Scott Morrison Tries To Become A Quiet Australian
When Scott Morrison starts a press conference by justifying what he or his government are doing but halfway through says that now is not the time to politicise things, I have to wonder why none of the journalists point out that his two minutes of spin have done exactly that. Subtext: “This is all someone else’s fault but now is not the time to be laying blame! So there’s nothing more to say, and I’d like to be a quiet Australian and not respond to any difficult questions.”
Now, I know that all politicians try to spin things.
Not all the time, of course. Sometimes events are just too big or too tragic and so we have rare moments of bipartisanship where everybody just understands what needs to be done.
I’d like to think the current bushfires are such a time.
However, our parody of a Prime Minister just can’t help himself. From insisting that we were just fine and we didn’t need overseas help to his most recent statement that Australia has always had bushfires, everything is about trying to ensure that nobody tries to find some flaw in his government. He takes every opportunity to imply that this is really an issue for the states and any help the Federal government gives is a bonus. When he said that: “Our response has been to respond to our state and territory governments where they’ve sort additional support” I was sure that some focus group had suggested that they didn’t feel that the government was responsive enough. But hey, if they seek additional support, we’ll give it! That’s leadership, Scomo style!
While social media is showing a fair bit of extra hostility to the slow responses of our Prime Marketer, I wonder if his attempts at politicising this are as transparent to the “quiet Australians”.
His address from the command centre had “Authorised S.Morrison, Liberal Party” at the end. While party political ads need authorisation, surely an address from the PM doesn’t. Or does Morrison see himself as Liberal leader first, PM second… Actually, there’s probably a few things before PM like family holidays and talking to Brian about miracles.
While I’m cynical about all politicians using disasters as photo opportunities, I acknowledge that for people who are facing extreme events, a handshake or a brief chat from someone in power may actually help them to feel that people have noticed and that they care. Another photo of Morrison looking at someone pointing at a map, won’t do anything for anyone.
His message that we’ve always had bushfires was a clear attempt to suggest that this is nothing out of the ordinary, but I can’t help wonder if we’ve ever had so many fires burning out of control in so many different areas…
Ah, next I’ll be blaming coal or suggesting that speeding contributes to the road toll when we all know that it’s only to raise revenue that governments issue speeding fines. Nothing wrong with doing double the limit outside a kindergarten I say!
I’ve always thought it was the role of the media to educate. The media should be our collective memory reminding us what precedents are being broken and what traditionally has happened. It should be pointing out that misleading Parliament was always a serious matter and that ministerial responsibility meant that the buck stopped with the minister. It doesn’t mean: “I’ve found the person who stuffed up by producing an inaccurate report, leaking it and hidiing the fact that they were the leaker… and no, I’m not going to sack them because we all make mistakes.”
Yet we find the media has the attention span of a two-year-old on a sugar high. Why else would it be presenting Newspoll to us as though it’s completely accurate and we should just forget about the fact that it got the 2019 election so wildly wrong? Why else would it allow Morrison to go from saying that there was no need to pay volunteers one week, to announcing that not only would they be making funds available to some volunteers, but that the government had been working on it for some time? Why else would they not remind Morrison of his quote after the school climate strikes?
“I want children growing up in Australia to feel positive about their future, and I think it is important we give them that confidence that they will not only have a wonderful country and pristine environment to live in, that they will also have an economy to live in as well. I don’t want our children to have anxieties about these issues.”
Why else would they keep telling us about the puppets and not the shadow play which is where the action really is?
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14 comments
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Rossleigh
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Phil Pryor
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Terence Mills
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Patagonian
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Patagonian
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Bronte ALLAN
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Keith
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Mr Shevill Mathers
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Jack sprat
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Jeffrey Barrett
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crypt0
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Henry Rodrigues
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Stephengb
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Kathryn
Return to home pageI just re-read Morrison’s comment about children and I just noticed that the bit about having “an economy to live in”. He didn’t say a “strong economy” and all societies have some form of economy. The statement is stranger than Barnaby Joyce feeding cows.
It seems empty to talk much of an empty person, but The Head Moron is in charge so is relevant; unpleasant as that is. Full of pompous nothing, a superstitious idiot self charged and uber confident, Morrison says nothing because that’s him. A large and noisy nothing, lacking manners, sense, brains, skills, decency, foresight, what leadership is there in that emptiness? People of this type want notice, are greedy for career, praise, pose, money, security, accomplishment, yet, are incapable of giving service and achieving much.
Sadly, our news gathering institutions and probing journalism have been all but neutered by political manipulation and the all pervading influence of the Murdoch misinformation empire.
This was demonstrated to our national embarrassment during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Washington.
A capable group of Australian journalists, including from the ABC, accompanied the PM but when it came to an exclusive, one-on-one interview with the US President for some bizarre reason the person (not a journalist) chosen to conduct the interview was aspiring shock-jock from Sky-after-dark, Paul Murray. Presumably this was set-up by Murdoch with the enthusiastic support of the prime minister’s office.
If you have seen this loudmouth on Sky you can imagine how cringeworthy the encounter with Trump was, for example :
Real journalists were cringing and bemoaning that a one-off opportunity to draw out the President on some of his policies was completely missed : perhaps that was the deal between Murdoch and the White House, that this was to be a soft and fawning interview for Trump – well, that worked out nicely didn’t it.
Interestingly, the only journalist at Sky who could have done this interview professionally, objectively and competently, David Speers, has jumped ship to the ABC and will be hosting Insiders in the new year – good move for Speers !
Smoko’s denialism reminds me of that of Mbeki in regard to AIDS:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/26/aids-south-africa
I’m sure they have been posted before but there are a couple of petitions that only need a few more signatures to kick them over the line:
https://www.change.org/p/david-hurley-governor-general-calling-on-the-governor-general-to-dissolve-the-house
https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-declare-a-climate-emergency?signed=true
I know it’s probably a futile gesture but it would be a bloody shame if they failed because they fell short of the numbers needed.
Also I have found this website on climate change protests quite useful to get advance warning of protests planned in my state, however if anybody has a better link please post! I often find out about the protests only as they are happening which means it’s too late to join in: http://www.climatechangeprotests.net.au/
Great article, as usual, Rossleigh! You have encapsulated my thoughts exactly about our inept, lying, flat earth, climate change denying, happy clapping, so-called PM, bloody Slo Mo! His recent “holiday” in secret to Hawaaii, was yet another of his “master strokes” at trying to be a “good” PM (?). Of course he is surrounded by a “great” mob of “really excellent” (?) party members, most of whom could not add up 2 & 2 & get it right! jJust saying their names gives me the creeps, so I wont! I sincerely hope (& pray?) that this f#cking dickhead is somehow sacked or kicked out of office, & that the f#cking rest of his mob are also kicked out as well! Time wil tell, but 2020 seeems a very good time for this to happen.
Morrison supports new coal mines and fracking. A conclusion that could be reached Is that he supports climate change as a result. Using energy from fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases, greenhouse gases create a warmer destabilised atmosphere, hence it can be concluded that anybody promoting fossil fuels is pushing for a far warmer and dystopian world.
If you disagree then go to the science … the latest studies are truly scary.
Morrison cannot promise young people a better future when he supports fossil fuel miners, all he has created is spin.
A sample of studies I’ve come across in recent past:
https://www.insider.com/australia-bushfires-generate-pyrocumulonimbus-thunderstorm-clouds-2019-12?fbclid=IwAR0epv8oN3DSIdmBKxOPCb4ICOu_wEg1hP1wVYL544KIRGbLYOs_RU3Rr0s
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/climate-environment/climate-change-tasmania/?fbclid=IwAR0mVH2b-teriD_ufM4TRvE_19oSXktevJ6VZ-tL38ULYFRL89o0vUZHzSE&utm_campaign=energy_and_environment&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Newsletter&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/little-time-left-to-arrest-greenlands-melting/?fbclid=IwAR35Xa9MV8ceVgp-OVMY7QoXsUk_GuHFOSxNAyoTjVrX8jgn7Op61DIZPIg
https://www.newsweek.com/record-hit-ice-melt-antarctica-day-climate-emergency-1479326?fbclid=IwAR2ffwvbIE6s8kbbSPYjp7lSP2kZCNPPDvbOJ75PX3ngPxF99KKiaYsUvvc
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18122019/decade-climate-heat-drought-extreme-storms-arctic-sea-ice-antarctica-greenland?fbclid=IwAR0WbSo-gDcteGcDPdfPbMjJ0zZTKVJiwEmWriCTkN2sj0f84lMOPn05Vao
Rossleigh & Phil Pryor, I could not have put it any better myself. It is sad for Australia and most Australian’s that we are stuck with this clueless “Leader” (spin merchant) for the next couple of years or so. It will take decades to get Australia back to where it should be. Greed and profit seem to be the only driving force for some these days, and mixing religion and state makes it even worse. Religious beliefs are a personal and private matter-nothing to do with government-we have far more important issues than so called religious freedom and Union bashing, which has taken up too much time during 2019-along with his obsession with coal.
Old king coal was a merry old soul.
And a very fine fiddle had he
Oh there’s none so rare as can compare
With old king coal and his fiddlers
Just to give the Nero analogy a break
Happy New Year,
What a sad and depressing way to start the New Year, Australia burns, millions of animals native and domestic are being killed, hundreds of homes, building burned to the ground and property burned and destroyed. Lives being lost all over Australia including our brave firefighters and thousands of Australians trapped on beaches and in the water families and children in tears, also over the Christmas period five (5) Veterans have taken their own lives, Australia in a drought and we have New South Wales Politian’s arguing over the Murray Darling Rivers when there are Mines, Cotton Growers and bloody water thieves taking what they want.
What is there to be happy about? It is devastating to think this is not over yet. We have fires that have been burning for months and the Prime Minister says it is not the time to talk about the effects of Climate Change or the fires and to wait till March 2020 Three (3) months away. Council of Australian Governments (COAG) what are the State Premiers doing???? If I am bitten by a snake, I don’t say I will wait till next week.
At this time of need and when we need the show of leadership, we have a Government that is absent, most importantly we have a Prime Minister in HIDING. I watched his New Year’s Eve address to the nation which would have been written for him. Did he even know what he was reading or what it was all about? He comes across as a man that was Apathetic but now, he just does not care.
The man (The Prime Mister) is a disgrace a loss of respect as the result of a dishonourable action and behaviour. and must go, but who the hell would we get that would show leadership, Compassion, and empathy.
I have had my bitch and stand by it. If you don’t like it I don’t apologise, I am appalled by our Government.
I thank our Firefighters, Police Ambo’s and Farm Firefighting units.
So Depressing as an observer I feel for all those who suffer such large losses.
Well said Jeffrey … wondering in particular when this shambles of a “government” is going to get around to dealing with all those water thieves and others responsible for the state of the Murray Darling river system. Never, apparently.
If someone were to suggest there was a trade union involved, there’d be a RC called by the end of the day.
Rossleigh … I heard that “Authorised S.Morrison, Liberal Party” stuff …
Wtf was that all about? Is there an election on? I mean apart from the one brewing between the Prime Muppet and Dutton, who I am told, is finding a deal of support from the Rupert end of town.
Keith … It certainly seems that he does support climate change, regardless of whatever he says.
What he tells his children I cannot imagine.
Bring on the rapture, for him if nobody else.
This bastard who likes to thinks of himself as a god fearing bible thumping savior is there because of the sob Murdoch, and Stokes, Costello and the rest of the fcking sycophantic media, as well as that overweight billionaire slob who sits there bankrolling the coalition, to never acknowledge that climate change is real and already here. That’s where the problem is, and all the firefighters sacrifices, the farmers losses and the extinctions of millions of native creatures will do nothing to change this governments attitude to climate change. And now even the NSW government has stepped into line, the minister for emergencies away on holiday and squeaky Berejklian pretending to be very concerned, rubbing her hands and a worried look on her face. Bunch of useless criminal bastards.
LABOR’S NATIONAL FIRE FIGHTING FLEET – SUNDAY, 17 MARCH 2019
17 March 2019
A Shorten Labor Government will boost Australia’s firefighting capabilities with a national fleet of aircraft and dedicated smokejumper units to keep Australians safe from bushfires.
Jeffrey Barrett, thank you for your insightful comments – just want you to know YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your loathing of this appalling, cowardly and supercilious hypocrite, Morrison! The queue of disgruntled, angry and disillusioned Australians is getting longer and the RAGE is getting louder – I think MorriScum’s desperate need for Australians to be quiet, to shut-up, put our head in the sand and go away – is getting to be more and more unlikely. I am just SO PROUD I was not one of the short-sighted, Murdoch-manipulated fools who voted this totally inept pack of fascist political parasites back into power!
Stephengb, WOW – can’t help but agree with you, my friend! Ever since Bill Shorten was kicked to the kerb with a whole fistful of policies that would have improved the lives of SO MANY ordinary Australians, we are left to wonder “If only ……..” – Instead the scum of the earth in the LNP got a hand-up without a SINGLE policy; not ONE single promise or pledge to benefit any ordinary Australian citizen. Since then NOTHING DONE except to hand over our precious, rare water supplies to foreign-owned cotton growers, vandalise our environment, destroyed the Murray/Darling river system (drying up huge areas of the mighty Murray and most of its tributaries), granting themselves at least TWO OBSCENE salary increases whilst the rest of our nation STARVES on Newstart or labours away with our wages/salaries STAGNATE for years on end whilst corporate predators are making BILLIONS in profits! The bible-thumping hypocrite, Sloth Morrison, is the lazy, do-nothing HERO to the worst, most rapacious neoliberals in the country; a self-confessed ENEMY to unions which are the ONLY organisations to protect the rights of ordinary working-class Australians. Morrison is a self-promoting, snake oil salesman who’s ONLY talent is being able to weedle his way into (what he thinks) is a great photo opportunity (at other people’s expense) – using OTHER people’s tragic misery for political expediency as a PROP to a level of phony, insincere platitudes (that probably had his overpaid “empathy consultants” working overtime at double pay)! Sadly (for the greasy Ad Man) his nauseating pretentious displays of bogus “concern” are about as authentic as a $9 note and as transparent as a plate of glass!