Day to Day Politics: Andrew Bolt “Scandalist”.
Friday June 10 2016
1 Many words have been used to describe what Andrew Bolt does. Some describe him as a journalist – others a commentator. I believe Tony Abbott recently declared him Australia’s premier intellect. I’m told it’s true. For me he is a specialist “scandalist”.
Scandal means a publicized incident that brings about disgrace or offends the moral sensibilities of society: Damage to reputation or character caused by public disclosure of immoral or grossly improper behaviour; Talk that is damaging to one’s character; malicious gossip.
Bolt is a person who specialises in all of the above. Scandals are developed for whatever reason or you can make them up.
Such was the case on Tuesday night on Sky when Bolt provocatively accused Bronwyn Bishop of “betraying” Tony Abbott in supporting Malcolm Turnbull in last year’s leadership coup.
“Indeed I think you knew In fact, I know you knew the morning I resigned before I knew I was going to resign” she said to Bolt.
At 6.33am on Sunday, August 2 – hours before her resignation was announced – Bolt blogged: “Bronwyn Bishop will resign very soon. This cannot go on.” By suggesting she was betraying Abbott he was trying to create a scandal.
During the Choppergate Scandal Bolt blogged that it had become a leadership issue. Perhaps Bolt was creating a scandal to protect his mate Abbott. Julie Bishop publicly attacked Bronwyn while Abbott seemed to be remaining loyal. Bolt, Bishop and Abbott were practicing a deceptive scandal to suit themselves.
Part of the Sky interview went like this.
On Tuesday, Bolt did not respond to the allegation he knew of the resignation early but called on Mrs Bishop again to explain her “betrayal” of Mr Abbott.
Bolt: “Bronwyn that’s not good enough. Why did you turn against him?”
Bishop: “I‘m afraid that’s it, Andrew. Now let’s get on with it”.
Bolt: This is the”‘it’, Bronwyn, you weren’t hired on Sky News to cover up”.
He is a scandalist.
2 It seems that we are currently being inundated with floods all over the country. Just a short time ago it was bush fires.
Conservative climate deniers simply say that they have always been with us and have nothing to do with climate. Indeed, they have always been with us they say but they ignore the increased frequency.
In pointing to our history of fires, “Tony Abbott once rattled off a list of historical bushfires, and the dates were: the 1850s, 1939, 1968, 1983, 1994, 2003, and 2009 and the fires in NSW a couple of years ago were early in October. He ignored that none of those other fires were in October, take a look at the gaps between those events. 80 years, 29 years, 14 years, 11 years, nine years, six years, and four years“. Abbott may have thought he was talking about Australia’s proclivity for catching alight, but in fact he was reinforcing the point that these fires are getting much, much more frequent. Furthermore he displayed the shallowness of his intellect. There is no doubt that climatic events are occurring more frequently. How many trees were lost in the NSW bush fires? How many more will be lost in future more frequent fires? How much damage will be done to the soil by more frequent flooding? How long will it all take to regenerate?
3 Labor announced its 10 year economic plan but once again a compliant press only reported on the negatives. As Victoria Rollinson says in her piece on this blog:
“Did they report that finally a leader is looking ahead further than the next election? Nope.
Did they explain the vision Shorten outlined to invest in the economy for the benefit of future growth? Nope.
Or, did they simplify the economic plan down to a competition about who will get to surplus quicker, whilst not actually listening to what Shorten said, and proved yet again they are incapable of any analysis above ‘debt and deficit bad, nothing else matters, this is two-horse race, it may as well be a football game with the surplus as the winning margin’ bullshit that we get served up every time a political leader opens their mouth to talk about economics, whilst criticising this plan for not including budget figures when it’s clearly not a budget, any 5 year old can see that? Yep. This is what they did.”
The honesty of the Opposition in being truthful about the first four years of being in deficit could not illicit any positive reaction.
And the question is. Will honesty be rewarded?
“The decisions we’ve taken build over time, they get implemented in our first budget then build over time to create much better structural repair to the budget” said Chris Bowen.
He also took aim at the Government’s budget measures blocked in the Senate saying they were “zombie” economics.
I have said many times that I find it astonishing how it is possible to carry forward savings from the 2014 budget that haven’t a hope in hell of being passed.
An observation.
“The mainstream media will only ever print or say whatever is in its best interests. Then it might say something interesting and truthful”.
Let’s hope the bloggers can pick up the pieces.
4 Malcolm Turnbull says that because the Australian Securities and Investment Commission has decided to sink its fangs into a few suspected culprits, notably the NAB that there is no need for a Royal Commission into the banking sector.
He added that the corporate sector was “well regulated” and the government had already increased powers and resources.
The same argument could very well be argued that there were enough law enforcement agencies to process any complaints against Unions rendering the recent Royal Commission unnecessary.
5 Here is the latest from Crickey’s Bludger tracking of the Polls:
“BludgerTrack is now updated with all of the federal polling published over the past few days, results of which are displayed at the bottom of this post. As has been the case since at least the start of the campaign period, the tracker is resolute in recording an effective dead heat on two-party preferred, with the seat projection continuing to point towards a slender absolute majority for the Coalition. The latest addition to the aggregate is the weekly reading of Essential Research’s fortnightly rolling aggregate, which echoes BludgerTrack in coming in at 50-50 on two-party preferred. This follows a two-point movement the previous week that turned a 51-49 Coalition deficit into a 51-49 Coalition lead. On the primary vote, the Coalition is steady at 41%, Labor is up one to 36%, the Greens are up one to 9%, and the Nick Xenophon Team is steady on 4%.”
My thought for the day.
“I don’t mind you having a different opinion to me but please don’t create your own facts to support your view“.
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Return to home page“I believe Tony Abbott recently declared him [Bolt] Australia’s premier intellect”.
‘Can’t comment on the veracity of that statement but when I read it I was reminded of another observation :
“In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is King”
I have been watching the ABC coverage, and truly it seems it is a dull election, there is nothing in it of any real interest, except for the fact that our health care system is under attack, our education now outed as Private schools are something Liberals hold dear to their hearts but stuff Public schools, I could go on almost infinitely but the point being the ABC are again too scared to help people understand major public assets are under attack.
I also believe Bolt is neither a journalist or a commentator – he’s a heavily opinionated pundit.
Journalists assemble the facts and come to a conclusion based on all the facts.
Bolt starts with a conclusion, cherry-picks the facts that fit and ignores the rest – as his conviction proved.
It doesn’t take any sort of “intellect” – just a degree of personal bias.
He has also seen a vacancy for the position of foremost male right-wing apologist in the Australian media and has deliberately seized that position for himself, leaving Miranda Devine to take the female position.
He’s also little more than a lickspittle for his sponsor – Gina Rinehart – who uses him to promote the right-wing anti-global warming agenda.
Not many recall that he was (illegally) shown confidential security documents about Saddam Hussein’s alleged WMDs by the Howard government so he could also promote their aims.
[a specialist “scandalist”]
A quite apt term. So many of the media are like this now to some degree. Leigh Sales included as she wastes interviews seeking the gotcha moment on obvious matters that the pollies will never admit to.
The aforementioned blot is just a dickhead with a microphone. Nothing else.
Premier intellect my arse. the effing cretin doesn’t have a single braincell.
“Come and play with the big kids andy, instead of hiding behind your desk and tv cameras and protectors with too much money for their own good, you pathetic lying, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, head up your own backside so far that all you can see is what you had for yesterday’s breakfast disgrace of a specimen that has yet to be classified as anything but is certainly not human. We want to know what colour you leak when someone causes you physical damage.”
You are UN-Australian.
I like ‘Gadfly’ from The Saturday Paper’s description of Bolt. The use of Bolt’s non-Anglicised name and the reference to his incomplete university degree is wonderful.
John said, quote: I have said many times that I find it astonishing how it is possible to carry forward savings from the 2014 budget that haven’t a hope in hell of being passed. end of Quote
Well John, the Liberals know well that the moderate right faction in the ALP have similar neoliberal economy theories than them and soon or later the polices of the Liberals will be approved or implemented with little changes by the ALP if is in power.
Arthur,
assertions which claim to know how people, singly or in a group, are going to behave are always questionable.
This is the case in your claim that “…the moderate right faction in the ALP have similar neoliberal economy theories than them…”.
(1) The grammar of “similar …than…” is a little muddled
(2) Who are the “moderate right faction”? Is Shorten of the “moderate right faction”? What evidence is there that Shorten holds “neoliberal economy theories” similar to the Liberals?
(3) What evidence is there that this “moderate right faction” will hold sway over the whole Labor Party?
(4) What evidence is there that Labor, if in power, would pass the unpassed Liberal forward savings? We do not yet know the composition of the new Senate.
guest, unde Hawke Keating policies Union membership fell from over 48 per cent to below 31 per cent, wages share of GDP fall from around 61.5 per cent of GDP to less than 55 per cent,
Not a policy form the left in my book
Yes, I’m old and I’ve watched Labor shift from left, to left of centre, to centre, to right of centre…following the stages in the progression of the Liberals from right to exteme right/fascism.
The question is: Do Labor have a team that have the guts, determination, and a focused plan aimed at dragging us all back from the brink?
They sound as if they are finally awake and aware, but it will be in the doing, not the talking.
Isn’t it “funny” that this inept, lying, flat earth, right wing so-called “columnist” is employed by the Mudrake mob? And, of course, EVERY word of EVERY one of his “columns” (sic) is ALWAYS so true–& faithful to Mudrake’s “opinions”, & until Talkbull took over from Tony Abscess–such an avid conservative to boot! More power to him, NOT!! And your comments re the Liberals not wanting a royal Commission into the big 4 banks, & yet insisting on one into the Unions, shows just how much out of touch with reality, of just how inept, & “pro big business”, this right wing bloody Liberal mob are! Of course “ably” (?) led by that (in)-famous champion of all that is fair, Malcolm Talkbull! We ALL know (NOT) just how “lucky” all of Australia must be, under his so-called “leadership”!
Jack
“The question is: Do Labor have a team that have the guts, determination, and a focused plan aimed at dragging us all back from the brink?”
Good question but when you look at the quality of ministerial material of both major parties you would have to say Labor is miles ahead.
Leaving aside the leaders you have in the coalition the likes of Michaelia Cash, Barnaby Joyce, Sinodinos, Morrison, Cormann and of course Dutton.
Then look at Labor’s Shadow ministry : Bowen, Burke, Wong, Plibersek, Carr, Albanese and the surprisingly well presented Andrew Leigh.
I rest my case.
I’ve voted Labor for 48 years Terry2, and couldn’t agree with you more if I tried. A great team, and right at a time when they are needed most. Disciplined, ethical, and know their/our enemy intimately.
I have never read anything that Andrew Bolt has written without LOVING it. He is outstanding in his dedication to speaking the truth without worrying about bring politically correct. Wish there were more around like him.
“I believe Tony Abbott recently declared him [Bolt] Australia’s premier intellect”.
There’s no hope for us then. I doubt that Bolt’s IQ reaches triple digits.
Jack Russell, there are some talent in the ALP like Albo, Wong and Tanya Plibersek.
The problem is that there are not enough of them to put forward more policies.
There are a lot of people that leaving the ALP because the strong influence of the centre right
Litsa Grace
We have one thing in common ; I have never read anything that Andrew Bolt has written !
Terry2, make it three, I have only seen him on Insiders. When I saw him or Ackerman I was inclined to turn the telly off. If David Marr was also on the panel, he saved the day and ‘crushed’ them. He now delights railing Henderson, who seems to recoil from David….
Arthur,
cause and effect is not always as straightforward as you might think. It is very difficult to understand your dissatisfaction if you do not cite any policies made by Hawke/Keating which might have caused declines in Union membership.
The introduction of individual negotiation of wages and conditions in industry bypassed Union representation. Workers realised they could achieve satisfactory wages and conditions without paying Union dues. Prior to that, there was a sizeable number of the workforce enjoying the achievements of the Unions without paying Union dues.
So we come to the matter of which policies of Hawke/Keating upset the workers so much that they withdrew from membership if not the matter of wage negotiation.
And we need to explain which policies representing leftish leanings are not being espoused today. I find it very difficult to distinguish left-right ideology in the centre, but when I look at Labor and the Coalition today I see clear differences, especially in the matter of government roles in the provision of services and in the matter of revenue and spending.
Perhaps you could explain what you see as leftish policies being neglected by Labor today.
guest, it is there clear to see the increase of members and followers in the Green party and other micro parties with moderate left ideology for you to see which polices are neglected by Labor today.
Yesterday comments by Richard Di Natale about the back flip by the Labor about polices related to research and other ones are a clear example of the differences.
For goodness sake, Arthur, I asked you to say what Labor leftish policies are being neglected and you direct me to Green and minor party policies.
I must have been otherwise occupied when Di Natale commented on Labor’s backflip on research – which I also missed, apparently.
Life is too short to be hanging about listening or reading for every comment about comments on comments. It all ends up being Chinese whispers about vague hearsay partially remembered but espoused as fact. Such is the 24/7 news cycle.
guest, if you missed the polices in the last back flip then I guess that you are not following the political events.
This, which it is not a comment, not gossip is what they proposed yesterday:
changing higher education indexation arrangements, with funding to be indexed to CPI, raising $119m over four years, and $3.7bn over 10
reducing the rates of tax offsets for research and development, saving $860m over four years, and $2.8bn over 10
Both policies put forward in Abbott budget were well opposed by the left back then.
Do you think that the left faction is going to oppose Bill Shorten now just 3 weeks before the election? Of course not
Remember the Metadata Retention Laws and the MPs of the Left had met and moved a formal resolution to oppose shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus?
Remember the 2015 conference Shorten’s position on climate change, refugees, same-sex marriage and Palestine and the left factio opposed to some of them?
Nothing to do with Chinese whispers and hairdressing gossip saloon, they are facts, a reality.
I can go on and on but it is not point if you do not recognise it.