilst still decrying it was left wing biased and holding another enquiry.
Precisely the point, private/commercial media carries stories with the tory bias for the rich who own them, they get a 50/50 share on the publicly owned media and still complain that they are hardly done by. Greed seems to play its part in all facets of LNP life, they can’t stand logical criticism of their domineering ways. It it forums such as this one in the social media that these days thankfully are educating the ignorant to the brain washing that they are receiving from the commercial media.
Thank goodness that technology has allowed us to escape from and realize that what we thought was the news was actually the LNP version of the news, and that the ‘real’ news has been sanitized well and truly wel before we see the version that they (the rich) want us to see.
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I could hear Laura Norda interjecting in the background and that chardonnay latte sipping interviewer never gave her a fair go.
And I got that straight from the Murdoch mouthpiece …. Michael Stutchbury.
"Bob Katter reckons Joe Hockey's theft of health funding could cause closure of rural hospitals. Yes, it could.
But what it should cause is for the Australian people to storm parliament house in Canberra, drag every Liberal traitor out by the scruff of the neck, and hang them by the neck till they're dead.
When that's done, seeing as how they're there, they should then drag out all the Labour filth and hang them too!
That'll save another trip to hang them later. More economical to fix the problem all in one go.
Frank Brown
Richmond, Qld"
Could this be the new "productivity" regime that Abbott's gang want ?
Lets give the first part of it a go and if it doesn't work then nothing gained, nothing lost.
Logic? good heavens you lefties think you are the only ones who know logic. That Charles Darwin Atheist now he new logic, you know survival of the fittest, and God created him so he must be right. Gottcha there didn’t I? Now George Pell he has God’s logic so you see there are many types of logic and ours is the best. Now Tony and me mates we adhere to Pellian logic derived directly from God so we must be indisputably right. Damn I’m on a roll here ain’t I. God you see wanted us to kick the shit out of each others and starve out those lazy poor bludgers so we end up with a world full of real successful Christians. You know I should have tried this logic stuff before it works a treat Hey? Now for some unfathomable reason I thoroughly agree with Mr Rossleigh. See how he demonstrated how the fittest survive and that leftist slag failed to make any points. Great article mate if everyone behaved like Berk the world would be a better place. Damn good writing for a leftist retard.
from the gossip pages of the AFR
“Rumour has it that Mark Scott’s top lieutenants at the ABC are working on a secret plan to foist right-wing programming on its left-wing audience.” – May 9, 2014
It is firewalled and I refuse to pay but Michael Smith, that fearsome warrior for all things right, posted this.
http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2014/05/interesting-the-abc-to-hire-conservative-commentators-doubt-it.html
Apparently they are looking for a conservative host for a new current affairs program. Suggestions are the Telegraph’s Tim Blair, Fairfax’s Paul Sheehan, or shock jock Jason Morrison, with Amanda Vanstone and Gerard Henderson also mentioned.
“A conservative host for Aunty? Mark Scott faces bias grilling
Questions of bias dominated Senate Estimates yesterday, with ABC managing director Mark Scott facing familiar criticisms. It was Senator Zed Seselja asking the questions yesterday, but it could have been The Australian, with the Liberal ACT Senator leaning heavily on the paper’s analysis to grill ABC managing director Mark Scott at Senate estimates. ”
We have more than enough conservative hosts on Australian commercial television and on the ABC for that matter, its about time the ABC found themselves a left wing host to add some balance to Australian television.
Don’t worry everybody, we’ve still got Tony Jones and he’ll keep the bastards hon……never mind.
Very good, sir. In fact, I’m sure I heard that interview also.
Perhaps we should just dump the ‘balance’ argument for proportional representation?
To begin, we could give four seconds every forty days to any anti vaccination ‘science’. Followed closely by twenty four million Australians to every six or so mining magnates.
I’ll also support heavily weighting panels with experts who actually know the subject and can support their points with peer reviewed research against ‘experts’ who, well … don’t and can’t.
Jon:
Now there’s that logic thingy again you just don’t learn do you. I men reasonable and balanced discourse on the ABC? Quite frankly it is sickening our democratic rights are being eviscerated by the right while they accuse the left of media bias and meanwhile Australians sleep on. This really is a monumental issue for all western cultures that are trending towards ever greater corptocracy and oligarchy while impoverishing the lower income and marginalized. There is a global push to entrench neoconservatism within trade agreements thus reducing national independence – and I am not a conspiracy theorist. The facts are blatantly obvious. Links required are distributed throughout this sight so who needs more referencing.
And by the way Kaye a pox on Gerard Henderson. What an obnoxious elitist. I remember the review under Howard demonstrating that ABC was slightly right leaning but that didn’t, and won’t, deter these dictators in democracy’s coat.
We are in a philosophical and moral crisis that has drawn Labor into refugee inequity and their complicity is playing into the hands of the neocon elites. We must just keep on marching and bashing on hoping that people will wake up before restoration of welfare benefits for the low income and poor are totally emasculated.
Name anybody like Bolt, Akerman, Tim Blair who hosts a program on the ABC. These people have support from 40% of the population.
To try and make out that the ABC is not a leftists organisation is just wrong.
Twas Jan not Jon I am a nong.
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@Kaye Lee
If the ABC were looking for a right wing "personality" to host a "right wing programme" they would go no further than Chris Uhlmann.
He's even managing to alienate listeners on AM.
Wow you may have mentioned one. By the way Uhlman is married to an ALP politician.
The ABC is a leftist organistaion funded by the taxpayers.
Totally out of balance with 40% of the population who vote Conservative. Thee is no Conservative that i know of who hosts an ABC program. They are all leftist/ALP supporters.
What is more you people do not care.
<
I wish there was some right wingers here to refute what I posted.
Strange how there is an empty gap between this post and my last.
Doesn’t Amanda Vanstone host a program on ABC radio?
Let’s not forget Amanda Vanstone on Counterpoint and the conga line of IPA guests on just about every ABC news and current affair program there is.
By the way if you have never heard Amanda Vanstone giving an interview then it’s worth listening to her doing one to learn everything not to do in giving interviews.
She has to be one of the worst I’ve heard.
And not just Uhlmann who makes no attempt to hide his right wing bias, look at Cassidy and Trioli, who almost gushes effusively when talking about Abbott and fawns over some of the IPA guests.
Crikey published a historical list of ABC presenters and staff who either worked for or went on to work for each of the major parties. There were two or three more linked to the Liberal party than were linked to Labor. This doesn’t include Howard’s stacked board who are obviously currently influencing the ABC towards significant right wing bias.
Remember Bob Hawke accused the ABC of being a Liberal party mouthpiece.
Right wingers on ABC TV:
Tony Jones
Leigh Sales
Chris Uhlman
Ticky Fullerton
Stephen Long
Emma Alberici
Virginia Trioli
Michael Rowland
Heather Ewart
Barrie Cassidy
Gerard Henderson
Niki Savva
90% of the guests on ‘The Drum’ (An IPA presentation)
Peter Reith
Amanda Vanstone
😆 😛
Michael Stutchbury, Rowan Dean, Chris Berg, Tim Wilson, Kerry Chikarovski. Paul Barry who hosts Media Watch even said on air he voted Liberal.
I don’t think Neil has ever watched the ABC
“By the way Uhlman is married to an ALP politician”…..what the hell is she doing not following her husband’s political instructions!
Forgot Reith now works for the ABC, and is as bad as Vanstone.
Ex-Liberal politicians make as bad a media presenter as current Liberal politicians make government ministers.
“Barrie Cassidy”
Cassidy worked for Bob Hawke
How many on that list Bacchus would vote for the Coalition??
I do not know any Conservative who hosts an ALP program. Certainly nobody like Blair, Bolt, Akerman hosts an ABC show.
Maybe Vanstone but that is about it.
“Emma Alberici”
Too funny Bacchus. She recently wrote a lost trying to trash Costello using data from the liar Koukoulas
“Cassidy worked for Bob Hawke”
So did Andrew Bolt – your point?
Get Fact: Is Tony Abbott right about the ABC?
“How many on that list Bacchus would vote for the Coalition??”
Most of them… 😉
even the bullying controlling bobblehead hosts who vote Labor are neoliberal pro war obamaist zionist spongeheads They have been embedded so long Stockholm syndrome has altered their brain patterns and left them only ever capable of working for Murdoch or some simlar pressitude outlet.
John, Where is this Frank Brown you speak of?
Found the piece. A little out of date as more Liberals are now working for the ABC, like Vanstone and Reith. I think there was an update but I can’t find it.
Speaking of media independence, how does Aunty fare?
Of course that doesn’t address the large proportion of ABC guests who come from right wing organisations and the obvious bias during Labor’s reign where every political piece was prefaced with; “Abbott says” or “the Opposition says” etc. Along with the ABC having someone from the Liberal party or a right wing organisation on soon after a Labor guest and never gave Labor a chance to respond to the outright lies told by the right in those pieces. Indeed rarely did Aunty ever challenge what were blatant lies from the Libs.
Good link ME
78% of respondents thought the ABC did a good job at being balanced and even-handed. A quarter of people said they had “no trust at all” in the Telegraph.
Bacchus,
Give Stephen Long a break.
He had to endure the gutless apology to Morrison by Scott over his truthful comments on air about the LNP refugee ‘policy’.
From reports this event had an enormous effect on him.
It was a totally unprincipled act of treachery by Scott. It undermined journalistic independence to the core; and frightened much the timorous souls – some of whom are on your list.
It shows yet again that Labor needed to sack Scott as high priority to reestablishing objectivity at the ABC. I doubt if it even occurred to them.
Stephen Long is a decent and principled man.
Fair enough randalstella, I’ll grant that one 🙂
From 2010:
Chris Monckton — conspiracy theorist and serial fantasist — got extensive and frequently uncritical coverage from the ABC during his recent visit — radio interviews locally and nationally, online coverage, a 7.30 Report piece, ABC-hosted debates. Indeed, the ABC gave far more coverage to Monckton than any other single outlet. And all for a man who is taking seriously only by the extreme right in his homeland.
Compare and contrast: James Hansen is currently in Australia. Hansen is probably the best-known climate scientist on the planet, but you wouldn’t know he was here from the ABC, which, a Phillip Adams interview last week excepted, has barely mentioned his presence. The bald figures tell the story: as of today, Monckton has been discussed on the ABC 161 times this year, while Hansen has only been mentioned nine times.
Indeed, The Australian has given Hansen more coverage than the ABC, because of his support for nuclear power.
Odd, I hear that each Friday on the “Weekly Prattle” on 774 with Jon Faine. They (“Coots-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe”) all have an alarmingly similar “converse interuptus” syndrome. does anyone know whether this is genetic or just from ;ack of breeding?
Abbott mucks it again on the world stage.
He said Canadia in a speech to his “special friend”.
Trivial I know but he’s being derided for it but he’s trending on social media for all the wrong reason yet again.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canadia?src=hash
“By the way Uhlman is married to an ALP politician.‘
Gerard Henderson says “Chris Uhlmann, [is] the best daily ABC interviewer by a wide margin” and is supported in this assertion by Andrew Bolt – no need to say anything else 🙄
[especially from 3:00 till the end] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJJF0byBqs
Breaking news. Tony Abbott cancels a trip to Viagra Falls whilst imparting his suppository of wisdom in Canadia, oh Canadia.
Word is Abbott is going to return to his homeland Austria via the Horn of Plentia.
I have now heard, for the third time today, Mr Abbott saying, after his meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Canada, that he wants to see Canadian Pension Funds invest in Australian roads and infrastructure.
So he must be talking about toll roads and he must consider that there is adequate return from toll roads in Australia to fund Canadian pensions. It begs the question, with our own superannuation funds wallowing in money as to why they would not invest in these fine toll roads.
He also described the Harper government as “centre right” and implied that his government too is centre right: I don’t think that that is correct, surely far right was the positioning he was looking for.
There’s some beauties on Twitter Mö. A personal favourite is a report that Tony Abbott is calling in to Tanzania on his way home to check out how his $16 million “gift” is going 😆
https://twitter.com/JustJen64/status/475881466459480064/photo/1
Sorry for the mangled sentences folks. Being a fast touch typist on a keyboard is an advantage but on a smart phone screen it’s a distinct disadvantage, predictive text not usually helping.
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@mark delmege
http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/one-voters-verdict-hang-them-all-by.html
<
@Möbius Ecko
Gold ! Gold !
“Abbott mucks it again on the world stage.
He said Canadia in a speech to his “special friend”.
I heard that. He said Canadia and then 5 millseconds latter corrected his mistake and said Canada. In his previous sentence he used the word Canadian so it was just a slip of the tongue.
Just more hateful comment from the most hateful of people.
Canadia trends on Twitter after Tony Abbott gaffe
Someone has suggested that “Canadia” should keep Abbott and we’ll take Bieber. Knickleback not impressed with Abbott’s gaffe either.
Comes on the back his double flip flops in one day on Putin and Climate Change at the G20.
I think we would be better off if we just sent Credlin on these overseas jaunts and left Abbott and Bishop here to keep the stuff ups domestic.
<
I wonder why the moron from Sydney sticks around ?
I think calling me a moron is unparliamentary language.
I find it strange that a slip of the tongue gets you people excited.
But the ABC is definitely biased. Most of their presenters either vote for the ALP or Greens. Anybody who believes otherwise is wrong.
Come on, people, there’s no need to call Neil names. All he’s trying to do is raise the tone here. And I consider he is showing all the grace and argumentative skill of Christopher Pyne, so let’s stick to the argument and not resort to name calling.
And no, I do not think that Neil is simply plagiarising lines from my blog above.
I think he’s making things up all by himself.
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BppohRPCYAEPoQ_.png
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BppX6rJCAAA4lje.jpg
Mo E
Stop, I can’t stop ROFL
Lol lol lol lol lol
There really is some absolutely funny shit on that Twitter trend. And as some are saying after every single small slip, especially by Gillard, was hammered mercilessly, this is sweet to see. Plus Abbott has form and really is an embarrassment to this country whenever he’s on the world stage.
Yes he deserves it all and more
Don’t get angry, get even 🙂
But shit bloody funny,
I am not on twitter or face book
So thanx for the funnies 😉
Damn the funny stuff just keeps coming. Where have all these people deriding Abbott for all its worth been?
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BprD9iQCIAI5Q-2.jpg
Pity DanDark. Abbott made a Tweet about being in a Canadian war museum with Brenden Nelson and the string of derision and comedy that followed was gold. Some hard core right wingers attempted to throw in straw men and diversions to Riccardo’s win but it didn’t work.
Surprised Abbott’s staffer who most likely made the Tweet didn’t close down the responses.
There really is a growing deserved backlash against Abbott out there. He after all is only reaping what he sowed, so can’t expect to be treated any differently to the way he’s treated others, and that’s occurring in spades right now.
If Abbott though this overseas jolly would improve his standing and ratings with the Australian people then Credlin figured wrong.
Agreed Rossleigh;
Well when you only have a one trick pony,
Well it all falls apart quickly, as PETA is finding out
They got him out of country to save him, but it’s destroyed him
Ohhhh and if they think they can stop the terminal bleeding,
It takes experts, as I know, looked at death that way a few years ago
It’s like slowly fading away, no pain though, so you really don’t know your dying till the very end
but you can’t do anything about it,
Peta is no surgeon, my expert professional gyno/surgeon saved to lives, mine and my unborn
PETA has got no chance, and no idea, inexperienced on how to stop terminal bleeding
Hers and Toney’s cos once it starts. It’s hard to stop….:)
Oh and you go cold very quickly, look for the coat and hat to keep him warm,
Won’t work though,,,,
Do not forget the long discredited Labor people such as Richo. If a left winger is given a hearing, they are ridicule by all.
In fact I cannot bring to mind, any current left-wingers. Who are they if they are being heard.
As for Hawke, was he ever of the left?
Florence, Some reckon he was our first ever CIA PM. I couldn’t possibly say that (publicly) but at the very least they would have been pleased.
I see the chief CEO of business is aboard, selling off all that this government is privatising, Yes, the door is wide open, no pesky regulations to worry about. Yes, says the chief salesman, Australia is open for plunder. Please come and join in the rorts. NO offer refused.
Our PM seems to be missing in action. NO where to be found. No one here to defend or sell that toxic budget. Do they care. Suspect not, as this only the first, initial instalment. Wait for issue two.
Has our illustrious media told us who is on that bus load of businessmen, that the Chief CEO, leading salesman of Australian owned infrastructure, is leading around Canada for two days, then taking on to the USA.
Who picks up the tab?
by h the way, Abbott’s bested mate, who is like two peas in a pod, does not agree it Abbott on all things. NO, he believes in keeping the automobile and outer industries. Yes, that government does prop up industry.
Four Corners on sexual abuse in the defence forces. I believe the present defence minster does not agree with a RC into the problem. Says it hurts the victims. He better tell all those turning up to any sexual abuse inquiry, in this country they are only hurting themselves., That a RC only makes things worse.
Change of government, and we are quickly back to the good old days.
Yes him trying to sell our (toll) roads to Canadian pension funds facilitated through the likes of private banks. A criminal enterprise if I have ever seen one.
Issue 2, gees mate, Howard saved up the worst til last, these madmen are beginning with the worst and trying to make it worse still. Great budget for the rich and for corporations, but not for people.
Hawke was the beginning of the end. He and his ever influential right wing lead to further advancement from the right wing AWU and SDA right wing anti-worker unions eventually running the ALP by gerrymander as we see today with former AWU stooge Shorten in the leaders chair, even thought 59%+ voted for Albabese hardly democratic.