170 comments

1. Greg meggsSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:38 pm

   Indeed, but we all need to maintain the rage. We might go off the boil over time, but keep the kernel of disgust within easy reach for when the election rolls around

2. melaineSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:46 pm

   Thank you Victoria, another wonderful effort. You have a way with words I can only dream of. It gives me such delight knowing the future of our country is being championed by such intelligent, thoughtful and decent young people.

3. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:48 pm

   The USA used to have to go to war to install puppet governments.
   Still please vote

4. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:49 pm

   It only needs another 400 votes to be as meaningful as Newspoll.

5. rachanashivamsSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:55 pm

   A great perspective Victoria. My jaw is still dropped at the atrocious deeds they’ve done in three days .Horrific.

6. Michael LaFaveSeptember 20, 2013 at 11:11 pm

   Another lucid and compelling piece, Ms Rollison.
   You have nailed both the reason Abbott is now PM and the likely future that’s in store for this abysmal puppet.
   Whether our next PM will be from the Labor Party or LNP is the burning question…………..

7. RobynSeptember 20, 2013 at 11:22 pm

   Great work again Victoria. Tony’s free ride via Rupert and other MSM who neglected their duty atrociously I have to say was what galvanised this normally not very political woman into an annoying political poster on fb particularly. Unfortunately it still wasn’t enough but I know there are more out there as you say. People like Helen Paton, writer of that letter to the Age, who didn’t seem to know what Tony would do! Well now she does and it’s time we got them on board this social media train. Murdoch has so much to answer for. Just one thing we must not let them pull the old trick of doing the bad stuff first and then letting the population forget that it ever happened. John Howard was particularly good at that and look how many times he got voted in. So we must keep a list and keep reminding people, so this will indeed be OneTermTony.

8. ()September 20, 2013 at 11:34 pm

   Not in the business of handing out compliments casually but this encapsulates so, so much. Three cheers.

9. GraemeSeptember 20, 2013 at 11:57 pm

   What? No mention of the unbelievably biased reporting by the taxpayer funded ABC? I don’t have to buy News Ltd papers if I don’t want to. I don’t have to subscribe to Murdochs Sky News if I don’t want to but I DO have to help pay for The ABC and their unbelievably biased left wing reporting but no mention of that in your blog. Would be nice if you could explain what the difference is.

10. kayelee1September 21, 2013 at 12:35 am

    Graeme, from that comment I severely doubt that you watch the ABC. You may however be pleased to hear that Tony’s advisers, the IPA, have insisted it be sold off. Tony gave a lovely speech at their 70th anniversary dinner in April which appears to have been removed from the Liberal Party site for some reason. In it he lauded Rupert Murdoch as a great Australian comparing him to the General who freed Paris and the researcher who invented penicillin.

    They have some wonderful ideas, the IPA. They came up with 75 ways to make this a great country which Tony is currently working his way through. And imagine my joy, I find today that they have another 25 to add to the policy list a notable one of which is “Abolish the Australian Human Rights Commission”.

    http://www.phonytonyabbott.com/blog/tony-abbott-and-why-we-should-be-concerned-about-the-institute-of-public-affairs-policies

    http://ipa.org.au/publications/2110/25-more-ideas-for-tony-abbott

11. kate ahearneSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:15 am

    Thanks, Victoria. You write so passionately, and so persuasively. And as for Graeme, Kayelee1 has nailed it. He doesn’t watch or listen to ABC, or if he does, he doesn’t ACTUALLY watch or listen. He brings his own unquestioned perspective to bear, and hears or sees whatever he expects to hear or see. But while the rest of us are in learning mode, let’s look into our own hearts and see if we can spot our own pre-conceptions – we have 3 years to do it, and we need to do it properly. Let’s begin with the Albanese/Shorten choice, and let’s be clear-headed about it, and let’s get it right.
    Thanks again, Victoria.

12. Möbius EckoSeptember 21, 2013 at 6:28 am

    The ABC left wing? What alternate universe have been living in Graeme?

    The ABC hasn’t been anywhere near left wing in decades as much as the right and the likes of Fierravanti-Wells say it is.

    Bob Hawke railed against it for being too far to the right and three Howard enquiries could not find any left wing bias, indeed his biggest enquiry did find a small bias, for his government.

    Nowadays because of Howard stacking the board and management (on the back of enquiries that found no bias but used as an excuse), the ABC is decidedly right. It repeats Ltd News without question, stacks its news and current affairs pieces with spokespersons from the right, heavily from the IPA. It has Peter Reith and Amanda Vanstone as regulars who are allowed to spout right wing nonsense unchallenged, yet they have no equivalents from the left.

    The ABC in the last six years engaged in practices as bad as anything the right wing media came up with, they just did it with more subtlety. Unfavourable images for Labor pollies, favourable ones for the opposition, especially for Abbott. Promos for shows and segments featuring Abbott or the opposition but not the government. Giving the opposition far longer time on air than the government and apart from two interviews I can remember, the ABC being favourable to the opposition and harsh towards the government.

    But most of all and the thing that galled me was, “Tony Abbott says,” “the opposition leader says,” “the opposition says,” “such and such from the opposition says,” etc. you get my drift. Without fail they did this as a matter of course for every single statement made by and action done by the government. More often than not these “says” bits were longer than the government piece and the “says” were allowed to go through without a single challenge or correction even though many were blatantly false and nothing more than Liberal Party propaganda. The same luxury wasn’t given to the government at the time.

    This was done in the name of balance.

    And already less than two weeks into a new government the ABC has dropped the “opposition says” and is allowing the government to say what it likes without a corresponding balance anywhere.

    ABC left wing, bullshit.

13. PhilSeptember 21, 2013 at 6:41 am

    Graeme. I suggest that you check for an arm up your shirt or strings attached to your wrists….

14. PaulSSeptember 21, 2013 at 7:13 am

    Or a suppository of wisdom up somewhere else.

15. patsySeptember 21, 2013 at 7:21 am

    the quote goes “you can never be too rich or to thin.” but it needs to be changed in your case to YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO RICH OR TOO VILE AND UGLY………you are a real piece of work!!!!!

16. BarrySeptember 21, 2013 at 8:08 am

    Dear rupert murdoch not sure if you know this on australian tv theres a series running about yourself and the packer empire its a fun show to see how you can think your better then anyone else guess what your not and your puppet tony abbott will be shown the door i will have the last laugh and a celebration drink when we can and will dissolve the abbott goverment once and for all and how about we australians boycott foxtel that way we might get rid of your corrupt ways stay in the usa or better still rupert crawl under a rock and stay there

17. TraceySeptember 21, 2013 at 8:19 am

    Oh Graeme. You may not ‘have’ to purchase NewsLtd rags but in some states they are the only option. I dare say that you, yourself, have been mired in the hate filled blogs of the Australian who screech at any word spoken challenging the nonsensical brain farts of the chosen ones. Have you actually watched any current affairs programs or listened to ABC radio over the last few years? They have been full to the brim of Murdochs hacks offering ‘analysis’ – hardly the work of a bias lefty propaganda machine eh?

18. MarcusSeptember 21, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Oh dear, Graeme is dragging out that old “ABC has a left wing bias” chestnut? What a complete tool he is. He should try watching Q&A or The Drum to see just how ridiculous such claims are. That’s all down to the “wonderful” work of the current chairman-a former Howard advisor-whom Rudd should have booted back in 2007.

19. Les JohnsonSeptember 21, 2013 at 9:12 am

    Never has so much damage been done in such a short space of time by such big arseholes !
    The message forgot to let the puppet and puppeteer know that the next generation of new voters from our Schools will punish you too because they will be some of the biggest losers under this fascist govts. intentions to scrap the Schoolkids bonus that so many struggling families rely on for an opportunity at an equal chance for an education . To rub salt into the wounds AButt also promised the wealthy up to $ 75,000 to have a baby , which equates to 93 Schoolkids bonus payments to the needy !!!!!

20. ekysroflSeptember 21, 2013 at 9:55 am

    The last Prime Minister that was observed to play fast and loose with changes to the constitution, his cabinet and parliament (and thus Australia) in general, was Gough Whitlam. Given his recent comments, Tony doesn’t give much regard to the history of our country if it doesn’t involve a white man winning, so it’s fair to assume that he doesn’t realise that Gough was, quite literally, booted out of Parliament House because his changed destablised not just the government, but also the country. Tony might be making changes that essentially slap all the progress Labor has made during its terms over the last few decades in the face, but it won’t last long, and no one’s going to be chanting “We want Abbott” when he goes.

21. Pam RawlingsSeptember 21, 2013 at 9:59 am

    There is only one upside to Murdoch and that is he is old and hopefully going to die soon. He will soon learn there is no amount of money going to prevent that. When he dies we will have the pleasure of watching his offspring scratching each others eyes out for his money. Hopefully destroying his empire at the same time. I envisage festivities everwhere in Australia, street parties and dancing. What a great day that is going to be.
    I would also think after that Karma will bite him. I see him coming back as a refugee that is my best vision yet , I am a believer in what goes around comes around, I also believe we live more than one life and we learn lessons from them. Yes old Rupert has a lot of lessons to learn yet, some of them are going to be very hard for him and they can not happen soon enough for me.
    victoria I loved reading this, an excellent piece, spot on in fact. Thank you.

22. EruditoSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:06 am

    Beautiful.

23. John ConnanSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:11 am

    Thank you Victoria for a brilliant piece of writing and giving decent citizens hope!

24. Justin ScottSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:14 am

    I’m with you Pam…

25. johnnydoomSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Where did you graduate? Do you feel special? Just remember that a high IQ and a little bit of hard work don’t make you wise. This sort of light hearted, yet elitist rhetoric is what makes the labor a laughing stock amongst the working class. We don’t need people who studied our situation to represent us, we need people who have lived with us and really know what we want to represent us. Questionable woman? You are all over the shop, young enough to think that calling someone old Is an insult and too old to realise that a degree and perfect grammar have no relevance in online forums.

26. Collin ToddSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:51 am

    Well thank you Victoria,for all of that I didn’t graduate from Oxford, sorry, but what is so “questionable” about miss Bishop’s gender? Why can’t people be employed on merit and not gender?Because of all the excitement regarding the number of female cabinet ministers will the Abbott government push in some incompetent people? I think at the moment the Abbott government can enact what ever policy they like because of the furor surrounding what is between the current cabinet ministers legs. As for indigenous work for the dole, I fail to see a problem there, everybody else has to work for the dole. Why not indigenous people? They are people like everyone else. Labours screw ups were so recent and they have been forgotten, instead incompetent politicians, and I emphasize politician there, made out as martyred saints if you find me a trustworthy politician I’ll find you a flying pig no matter what party they belong to. If it comes to revolution old mate I know where I stand, on the side of the law.
    Sincerely C Todd
    Mostly likely classed as sheeple despite having an independent opinion formed by myself with thought and consideration even though I didn’t graduate from Oxford.

27. doctorrob54September 21, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Thanks Victoria,Melaine speaks also for me,but as for this Graeme dildo,you don’t obviously know what left wing is,the current ABC is a right wing arm of the MSM,nothing less,how do you think we ended up with this Fascist Gov.there is absolutely nothing socialistic about them or balanced.

28. Grace Keira Seaborn-SchmidtSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:01 am

    Johnnydoom…I am and many of my friends are working class and you do not speak for all of us. We are not happy with Abbott and will be even unhappier when he cuts our penalty rates, school kids bonus and the rest. He has already taken jobs from many working class people in a very small amount of time…do you think they think he is representing the working class when he will get paid over five hundred thousand a year to take their jobs?

29. Grace Keira Seaborn-SchmidtSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:04 am

    Colin Todd…if the other woman in Abbott’s government don’t have merit then why are they ‘running’ a country? Also it’s Labor not Labour.

30. JanaSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:10 am

    what you all dont understand is that he is a puppet of the Chinese communist regime (CCP). HIs Chinese wife many years younger has finally been ousted as a spy for the CCP. He is no longer free and never will he be again. Its the Chinese communist regime you need to tackle who now own much of Australi

31. doctorrob54September 21, 2013 at 11:15 am

    Murdoch you are a treacherous little old man with ancient views and low morals and have no right to interfere with modern Australia.

32. johnnydoomSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:17 am

    I don’t recall stating my political preference. I did not say an Abbott government would be good for the working class

33. Dan RowdenSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:19 am

    I don’t mean to be a party pooper here, but it has to be said that the sacking of the 3 department heads was barely notable and certainly not “petty”. It’s not unusual at all for incoming governments to dispense with what they perceive as departments heads that are too closely aligned politically, or who head departments that are now redundant (or whose primary work for the outgoing government is redundant). All of those things were applicable to those sacked. It’s the philosophy and ideology that lay behind the necessity of the sackings that is the disturbing thing. Primarily, in this instance, ideology relating to Climate Change.

34. Jeni McNiven (@jenimcn)September 21, 2013 at 11:27 am

    Graeme, I don’t buy Murdoch’s rags. I object to them being used as a propaganda machine to those who do and the result of that which is swaying the election result to suit Murdoch’s will.

    And then saying you believe the ABC is biased to the left. Just because they sometimes show opinions which differ to Murdoch’s and Abbott’s does not make them biased. The ABC has a fine record of showing both sides.

    Victoria, most of what you say I agree with. But I’m not sure whether or not Rupert graduated Uni is relevant. I’m sorry, but it sounds rather elitist. If we want to win over the uneducated minions who read the Murdoch press, we have to be careful not to sound elitist.

    There is no University Degree anywhere in the world (that I know of) in Propaganda and Manipulation which is what Rupert specialises in, Marketing is the closest thing. But, clearly since Rupert is doing such a good job of it, it didn’t matter that he hasn’t graduated. When I say “good job” I don’t mean that the quality of his work is good, I mean, he gets results.

    Living in Western Sydney (as I do) and listening to people around here, one thing I hear all the time is that “Labor no longer represents the Working Classes. They are all University Intellectuals with no understanding of the real world – Chardonnay Socialists.” Perhaps that is why Fiona Scott won her seat, because she didn’t look intellectual. Perhaps that is why Clive Palmer was seen as the alternative by many. Hell, perhaps that is why Tony Abbott got in. I mean despite the fact he is a “Rhodes Scholar” as we keep hearing, he doesn’t seem very intellectual.

    While I know it is not true that Labor no longer represents the Working Classes, this is what Murdoch tells them, so this is what they believe. Remember Rupert is with them every day, in his papers and through Foxtel. They are flooded with it. They believe it. Our challenge is to overcome this by being just as much in their day to day lives. We need to sell ourselves better. The things Labor did between 2007-13 like raising the tax threshold, introducing the NDIS, Gonski and the stimulus package to get through the GFC were all aimed at helping the Working Classes, as was the Fair Work Legislation.

    There is hope. Its called social media. My son does not watch TV, he doesn’t read newspapers. He gets 100% of his news from the internet. This is the future. We don’t need Murdoch to get the young voter, we need to engage them the only way they understand and it needs to be done subtly, so they don’t just switch off.

    Murdoch’s days are numbered in more ways than one. His actions to me seem like a desperate last ditch effort to hang on. They are clumsy and ridiculous in some ways (like the Hogan’s Heroes front page) and subtle and clever in other ways (constantly publishing polls showing ALP behind which caused the whole leadership debacle). Does anyone actually audit the Murdoch polls? – Galaxy, Newspoll. They were proven to be inaccurate in Western Sydney at this election – predicting most ALP members would lose their seats, something that did not happen.

    Murdoch has won the battle however, but I don’t think he will win the war. He’s yesterday’s man and he has returned us to yesterday’s government. He can’t hold the future back forever.

35. Collin ToddSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:39 am

    Just one thing Jenni the reason that labour no longer represent the working class is that most have them (90%) have never actually done any physical labour in their lives, they get paid exorbitant wages, live in free houses, drive free cars, take free flights that if they do actually pay for they claim it back from my tax and do bugger all every day. Whether or not they went to university has very little bearing

36. Dan RowdenSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:46 am

    Yes, the “working class” consists of only those workers whose jobs are about physical labour. Is there an emoticon for “facepalm”?

37. Collin ToddSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:47 am

    My mistake, but, you mean women not woman don’t you? And I wasn’t saying they have no merit I was saying perhaps other people had more merit for the specific jobs. I love all this outrage about an Abbott government coming to power but it would very much appear that the Australian people voted out the labor government. I would like to say though we don’t get to vote for a person we like so much as vote to get the current idiot out and give another idiot a go in the drivers seat.

38. Dan RowdenSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:50 am

    Collin,

    Just out of curiosity, if you indeed had the ability to vote for who you liked, are you prepared to say who that would be?

39. Collin ToddSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:55 am

    I’m giving it serious thought Dan. Okay maybe I was being a bit to literal before about the physical labour, my point being I think our politicians earn far to much for their work output. I believe our prime minister gets paid more than the British prime minister.

40. VeloaficionadoSeptember 21, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    Only one thing to quibble with, amongst all your good sense and telling it like it is: ‘populace’ is a noun – the population of a place, country, etc.; ‘populous’ – an adjective, is the condition of being populated, usually densely. That’s all my quibble. Keep up the good work.

41. Candy Spender van RoodSeptember 21, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    Thank you Victoria, your voice represents very many of us and we need to keep the fire in our bellies!

42. Malcolm SeventySeptember 21, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Most populous neighbour. Did you learn to proof your work or just use spellcheck? They aren’t the same.

43. Malcolm SeventySeptember 21, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    “and your puppet as longed for your entire lives.” has longed for?

44. col stephensSeptember 21, 2013 at 12:40 pm

    Nice dream that, progressives uniting . Truth is the ALP is too busy trying to win the approval of business and just trying to hold power for the sake of it, whilst the greens can’t put together convincing policies that will create real jobs (they also need to get their head out of their own arse and face facts- they can’t get 10 percent of the primary vote across Australia).

45. Jeni McNiven (@jenimcn)September 21, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    What Colin? Do you want our politicians out digging holes and laying pipes or some such like? The job of a politician is to formulate policy to govern the country, to ensure as few people as possible are living comfortable lives not in poverty and can get education, jobs and health care. To do this they need certain skills to be able to create policies that work.

    I know many politicians and know for a fact that they work very hard. Usually upwards of 16 hours per day 7 days a week.

    I know enough of their workload to know that I don’t want it.

    All that free stuff you refer to. That is a benefit of the role of a member of parliament, but it is also necessary for them to do their job. (don’t know about the free houses though – maybe free rental accommodation in the ACT during their tenure – I know that Ed Husic’s predecessor in Chifley, Roger Price retired to his family home in Rooty Hill) I wouldn’t say they earn exorbitant wages though.

    The CEO’s of our Banks earn about 20 times what they earn. Our politicians earn about the same as a Foreign Exchange Dealer, Stock Market Trader or Lawyer. The qualifications needed for those jobs are the same type most of our politicians have – Law Degree, Economics Degree.

    Do we want people who are capable of doing the job? If we do, we need to pay them a decent salary otherwise we don’t attract them to the role.

    Do you think we shouldn’t pay them at all? Because what happens then, only those that can afford already to work without a salary go for the job. i.e. Rich people – then where is the representation of the people?

    Its great to get people who have worked in other types of job to run for parliament. Albo for example has worked for the Commonwealth Bank in his early working life. Being an ex-banker myself, I’d say that is a proper job.

46. Justin ScottSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    There are a couple of problems with the protecting Foxtel subscriptions argument… Foxtel is sent down a cable that also provides internet at up to 100mps in Melbourne, 30mbs in other states. Secondly, you can now use that <100mbs internet connection (or any capable internet connection) to subscribe to Foxtel Play, or Foxtel over IP. Simply put, FTTH would have actually helped Murdoch sell Foxtel Play by expanding the captive market. I'm not saying I agree with the way Murdoch used his papers during the election campaign (I didn't), just that the Foxtel argument doesn't really stack up. And there is a simple way to reduce Murdoch's infuence…

47. Fed upSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    The burning question could be, will they last three years. That is the government, I suspect Mr. Abbott will not.

    Listening to rerun NPC with Brendan Nelson, ,Yes, there have been decent Liberal governments, until Abbott shit in his own backyard.

    Agree completely with your sentiments.

48. alan handfordSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    What a worthy legacy both you ruport and your puppet will leave you might have manipulated and used your money to achieve your selfish amitions but theres too that wont be happy one is your mother god bless her lucky she doesnt have too see the way you continue to do shady bussiness and of coarse the other you will always be a starring role for the harm you cause many you (RUPERT MURDOCH) will be judged by HISTORY what an honor you be left with all too see how much of a sleaze and manipulator you really were what a legacy you leave your sibblings …….

49. Mark LernoSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    Great article! Just one typo: Indonesia is our most populous neighbour (not populace).

50. DannySeptember 21, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    Lol, the popular vote has spoken. Stop trying to devalue that vote with your minority views and claiming this only happened because of Murdoch. Happy for you to have a view and to voice it but don’t try and claim it is a majority view and please don’t insult the intelligence of the greater Australian public just because their view differs from yours

51. Peter HamrolSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Beautifully articulated Victoria … I could not have done any better and I am sure your words will circulate like wild-fire because of your honest approach … Unfortunately, Murdoch has skin thicker than a rhino’s and he will not absorb your letter because of his deficiencies in being compassionate nor displaying any empathy … Money & power is what has been given by the dark side in exchange for his soul … That is something that the majority in this country will not do in the very near future … ‘Freedom and Progression for All’ will Australia’s catch-phrase from this day forth … All of us who are the educated and informed need to get this message across to our fellow country-folk and not allow this government act on their own accord on behalf of their master puppeteers … ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR …

52. allan jonesSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    Abbott,s government can never be legitimate.Murroch made sure of that.Nazi front pages will always be seen as the lowest of the lowermost ,low .

53. ShannaSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    If Tony doesn’t get his way from the current senate he has stated he will call a double disillusion, roll on as it will give us an opportunity to vote him out early

54. Dan RowdenSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    Justin,

    I totally agree you with regarding the NBN argument as any sort of explanation of why Murdoch has behaved as he’s done. It’s a weak argument and doesn’t make any real sense to me. The real point with respect to Foxtel is ownership levels. Might we see deals struck with Telstra in order to give Murdoch a controlling share, or more? That’s one of the things to look for in terms of Murdoch’s agenda.

55. Shane WoodsSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:09 pm

    Maintain the Rage! I remember that same phrase after the 75 coup d’état A coup orchestrated by the U.S. Government and the Mining Industry. It lasted for about a month. Australians are either too lazy, Too Dumb or too easily controlled. would be nice to se them maintain the rage, but alas, no. the media circus will grab them by the nose and lead them off to watch bogans can dance or cook whatever and the whole thing will be forgotten.

56. Fed upSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    Clive Palmer has won. Will be recount.

57. BacchusSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Justin & Dan,

    A proper NBN makes competition in the pay TV space easier and cheaper . Yes, the market is expanded, but so is the entry of competing interests – that’s how Rupert’s interests would be adversely affected…

    Just as a quick example, the AFL has already looked at ways of providing their content directly, bypassing Foxtel.

58. Andrew ButlerSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    “Because after progressives unite to rid this great country of your puppet…”

    That’s strange. Didn’t progressives unite on September 7? I seem to remember the two party preferred vote for Labor was 46%. That’s how many people voted Labor, or Green with a Labor preference. There are your progressives, Victoria. Firmly united, and managing only a politically-impotent 46% of the vote.

    Perhaps you should have studied Arithmetic at Oxford.

59. Dan RowdenSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Bacchus,

    The Coalition will have the ability and probably intention of fiddling with anti-siphoning rules to meet any perceived obligation to Murdoch. The AFL, and others, might yet be in for a shock.

60. PhillSeptember 21, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    Danny, you’re not quite right that the popular vote has spoken. The voter turn-out was 84%…!! That’s the first time it has fallen below 93% in three-quarters of a century, so turned off were people; that in itself is history-making about this election. The swing was only about 1.6%, hardly a landslide; change of government is easily feasible, but the damage done in the meantime shall be harder to unpick…

61. kerry jonesSeptember 21, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Danny your in dreamland of course murdock influenced the election outcome you have to be completely blind not see that why do you think the media runs adds to influence people to buy if they can influence in that way they do in others areas like elections as well

62. PaybackSeptember 21, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    We got rid of Foxtel cable TV from our home this week after being connected for the last 15 years… we feel it would be UN-Australian to fund and support any business venture that people like Rupert Murdoch is involved in… and so should every true blue Australian.

63. Marg1September 21, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    Well said and thank you Victoria. Rupert is an evil little man, surely he won’t be around for too much longer – he is so old – we can only hope and pray!

64. SachikoSeptember 21, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    Is this a parody of a leftist’s writing?

65. kerry jonesSeptember 21, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    no sachiko its a parody of the truth in which is foreign to those on the right wing of politics

66. Möbius EckoSeptember 21, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Justin Scott. “FTTH would have actually helped Murdoch sell Foxtel Play by expanding the captive market.”

    No, it would helped the market bypass Foxtel as it would have opened the field to many other streaming online services at more reliable speeds and better quality. Currently you have Foxtel and that’s about it.

    It meant that Murdoch would have had to compete. But not only would the pay service suffer so would his newspapers both hardcopy and online.

67. GenSeptember 21, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    just another rant… oh dear!! YAWN.

68. MrHasBeanSeptember 21, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    Oh come on Justin, please!? Here’s a box -> [] … Please think out here…

    Yes, Rupert can utilise the internet for delivery of his (shithouse) services, he’s already doing that. BUT SO CAN OTHERS, without the massive investment required that he has in his Fox infrastructure. And if access to information is much quicker and easier online, why in the world would people continue to buy “news”papers or watch the “news” on TV? Why would people even watch commercial TV?

    Competition. It’s ALL about preventing competition so he can maintain his monopoly.

69. AnomanderSeptember 21, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    Isn’t that old fart dead yet?

70. kayelee1September 21, 2013 at 4:11 pm

    MrHasBean I think, for Rupert, a lot of it is also about perceived power. He loves the idea that he can manipulate public opinion, that he can be the one who brings down a government, that he can have politicians falling over themselves to curry his favour. He has a lot of money…this is a game for him.

71. Möbius EckoSeptember 21, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    Thanks for you in depth lucid contribution Gen.

72. Pingback: An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch | lmrh5

73. MaureenSeptember 21, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    Thank you Victoria for your thoughts…well said.. I totally agree!

74. MarcusSeptember 21, 2013 at 5:15 pm

    “Lol, the popular vote has spoken. Stop trying to devalue that vote with your minority views and claiming this only happened because of Murdoch.” That’s rich coming from LibTard trolls like yourself, who spent the better part of 3 years devaluing the vote in the 2010 election. Also, the popular vote has *not* spoken-as Labor won more votes than the Liberal Party. The only way the Fibs can win office is by forming Coalitions with 2 other parties-a tactic they decry as “illegitimate” on the very few occasions Labor try it. You Fiberal Party hypocrites make me want to vomit!

75. VexedbutfightingSeptember 21, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    Time to roll over old man. You are a cancer on the world. You are without ethics, morals or any sort of conscience. Are you glad now that you have seemingly gotten your way? What you don’t realise is that your evil has now sparked the start of a revolution against you and your evil order of old men with nothing to give the world. You take and take… God have mercy on your soul. Hell is hotter than any of your made up headlines.

76. olddaveySeptember 21, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    Hopefully Murdoch and Alan Jones will soon be attending each other’s funeral.

77. Steven VinceSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:00 pm

    Here we have Murdoch’s Fox and the Koch’s and Karl Rove and too many other toxic wastepools to count. Keep in mind that the gov of Wisconsin survived a recall election after doing much the same thing to his state. Progressives need to more than just casually offended. You need to mobilize with the same passion your moneyed opposition has for greed. You’re fighting against a rising tide of political psychopaths. It’s all a game to them and they play to win, oblivious and unconcerned about consequences, and in complete defiance of societal norms or rules. There is no conscience guiding RM’s behavior, or that of his pawns. You can’t beat them at their own game. You have to overachieve yourselves past them. Even in AU, where there are still more people with common sense and conscience than there are here in the US, PM Abbott was still elected. Be tireless in your effort, Victoria. It’s the right fight.

78. fiddy2pickupSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    20 years old and still relevant
    

79. AndrewSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Whatever you do, a protest should not involve attacking police. We ARE all suffering

80. Fed upSeptember 21, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Andrew, it was my experience in the past, that police were often on the side of the protester.

81. Pingback: An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch | THE PUB

82. DaPiggSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:31 am

    ‘.As long as Haters keep fires in their bellies, their lives will amount to nothing..’

    W. Corgoney Matilland

83. VexedbutfightingSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:57 am

    We must do nothing to cause harm to anyone in anything we do, or that makes us no better than Abbot. We have to be better people than that. No violence. No hatred of the police. We need a more compassionate country, and our protests must be compassionate. We are fighting to make this a better place than Abbot would have it. We can make it hard for him to speak in any public forum, but we must not cause danger to anyone.

84. ChamoniixSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:22 am

    I’m a 16 year old student and I have never seen so much truth in a piece of writing!
    Thank you Victoria Rollison for standing up for a nation that should be learning to stand up for itself.
    Beautifully written. I thank you greatly.

85. Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 7:48 am

    Chamoniix as a much older person I would be interested in what you think of Abbott getting rid of the Minister for Youth.

    I remember when those too young to vote got together and asked for representation in government and a bunch of initiatives were undertaken by the previous Labor government to address that representation.

    Now sadly gone for probably the reason that young people tend to associate with the Greens and Labor more so than they ever would with the Liberals.

86. Michael TaylorSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:01 am

    Chamoniix, I look forward to the next election when sensible people your age are able to vote. I don’t think the younger generations will be influenced by the likes of Murdoch such as the older generations have been.

87. Gillian McAllisterSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:22 am

    Just loved your letter Victoria! Just hope all the idiots out there who voted for Tony Abbot are sorry, very sorry!

88. Pauline StephensSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:31 am

    So true and thank you Victoria- what a hateful man Murdoch is, I personally would have thought that he had enough problems of his own!!
    What you have written is what I have been wanting to say to him all along- thank you for giving me a voice as I don’t own newspapers like Murdoch –
    Regards

    Pauline Stephens

89. ChamoniixSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:31 am

    Abbott’s removal of vital ministries only magnifies his ignorance toward anyone who does not fit into categories of his personal preferences.
    Although I learnt in early stages of legal class that Governments are in place to ensure the benefit for majority of it’s country, pleasing the masses.
    Abbott’s political preferences bend against the masses if anything.

90. ChamoniixSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:37 am

    Thank you, I appreciate your respect for my political position at such a young age. I can hardly list the times during this election that adults supporting Liberal have put me down for being ‘too young to understand’
    I pay attention, I have a forming opinion, and I just want positive change for my country

91. John MaySeptember 22, 2013 at 9:17 am

    Murdoch is a disgrace to his family.

92. doodyrichardsSeptember 22, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Umm yeah is he planning to buy wordpress to kick out all these murdoch empire haters bloggers?

93. John FrussSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:07 am

    didnt murdoch and his papers give his support behind Rudd in the kevin 07 election,or is that alright back then.Your bitterness is holding our country back get over yourselves

94. Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:35 am

    John,

    The old line of Murdoch supporting Rudd in 2007 is a just an exercise in historical revisionism. Yes, the Murdoch papers did swing to Rudd but only after it became clear Rudd was likely to win. Prior to that the Murdoch rags were busy trying to salvage any last shred of credibility for Howard that they could muster. There is virtually zero comparison to be made between 2007 and 2013.

95. the bluntmanSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:51 am

    well said Victoria. even though old man murdoch is too thick skinned or thick skulled to read the views of those who oppose him it’s good to see that there are growing numbers of people who see through the manipulation and the bullshit. murdoch is almost a carbon copy of william randolph hearst, a greedy fascist pig who has no qualms in using his media empire for propaganda to distort the truth and to mislead the masses. Combatting this requires vigilance as well as sustained campaigns to expose these self serving behaviours and to take action wherever possible.

96. ChamoniixSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:54 am

    Oh yeah John Fruss, having AN OPINION on government and the media is totally “holding our country back”

97. John FrussSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:01 am

    why is there zero comparison.when you agreed that Murdoch supported the Rudd kevin 07 election,so you were against Murdoch then.lol.i think not

98. John FrussSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:04 am

    Your bitterness is holding our country back ,not your opinion,Chamonix

99. Pam RawlingsSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:05 am

    Yes for 5 minutes, he then got rid of him because Rudd would not bend to his whims. Did the same to Whitlam also. But not Howard because he did everything Murdoch needed. So going to be interesting to see how long Abbott is in his favor for I would say a long while because Abbott has sold his Arse to him, that is why he could not sell it to Windsor it was already bought and paid for.

100. Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:07 am

     John,

     I said “virtually zero comparison”, granting the meagre concession that Murdoch threw his support behind Rudd when it became obvious it was the smart call. To compare that to a viscous 6 year anti-Labor campaign, rivaled only by his efforts of 1975, is just disingenuous bullshit – times eleventy.

101. John FrussSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:17 am

     Whitlam brought it on himself,he was pm of our country,should respect the people,not his own self interests

102. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 11:22 am

     Respecting the people would be a great start. The vast majority of Australians are in favour of marriage equality, FttP NBN, action on climate change and renewable energy. Sadly, Tony isn’t.

103. simon carrollSeptember 22, 2013 at 11:26 am

     labor had to go as simple as that thank you rupert for your effort australia will be a better place with the labor rabble in the wilderness for the next twelve years

104. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:06 pm

     nothing much to say … you’ve said it all!!! Interesting tho’ that you all forget that the majority voted for LNP and not for Labour. Hopelessly too, short memories about the debt that Labour has accumulated. Seems that no one is willing to concede or at least allow this new Government a chance to prove themselves. Do you think the likes of Palmer and Murdoch sway an intelligent voter?

105. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 12:13 pm

     Gen I hate to burst your bubble but Labor attracted a higher vote than the Liberal Party. 33.4% of people voted for Labor as compared to 32% for the Liberal Party. Tony, the man who refuses to negotiate with other parties to form government, had to rely on several other parties to actually get elected.

     And as far as the debt is concerned, if you consider yourself an intelligent voter, then you will realise that we are in an excellent position economically with one of the lowest debts in the world and one of very few countries with AAA credit rating from all three agencies. You have obviously been duped by Abbott and Murdoch’s lies.

     http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/we-really-must-talk-about-this-debt-nonsense/

106. livingwithtwinsSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:35 pm

     The only reason that miserable old fart is still kicking is the neither god or the devil want him.

107. MorgsSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:51 pm

     The elephant in the room is that Murdoch has been orchestrating since Whitlam, so whether it’s Labor or Liberal the greatest trick he pulled was conjuring the image that we have a choice. Not his invention nor a new trick by any means. The power brokers that be with their ties to corporate interest have ensured policy movements away from the environment to the pursuit of profits. Entrertain us to distract us. Who cares?Most of society is asleep at the wheel with indifference cause their head is bowed over their ‘devices’ in ignorant indifference. As long as society acquiesces to the paradigm of corporate social governance then things will not only continue but will degenerate. Yes revolution is required, but the only way to weaken this megalith is a silent revolution. The system and power structure is too strong already. Since the industrial revolution people have forgotten the skills which saw us through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. We used to do everything for ourselves, including building our homes. So, What can we do now ? Start small. Grow your own veggies, get solar and get off the grid, but get social and start talking to your neighbours again. If we can start at a communal level to empower ourselves as individuals, sharing knowledge and helping one another, then this not only diminishes the wealth and power of our ‘overlords’, but it leads to the rediscovery of humanity and a restrengthening of society like a rising tide of higher consciousness. Slowly slowly we catch the monkey.

108. John FrussSeptember 22, 2013 at 12:53 pm

     union labor equals fear.thats the only policy they have

109. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 1:45 pm

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=184NTV2CE_c

110. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:22 pm

     I do consider myself an intelligent voter! I vote without influence to have that which is best for myself and my family and as a working taxpayer that gives me the right to do so. In a nutshell, that means my money goes where I want it to go. I look forward to the years of being a self funded retiree with some rights and some consolation that I still will be paying from that in my old age to support so many others who have not the same priviledge such as all the minority groups listed. May I also ask what is wrong with Aboriginal people working for the dole?

111. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:32 pm

     …and thanks to Labor and Greens for helping Mr Palmer over the line. It must be a ” Titanic” feeling to know that you have safely tucked him into bed.

112. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 2:36 pm

     Gen I note you ignored the debt question in your answer, but moving on, you understand the importance of superannuation so I assume that you deplore Tony’s decision to scrap the co-contribution for low income eraners and the delay (read scrapping) of the superannuation guarantee increase. With the burden that an aging population will impose in the future these are terrible decisions.

     Regarding the “work for the dole” program for Aboriginal people, for starters having different rules based on ethnicity is a problem. It also locked them out from full time work. This article contains some interesting points.

     http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/economy/aboriginal-economy-can-it-catch-up-through-mining

113. Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 2:38 pm

     kayelee1,

     The vast majority of Australians are in favour of marriage equality, FttP NBN, action on climate change and renewable energy. Sadly, Tony isn’t.

     And yet, “we” just elected a new government for whom such things are not a priority. “We” just elected Tony. How do we reconcile that fact with your contention? It’s surely clear that whilst such things might matter, somewhat, to lots of Australians, they don’t matter enough to determine their vote.

114. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 2:55 pm

     The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program was established in 1977
     to replace the unemployment benefits for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders living in remote
     areas. It aimed to provide work and on-the-job training, and to develop the culture and economies
     of Indigenous communities. But despite its good intentions, CDEP’s evolution has hindered rather
     than helped Indigenous people. At the program’s heart is the notion that Indigenous Australians
     are not capable of holding mainstream employment.
     Instead of being a transition to real work, CDEP is an obstacle to employment. Only around
     5% of CDEP participants move to mainstream jobs.
     CDEP payments are combined with other forms of income assistance such as Newstart
     Allowance and Parenting Payment. A single mother with six children receiving CDEP for home
     duties plus welfare can receive nearly $2,000 a fortnight. These payments create a ‘welfare pedestal’
     which prevents participants from considering study, training, or work opportunities.
     Participants are paid for doing housework, mowing their own lawns, attending funerals, and
     for doing nothing at all. Consequently, Indigenous people regard CDEP pay contemptuously as
     ‘sit down’ money.
     If CDEP is excluded from employment figures, after thirty years of the CDEP program,
     the percentage of Indigenous people in ‘real’ employment in ghetto, fringe, and remote areas is
     only 17%.
     CDEP has hidden the crisis in Indigenous education. CDEP participants do not need to know
     how to read and write, and CDEP training does not qualify them for mainstream jobs. So-called
     vocational certificates are awarded to participants unable to read, write, or count.
     Most Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, even in remote areas, are located within commuting
     distance of work in retail, tourism, agriculture, and mining. They cannot access these jobs because
     they are not literate or numerate, and lack post-school vocational training.
     Many people have vested interests in maintaining the status quo:
     • CDEP has enabled territory and state governments to abdicate responsibility for providing
     local government, health, education, and policing services.
     • CDEP has encouraged Indigenous organisations to expand their bureaucratic structures to
     service CDEP and associated activities, rather than stimulating a transition to employment.
     • CDEP has enabled some communal enterprises to appear to succeed by subsidising them
     through the payment of wages and capital grants.
     The part that CDEP has played in keeping Indigenous people out of mainstream employment
     must be addressed if the cycle of Indigenous joblessness, welfare dependence, and family and
     community dysfunction is to end.
     The way

115. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 3:00 pm

     Dan you are asking me a question I cannot answer. It astonishes me that Tony, with Rupert’s help, got away with lying to and distracting voters by insisting that we have a debt problem and a “budget emergency”, and that our way of life was somehow threatened by asylum seekers. I hesitate to label my fellow Australians as ignorant and ill-informed but I have no other answer.

116. Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 3:23 pm

     Dan only a fraction more voted for the Coalition, and a few less for the Liberals, than at the last election.

     The Liberal’s primary vote was less than Labor’s.

     Labor lost votes to the Others as did the Greens.

     The areas where the Liberals spent a lot of election capital like Western Sydney did not deliver windfalls to them. Tasmania did, but it can be argued the State Labor party is a Liberal party in another guise there.

     So the way I see the people didn’t elect Abbott directly and are not convincingly in favour of his policies (the couple he tabled that is) or his stated programs, they voted against what they perceived was a bad Labor government spiralling us into irretrievable debt and swamping us with boat people.

     I have no doubt that none of those who would have voted Labor but didn’t as a protest against what they thought were bad policy after bad policy bothered to actually look up the results and reports on those policies. Their entire reason for believing they were bad was because of what they read in the media and the constant unchallenged, “opposition says”.

117. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 3:44 pm

     We had the “cost of living” campaign even though households are substantially better off due to very low interest rates, increased tax free threshold, and wage increases outstripping the CPI.

     “the average household is taking home $17,250 a year more in after tax income than in late 2007, paying $6,100 a year less in mortgage repayments and their cost of living has risen by $9,240. Netting this out means a gain of over $14,000 a year.”

     http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-22/koukoulas-the-cost-of-living-furphy/4904924

     We had the carbon tax crap where they used a part of a sentence to label Julia Gillard a liar regardless of the fact that she clearly stated that pricing carbon was a priority for her government and the nature of the system we got was a condition imposed by the Greens and Independents for their support. And let’s not forget, Tony was MORE than willing to make the same deal.

     http://media.theage.com.au/news/national-news/windsor-lets-fly-at-abbott-3559989.html

     We had the increased electricity prices and manufacturing closures blamed on the carbon tax regardless of facts about the increases starting WAY before the carbon tax for various reasons like new poles etc and increased state charges and no mention of the high Aussie dollar and wages.

     We were told the carbon tax had achieved nothing even though emissions went down and renewable enegry market share increased, both significantly.

     We were told the FttP NBN would never be delivered and if it was it would be 5 years overtime and would cost 100 billion. We were NOT told about the many many costs not included in the FttN model nor how long renegotiating contracts and planning would take nor how much it would cost households to actually connect.

     In other words, WE GOT LIED TO!

118. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 3:47 pm

     Oh I forgot Pink Batts and School Halls which all (truthful) studies have shown to be an outstanding success in so many ways.

119. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:01 pm

     Kaylee 1 … is there a 2? I guess the Treasury figures from Treasury lie in your opinion. Considering we were led to believe that it was nowhere near the accurate figure by not the press but by the mouths of various Labour MP’s it seems perhaps they were hoodwinked by the Murdoch press as well.

120. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:10 pm

     …and then why may I ask do Aboriginals not see that education is foremost and that is the way to get a “meaningful” job.

121. Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:26 pm

     What Treasury figures are speaking about Gen?

122. Möbius EckoSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:27 pm

     Damn, “…are you speaking about…”

123. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 5:15 pm

     I agree that education is a crucial element in closing the gap which is why Tony’s failure to commit to the last 2 years of the Gonski reforms is particularly disturbing as these reforms were designed to target funding and programs for our most disadvantaged students.

124. Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:33 pm

     Gen,

     …and then why may I ask do Aboriginals not see that education is foremost and that is the way to get a “meaningful” job.

     Wow, that sort of rhetoric is so anglo-cultural-centric that it makes me want to projectile vomit. Seriously, what the is a “meaningful” job and why should members of the Indigenous community give a about it? Part of the problem with our dealings with the Indigenous communities of this country is that too many of us think they ought automatically share our values.

125. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 5:50 pm

     Dan I originally came from a small town on the NSW North Coast where the Aborigines lived in a settlement outside of town. I remember ( I think in the 70’s) the white people decided it would be a good idea to build a meeting hall for the Aborigines so they hired a Maori to design it because hey, he’s indigenous…somewhere. Imagine the outrage when the local Aborigines didn’t use the hall (and I think ended up trashing it). I mean after all, we were good enough to build it for them, though perhaps it may have been an idea to ASK them first if they wanted it, or even asked them for suggestions of how best the money could be spent.

     I have heard similar reservations about Tony’s little venture with Mundine and Pearson. Surely it would be better to involve local leaders in determining how best we can help.

126. velvet eldredSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:54 pm

     Outstanding

127. Dan RowdenSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:08 pm

     kayelee1,

     Paternalism and condescension will be the order of the day in the Coalition’s approach to Indigenous affairs. Oh, and speaking of Mal Brough, isn’t it interesting that a former Howard Minister couldn’t even rustle up a Parliamentary Secretary position. Maybe certain people are not overly confident about how a certain Federal Court Appeal will turn out.

128. GenSeptember 22, 2013 at 6:34 pm

     Dan, just referring back to Kayleen 1’s previous post re CDEP . Did you not read it?

129. NariSeptember 22, 2013 at 8:59 pm

     Brilliant. Thanks for putting the truth out there. I am part of the revolution. #OneTermTony

130. kayelee1September 22, 2013 at 10:46 pm

     “As British filmmaker Lord David Puttnam said in a recent TedX address at Westminster, the media have a duty of care to the people to protect their fragile democracy.

     They have a duty to inform and not inflame, says Puttnam. Sadly, lowbrow media of the sort Rupert Murdoch imposes worldwide has been shown in studies to make people more cynical, less engaged and less likely to participate in the democratic process.

     And if the media has a duty of care to the people in a democracy, as Puttnam suggests it does, then do the Australian public have cause for a tortious class action on the basis of Murdoch’s unrelenting attacks upon democracy? It is surely an intriguing thought.

     It is hard to escape the conclusion that Murdoch’s goal is to create a dumbed-down populace — one more easy to herd towards accepting his own radical neo-conservative ideological preoccupations with limited government, corporate power and Randian laissez-faire capitalism. None of these widely discredited economic theories are in the interests of the vast majority of the population, but are designed to favour the wealthy.”

     http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbott-and-our-new-murdochracy/

131. KarenSeptember 23, 2013 at 1:47 am

     Brilliant!

     I want ALL of you in cabinet NOW!

     Intelligent, respectful, AND informed discussion.

     Unlike the Murdoch Abbotising we have had these past couple of years…………… just saying.

     Is THAT the truth, or is your News Ltd?

     LNP didn’t win, Labor lost because of the LNP campaign (supported by the media) against Labor. Labor lost because most voters voted minor parties which had back-room deals for preferences. We have just survived (quite outstandingly!) the worse GFC since the Depression as a country, all under a Labor Gov, yet people still bitch about cost of living. Seriously…………. I have got my power bill down to $200 quarter, not because of government handouts, but because I accept responsibility for my own usage so I turned off some lights and hardware and got SMART about my consumption!

     Labor should have fought dirtier. To have NO policy funding released until 48 hours out from election (and so inside the advertising black hole) smacks of “I have something to hide” for the LNP. And just within the first 24 hours of government we see the true “climate sceptics” policy and ministerial joke unfold.

132. Pam RawlingsSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:47 am

     Well said Karen. I agree with you Labor should have fought dirtier, especially as seen as that is what we Ausralians seem to like. I am not too worried though as the libs are going to cause their own undoing and the rot will soon spread with their own stupidity.

133. Teck LeeSeptember 23, 2013 at 12:42 pm

     Well done! Victoria. I share much of your outrage, and I hope you are right about this being a one-term government. But, ultimately, we have to accept the adage: the people deserve the government they get!

134. NatSeptember 23, 2013 at 12:55 pm

     Here Here Morgs!

135. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 5:39 pm

     why do so many people believe that a carbon tax, that offsets carbon emissions (no it doesn’t) by 5% regionally, believe that this will do ANYTHING to fix what we have well and truly broken? are you all that….simple? it’s a way of generating more revenue…nothing more…the global warming will continue, and is more closely related to overpopulation than anything…you all got to vote….scary….simply giving carbon a unit price and then upping the base unit cost, does nothing for global warming….can you tell me what does ? lol….sheep

136. Dan RowdenSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:17 pm

     Chris,

     So, what’s your solution to Global Warming?

137. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:23 pm

     Dan,
     licence breeding….clearly we have a need to overpopulate our habitat then blame it on everything but US. will cut down on all the wankers in the world too…

     From your response, I take it you really do believe that a carbon tax will save the world? lol

138. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:29 pm

     oh and um one more thing Dan, there is NO reversing global warming now….you could stop emissions by 100% tomorrow and the cycle will still move forward….so in the mean time lets just pretend that throwing money at a made up commodity called “carbon” will somehow offset emissions, and somehow save us all, meanwhile….back in the real world….

139. Dan RowdenSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:33 pm

     Chris,

     There’s nothing in my response from which a reasonable person could infer anything at all. I certainly agree that overpopulation is an issue to be addressed. However, who gets to decide who receives a breeding licence and who does not?

     Also, can you point me to some science that backs your claim that Global Warming is irreversible?

140. Fay DemetriSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:34 pm

     Since man walked upright and learned to talk, up till present day I have to say sadly he has not learnt a thing. Do we really live in a humane civil caring world, no we live in a greedy powerful rich mans world. A quote from the bible “THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH” guess what we don’t want it, because by the time these civilised people are through with it there will nothing left.

141. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:40 pm

     Chris, you lost me at your use of the word “sheep”. Not to mention your negative attitudes to wanking, which Woody Allen describes as “sex with someone I love”.

     Dan, you won me at you’re correct use of “infer”.

142. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:42 pm

     Ross, you lost me at your incorrect use of the word you’re….you would fail my breeding licencing test

143. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:46 pm

     Dan, I do not need to provide the science that Global Warming is a natural event, that does not go backward, that has been provided for anyone willing to go do the research, im not here to educate anyone, just judge them. Global Warming is in fact (science fact) a precursor to an ice age, that is also very public knowledge, and will also be part of my licencing tests….as to your question of who would decide, clearly the reality will never take place, god forbid someone should tell you you don’t have a “RIGHT” to breed yeah? no instead I will sit back and watch you all talk about bullshit till the day it freezes over and look after my own needs as any self righteous prick would….

144. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:48 pm

     and yes Dan, you obviously believe that carbon tax is a good thing…for our environment…rather than me teaching you about the natural cycle that has taken place many times on this planet, long before we even came along, how bout you teach me how putting a price on carbon stops it from being emitted? that would make for a good magic trick that would

145. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:52 pm

     That’s the case for some of the gases that contribute to climate change, such as methane and nitrous oxide. But as Solomon and colleagues suggest in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it is not true for the most abundant greenhouse gas: carbon dioxide. Turning off the carbon dioxide emissions won’t stop global warming.

146. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 6:53 pm

     “People have imagined that if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide that the climate would go back to normal in 100 years or 200 years. What we’re showing here is that’s not right. It’s essentially an irreversible change that will last for more than a thousand years,” Solomon says.

     This is because the oceans are currently soaking up a lot of the planet’s excess heat — and a lot of the carbon dioxide put into the air. The carbon dioxide and heat will eventually start coming out of the ocean. And that will take place for many hundreds of years.

     Solomon is a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Her new study looked at the consequences of this long-term effect in terms of sea level rise and drought.

     If we continue with business as usual for even a few more decades, she says, those emissions could be enough to create permanent dust-bowl conditions in the U.S. Southwest and around the Mediterranean.

     “The sea level rise is a much slower thing, so it will take a long time to happen, but we will lock into it, based on the peak level of [carbon dioxide] we reach in this century,” Solomon says.

     that is old news/info, now show me how you being ok with being conned into paying money for something that will fix nothing fixes stuff go on, show me

147. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 7:49 pm

     if you want you can just read through the Abstract on this one – http://oro.open.ac.uk/37694/ – that should show you what current academia hypothesise regarding climate change. As to all the other “mud” that you want to fling around regarding current government, wow, you mean you got something to say about politicians ? like that has never happened before ? lol…. ground hog day

148. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 7:55 pm

     Gee, Chris, who put you in charge of the breeding program?

149. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 7:59 pm

     I did, clearly.

150. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 8:31 pm

     “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.”

     But clearly, your last comment enables me to just cut to the chase…

151. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:13 pm

     World Government from the conspiracy between the socialists and the Jewish bankers, eh?

152. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:18 pm

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21 – oh look wiki is helping perpetuate the conspiracy!?

153. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:27 pm

     sort of funny “World Government from the conspiracy between the socialists and the Jewish bankers, eh?” when you are commenting on a thread about a guy that runs our media as a mogul….you cant even keep up with your own logic lol

154. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:27 pm

     Did you mean “brakes”? Clearly you won’t make your own breeding program!

155. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:29 pm

     actually good sire, breaks is rather fitting in this context….lateral thinking is not your strong suit is it

156. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:29 pm

     and yes I did mean sir….pfft

157. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:30 pm

     as for breeding – im a queer, so all good on that front…just doing my bit for a sustainable future 😛

158. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:37 pm

     Ah, so it was a choice thing

159. ChrisSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:40 pm

     as a gay man I do not subscribe to the “its not a choice” theory…as it is only a theory, and one that most gays cling to “I didn’t decide to be gay” pfft bullocks…of course it’s a choice…pure conditioning nothing more…and as a gay guy…I can say that – if you subscribe to a different theory that is your “choice” but yes…I chose NOT to participate – that and I don’t like commitment – win win

160. MikeSeptember 23, 2013 at 9:53 pm

     I’m gonna file this right next to, and as an extra chapter of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. “Fighting Tories?” WTH? This is 2013. And the reason why “progressive” Australia fails to engage 2.5 million people since last election. To infer the general populace voted in favor of “NOT LABOR” as somehow being lied to is an insult. We all know politicians lie, but are still smart enough in sufficient numbers to vote out the government we DON’T want. Now, re read what happened, learn some lessons and try and engage people like me. Until then, screw you, i havent got time to be abused and insulted.

161. PaybackSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:01 am

     I think this artticle explains it all: http://mumbrella.com.au/news-corps-australian-newspaper-revenues-fall-350m-three-times-fairfax-179273

162. HelenSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:14 am

     Victoria,do U think your letter had any impact? I don’ think so.Clive Palmer said the same on Q&A national TV.

     U have a short memory about labour gov and politics!! I want waste my good energy reading yr wordings.

163. Dan RowdenSeptember 24, 2013 at 9:46 am

     Serious question: are people increasingly less literate or are they increasingly using devices on which it’s hard to type?

164. PaybackSeptember 24, 2013 at 10:52 am

     This article explains it all: http://mumbrella.com.au/news-corps-australian-newspaper-revenues-fall-350m-three-times-fairfax-179273
     While some of us may admit our mistakes others bury their heads in the sand.

165. Shit's Gotta StopSeptember 24, 2013 at 12:21 pm

     Meanwhile, Rupert just laughs…

166. rossleighbrisbaneSeptember 24, 2013 at 3:45 pm

     @Dan. For many, I think it’s the latter. However, as for people who make the same “misteak” (sic) twice, likethe person who said that it was his “wright” to make a comment in two separate comments, I put it down to poor spelling.
     Personally, I find abuse along the lines of “Your all idiats and comos!”

167. Pingback: An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch | Laitom's Blog

168. Roger BatesOctober 3, 2013 at 4:03 pm

     Rupert Murdoch is less interested in money that his news media can make than the satisfaction he can get from manipulating people and controlling politicians. His greatest success has been in Australia where politicians grovel before him to survive. The government of any country should have more authority than the person who owns most of its news media.

169. susanJanuary 12, 2014 at 9:39 pm

     Brilliant ! Brilliant! Open Letter f* brilliant! Look at the upside Rupert is a old man , he will be pushing up daisies soon and his family will probably saw up and sell off the businesses and it’ll be all over. Abbott will lose the next election and Australia will try again to crawl out of the 1950’s nasty, greed mentality that people like Gen here thinks is okay. Maybe we could forcibly sterilise people like you Gen… ???

170. Pingback: Whose Words and What are they Saying | @samu_geo