1 August 2018
Newspapers and media outlets in a rush to make themselves relevant within a life or death struggle for survival, push all sorts of controversy.
Two things stood out during the by-elections. Firstly the importance they made of the constant flow of polls, and secondly, the “Kill Bill” campaigns.
Despite knowing from past evidence that individual seat polling is notoriously inaccurate, Murdoch news continued to push them as though they were God’s gift to determining the winner – and they didn’t.
Again, despite having run the same course many times the “Kill Bill” campaign by Newscorp and others, yet again fell flat because Australians don’t like “playing the man.” The naming of Bill Shorten as a liar every day by the PM doesn’t cut with a lot of people, and he would be well advised to stop.
The importance of reporting factually what was said, or the truth or otherwise of it, seemed to take second place to whatever controversy could be manufactured.
The media do it because they like to think they alone have the power to elect governments, forgetting that it is the public that votes them in or out.
Finding the truth and reporting it should be more important than creating a narrative where controversy matters more.
But Newscorp has started its pre-election propaganda in earnest. Not even the failure to influence will stop them.
Confronted with going to the polls in the knowledge that they would repeat it again in a few months time, punters were faced with a number of local issues. That aside, the average punter would be well aware of the many national issues that the country faces. The first question they might ask is:
1 What good reason do I have to change my vote from last time? Should I change my vote because of all the nonsense about citizenship?
2 Since the Coalition repealed the ‘carbon tax,’ a tax that had been working well and emissions were dropping, the Coalition who had put ideology before the common good, the Coalition has staggered like drunken adolescents from one side of the street to the other.
Abbott’s former department head admitted that his mission to axe the tax was only ever about the politics. Nothing whatsoever about reducing our emissions and honoring our commitment to the Paris accord.
Scott Morrison has admitted that bringing down the price of electricity is more important that reducing our emissions, and will rely heavily on the National Energy Guarantee to do so.
But wait a sec. Labor has decided not to go along with the Coalition and it will now require the support of Senate crossbenchers.
Really, you cannot blame Labor. This is nothing more than a monumental stuff-up and a con job to boot.
What erroneous spin they have been conducting since they repealed the carbon price.
Labor says it will oppose the policy even if it is approved by the states and territories. Labor’s energy spokesman, Mark Butler has described the NEG’s carbon emissions reduction target as “unrealistic” and warned that the policy will adversely affect jobs and investment in the renewable energy sector.
Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes is of the same view, while Victorian Energy Policy Centre director Bruce Mountain has questioned the need for the NEG.
So after more than 10 years of the conservative far-right’s view that they know more about climate change than 95% of the world’s climate scientists, we are no further advanced.
The Prime Minister has nowhere to go other than to revisit his conscience, examine it and say that he should have stuck with his original principles. Or confess, at least, that he is controlled by the far-right of his party.
3 It has been suggested that the Government will have to write down the value of the National Broadband Network, however Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says they have no intention of doing so.
Ratings agency Standard and Poors has issued warnings that the value of its investment in the National Broadband Network is under threat from 5G mobile technology, saying that it will eventually supersede its hybrid technology.
The ratings agency also says that Australian consumers compared to other countries pay much more for an inferior product. Unless it finds a way to reduce its rates, the NBN will turn out to be a very expensive stuff-up. Just like so many others this Government is responsible for.
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Other observations
In terms of the environment I wonder what price the people of tomorrow will pay for the stupidity of today.
On the NBN: The problem with designing a network to meet the needs of today is that it denies you the ability to meet the needs of tomorrow.
PS: I will leave the “My Health Record” debacle for another time, and I haven’t mentioned Robodebt, DVA and Comcare.
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4 The Abbott/Turnbull Governments haven’t a record of achievements to fall back on. Those that the do list are; a) jobs and growth b) tax cuts to companies with an annual turnover of up to $50 million and Australians earning more than $80,000 c) dubious historic education reform: transparent, universal, consistent needs-based federal funding for Australian schools (what about the Catholics?, and d) marriage equality. (I think the public can lay claim to that).
5 Peter Dutton repeatedly plays the race card and this time the Prime Minister entered the fray. Men, women and children will next year enter their 6th year of imprisonment with no foreseeable release date. And they haven’t even committed a crime.
Will Dutton now continue with his wild almost crazy assertions that Labor will allow the boats to return if they win the next election?
Future leader they say. “Wow.”
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An observation
A leader with any character would slap down members of his cabinet who roam the road of racism with all the force of a heavy roller.
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6 The isolation of the voice of Barnaby Joyce may have been a political masterstroke, but it has left the National Party isolated and without a voice.
Who is it that leads them?
7 Abbott is not done with yet. He is now advocating we opt out of the Paris Agreement and also cut immigration.
8 Having proposed tax cuts to big business, Turnbull now faces dropping them. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. If he keeps the policy it is nigh on impossible to sell it, but if he drops it he will be seen not to have the courage of his convictions.
9 In times of national security, fears the propagandists have successfully promoted the LNP as being best able to handle those fears.
Should we expect something terrible to happen before the next election? Or just a lie about the possibility?
10 In spite of doubling our debt, the economy is being promoted as being in good shape by the Murdoch media. That’s not the truth, of course.
11 Jobs growth is being promoted as outstanding, but is barely keeping up with our immigration intake. Do the punters really believe the line being fed to them?
12 Climate Change is still of major concern to the public. True colours, please. That means both parties.
13 The Coalition contains some of the most outstanding liars and hypocrites our Parliament has ever seen, including the Prime Minister. Is it possible the punters have finally seen through them?
15 Please note: Polling in individual seats is notoriously unreliable. I told you so.
16 After having been dragged kicking and screaming by Labor and the Greens to have a Royal Commission into banking Malcolm Turnbull still wont contemplate a national ICAC.
17 Almost everyone besides the Coalition believes that unemployment benefits are one reason many Australians are poor. They are simply inadequate for people to live on.
18 The question is, “are we entitled to know?” When Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister after successfully challenging Tony Abbott the National Party placed certain conditions on him before they would form a Coalition.
Is he, or both, entitled to keep the secret to them selves or conversely are the voters entitled to know?
19 Last Wednesday morning Scott Morrison was doing a presser on News24. Addressing the price of electricity he said that if you wanted prices to come down you needed to support the government’s National Energy Guarantee policy.
He went onto say that higher emissions targets would result in higher electricity prices. The truth of that is very debatable however; my point is that if you believe what Morrison said then you can only conclude that the Coalition has entirely given up on lowering our emissions. What a con job they have been conducting since they repealed the carbon price.
You can almost get used to Murdoch’s lies and bullshit but this takes the cake.
22 We still await the outcome of the enquiry Michaelia Cash.
“What we know is [federal police] have referred the matter to the DPP,”
“They would not do that lightly … They only do that when they think laws have been broken.”
23 The Liberals have been in power 16 of the last 22 years. If people think the country is stuffed, they should know whom to blame.
24 For all ABC’s faults, I for one would march in the streets to demand it be protected, and I’m sure hundreds of thousands of people would do likewise. A comprehensive and factual news service is essential to democracy and the ABC is our only hope of ever having one.
25 Somebody sent this to me but for the life of me I cannot remember whom:
Five years since the Federal election campaign Labor lost ushering in the nationally destructive Abbott-Turnbull Government that has taken us backwards. Note: some items are already listed.
– No world leading NBN.
– No carbon price.
– No booming alternative energy industry.
– No Gonski scale school funding.
– A weakened NDIS.
– No republic.
– Damaged relations with China and our region.
– Subservience to the fascist Trump.
– Wage stagnation.
– Attacks on multiculturalism.
– Attacks on welfare for the poor and vulnerable.
– Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest. Australians and foreign corporations.
– Attempts to undermine Medicare.
– More expensive University degrees.
– $500 million cuts to university budgets and research.
– Shrinking home ownership.
– Every day cost of living up.
– Higher debt.
26 Although science tells the Government that sugar, salt and fat are the main causes of our health problems, it refuses to limit the amount of these toxic substances in food.
27 The Prime Minister’s refusal to acknowledge the Uluru Statement in our constitution is a tragedy and should be revisited ASAP.
28 A Facebook friend sent this list. The PM has FAILED abysmally to:
– Set a high standard in government
– Stand up to the IPA bullies
– Stand up to traitor Murdoch
– Hold his party to account
– Display moral leadership
– Call out racism
– Be truthful
– Respect Melbournians, one of the best cities in the world
– To dismiss racist Dutton
– To protect the vulnerable
He is totally UNFIT to be PM, ever. Disgusting coward. Like others he is racist, he backs racists, he fails to call out racists, he encourages racists.
29 The Coalition spent two years fending off a royal commission into the banking sector. When Shorten and to be fair, the Greens, got their way, look at the results.
Now they are trying to fend off a national ICAC.
30 Perpetual infighting between the ultra right neo-conservatives and the moderates has been a hallmark of this Government, and who knows, the Prime Minister might even resign.
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My thought for the day
The real enemy of neo-conservative politics in Australia is not Labor or indeed democratic socialism. It is simply what Australians affectionately call. A fair go.
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