Tag Archives: Kevin Rudd

Spinach or shit?

April 20, 2013
Written by: Dr Victoria Fielding
42 Replies

A friend recently sent me a classic Tweet:

‘Voting for Tony Abbott because you don’t like Julia Gillard is like eating shit because you hate spinach’.

Fine, some people don’t like Gillard (spinach). They don’t like her voice. They don’t like her hair. They don’t like her glasses. They don’t like her boyfriend. They don’t like her marriage status. They don’t like her lack of religion. They don’t like her gender. They don’t like her. Fine. Some people are unhappy with some of Labor’s policies. I get it. It’s absolutely understandable that you don’t like everything the Labor party does. Neither do I. I like most of it. And I like some of it very much. But not all of it. Big deal. The odd thing is, every time these shit-eaters are asked why they are eating shit, they just go on and on about hating spinach. It’s quite irrational.

Let me say first up, I quite like spinach, especially with feta, so this is an easy choice for me. But there do seem to be quite a few people in Australia who are absolutely hell bent on rejecting the healthy spinach option, and haven’t even considered the side effects of eating shit instead. Let’s have a closer look at the alternatives in a few important areas of political policy.

Climate policy

There has been a lot of fascination over the last few years in Gillard’s determination to bring in an ETS, and her supposed lie of bringing in a Carbon Price instead. Never mind that Gillard quite clearly is doing what she promised, and bringing in an ETS, with the Carbon Price used in the interim to compromise with the Greens to form a minority government. Either way, if you’re a shit-eater who hates the Carbon Price, have you ever had a look at the shit alternative?

Ever heard of Abbott’s Direct Action Policy? In this fantastic post on the Political Sword, Ad astra asks some very good questions about this shit policy. It’s probably not your fault that you know little about Direct Action, considering how pathetic the mainstream media’s scrutiny of this policy has been. But if you can’t be bothered seeking it out, and haven’t even thought about the alternative once the Carbon Price is ‘axed’, it’s important that you know you are not being offered zero action against climate change. What you are being offered by Abbott is a shit, no details policy that will cost tax-payers $1,300 per household, per year. Considering the bleating about larger electricity bills, you’d think $1,300 per household would raise some eyebrows. And even worse, no one has been able to confirm that this policy will even reduce emissions, when the Carbon Price is already effectively doing this. So Direct Action is expensive and possibly won’t work. It’s funding coal instead of research and development into sustainable energies. It’s bullshit. And Abbott hasn’t even explained how he will fund it. If you’re going to hate the Carbon Price, the least you can do is justify this hatred with a love for Direct Action instead. And if you can’t muster love, at least be informed. Rather than ranting about ‘Gillard lying’ as if this is some sort of critique of the Carbon Price, when deep down it’s clear you don’t believe in climate change and therefore can’t understand why action needs to be taken, at least give it five seconds thought. Have a think about how it will taste to eat shit.

The NBN

Surely you can see how desperately embarrassed Malcolm Turnbull is of his party’s shit alternative to the Labor government’s National Broadband Network. If Turnbull can’t get excited about a crap alternative to a superior network, why on earth should you be excited about it? Labor’s NBN is going to cost $37.4 billion and will offer super-fast broadband to homes and businesses Australia wide. Turnbull and Abbott’s shit NBN will cost $29.5 billion, and will only supply not as fast broadband, to businesses in metro areas, and households who can afford up to $5,000 to connect. Murdoch is happy with this policy. It keeps his Foxtel TV subscriptions monopolizing the market for many years to come. It’s no wonder the Liberal’s launched their policy at Fox Studios, just to show Rupey how much they care. So you shit-eaters, when Telstra’s copper gives out and you’re left without any broadband, let alone the not so fast version that you paid through the nose to connect to, and when giant fridge units turn up on your pavement, will you at least do us spinach eaters the courtesy of admitting you’ve been eating shit?

Gonski Education Funding Reform

So you’re not happy about the Gonski school funding model? You don’t want extra money from the Federal Government for schools to provide a more equitable standard of education for all Australians, regardless of family wealth? Fine. So what do you think of the alternative? Christopher Pyne, the so called Shadow Education Minister, who wouldn’t recognise a good education if it was gifted to him, claims that:

“too much money has been wasted on reducing class sizes and that instead there should be more focus on the quality of teaching.”

Pyne also thinks the 5 – 15% of teachers, who he describes as ‘not up to scratch’ should be sacked. Apparently he thinks sacking teachers helps education quality. I guess the spinach eaters in this case would have to be those who value the benefits of a good education for all, whereas the shit-eaters just want to see the government cut, slash and burn spending with the selfish hope they’ll be left with a few extra dollars in their pocket each week through a tax break, and if that means larger classes, less teachers and lower quality education system, so be it. Sorry to tell you, those eating shit, that a short term tax decrease at the expense of quality education will just end up costing us all. Please think about this before picking up your spoon.

King of the Scandal

If you relied on the mainstream media for all your news, you might think the Labor party is the party of scandal and smear. You might think the most newsworthy political event in the last twelve months was a nasty misogynist blogger urging an incompetent, biased, idea-free press into beating up a story about the Prime Minister, surrounding unproven wrongdoing by her boyfriend 20 years ago. You might therefore have missed that Abbott was sued this week over his own little slush-fund affair, which he used to destroy the career of his right-wing rival, Pauline Hanson. It’s amazing how the mainstream media and their shit-eating cheer-squad change their tune about truth, public-interest and political scandal when it comes to Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party.

You might also think ex-Liberal Peter Slipper was the most corrupt in James Ashby’s sexual harassment case. Again, the mainstream media would have you believe this to be the case. The mainstream media don’t want you to know that the real rat is Ashby. And Abbott’s pre-selected friend Mal Brough. So while you’re complaining about the problems with spinach, think how silly you’ll look, when you realise just how badly you’ve been duped. Duped by the mainstream media. Duped by the rich vested interests of Gina Rinehart and Rupert Murdoch who have every reason to promote the eating of shit over spinach for their own self-interest.

So you hate Julia Gillard? Can you at least understand why I’m not just asking you to stop eating shit? I’m also asking you to stop forcing others into a shit-eating situation which is not of their own making. Don’t elect Abbott as Prime Minister. I don’t care if you don’t like spinach. Disliking spinach does not justify a vote for Abbott. Grow up and think of the alternative.

UPDATE: Original spinach or shit Tweet was by Geezlouise (@Turlow1)

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Letting the Labor Party narrative win

March 23, 2013
Written by: Dr Victoria Fielding
81 Replies

It’s not often that I see my mum, Kay Rollison, as angry as she was on Thursday. I too was furious at the behavior of the Labor Party. I could probably write a book about all the reasons, but I thought it might be useful (and perhaps cathartic), to home in on the strongest reason for my fury. Those who have followed my blog for a while will know how I came to this position. I am just out of my mind incensed that some people in the Labor Party think it’s a good idea to let the mainstream media’s ‘narrative’ of Labor chaos, disunity and debacle win. Because it’s a f*cking joke that this narrative even exists, let alone that’s it’s allowed to be treated like a real ‘thing’, a ‘thing’ big enough to throw away any chance of a Labor government win.

I often get accused of being, or sometimes just mistaken for, a Labor party hack. It’s hard to be a Labor supporter these days without being accused of something. A faceless person. A rusted onto something. Every word I write, to some people, seems to exist with the sole purpose of campaigning for the Labor party. I find this annoying and unfair. Yes, I’m a member of the Labor party. Yes, I’m a Labor voter. But that doesn’t mean I condone EVERYTHING the Labor party does. And it doesn’t mean that I blog as a missionary to convert non-Labor voters to my thinking. I write what I think and those who read my posts can take what they like from what I say. My core belief is that you vote based on the political policies you most agree with. Policies. Should I say it again? Policies. Even if I’m totally opposed to some things the Labor party does, such as dog whistling of any kind in relation to policy around asylum seekers and gay marriage, it doesn’t mean that I’ll cut off my nose to spite my face, and vote for a party that doesn’t align in the slightest with my policy preferences. Write me off as you will. But be aware that I don’t get paid by anyone or anything to do with the Labor party or the Labour movement.

It is in my rational best interests to support the party that is offering the policies that most closely align with my values as a member of the Australian community. I am nothing more than an informed voter with an opinion. I am as independent as it is possible to be. So what does this rant within a rant have to do with the topic of this post? The reason I am so angry is that I think the Labor party’s policies are bloody good. Not all of them. Not all of them all the time. But overall, especially compared to the Abbott alternative, they are the only option I can even begin to encourage. And I think that the Labor government’s weakness in letting the mainstream media decide how they conduct themselves is a disgrace. Because it threatens my hopes for the policies I want being successfully implemented or continued post September 14.

On my way home from work yesterday, I had the misfortune of listening to a few minutes of Waleed Aly on ABC’s Radio National. I often listen to Aly and I remind myself every time I switch him off in anger why I have this reaction. It’s because Aly is typical of the mainstream media when it comes to journalists, commentators, reporters and media personalities who think they’ve earned the right to speak about politics, when clearly they have not. It’s the smart-arse effect. It’s the ‘I’m so cynical, that I’m cynical that I even got out of bed this morning, and the worst insult anyone could ever give me is that I give a shit about something’ attitude. To the mainstream media, the ‘leadership speculation’ and the aborted ‘leadership spill’ is all a big game. A big laugh. A diversion. A talking point. A ditty. Something to make themselves feel so smart and humorous. Ha ha ha. If I were to name all the people in the mainstream media who have this attitude about the reporting of political current affairs, it would take less time to mention those who don’t behave in this way, rather than naming those who do. You see, the thing that shits me above all else about the mainstream media, is that they don’t give a fck. They don’t care about policy like the average voter does. They can’t even be bothered mentioning it, let alone investigating it. People like Leigh Sales think it is ok to say policies like the Mining Tax and the Carbon Price are policy failures, presumably because they were struggles, when actually, quite obviously, they are policy successes. Since when was a good policy ever not a struggle? Since when did a policy have to be popular for it to be worthwhile for the country? What the fck are you talking about, Sales?

It’s this ignorance about policy, and the obsession with opinion polls and popularity that is at the heart of the failure of good political reportage in this country. It’s the reason why political journalists love leadership speculation and opinion polls. Because this is easy. Because it doesn’t challenge them to think about anything. And that’s the other thing. They only love leadership speculation if it’s happening in the Labor party, as this suits their Labor bashing narrative. The Liberals get away scot free with leadership spills. Basically unreported in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Even when we all know that Tony Abbott only won the leadership of his party by one vote (again I’ll point out it was Peter Slipper’s), yet the only leadership tensions the mainstream media choose to fuel and obsess over are Gillard versus Rudd. Even though Rudd doesn’t have the numbers. Even though Joe Hockey probably does, since Slipper exited the scene. Even though there are policy successes that go unreported on a daily basis (anyone hear ANYTHING about the NDIS passing the lower house this week?) The mainstream media is full of wankers who are trying to make a name for themselves by showing how little they care for or respect political policy. And SOME Labor people (such as Rudd, Crean, Fitzgibbons, Ferguson, Bowen and other nobodies like Graham Richardson who I wish was more faceless), play straight into these little f*ckers’ hands.

Imagine if for two years, the media continually reported that Joe Hockey wanted to take the leadership of the Liberal Party from Tony Abbott. And/or Malcolm Turnbull was reported to be counting numbers. What if there was a constant barrage of three-way leadership tension between Abbott, Turnbull and Hockey? What if this ‘reporting’ reached a crescendo just before the election when Abbott actually looked to be making some headway? What if this was the chosen narrative of the mainstream media? Would the Liberal Party be stupid enough to have a public leadership spill so close to the finish line? Would they guillotine their policies (or lack thereof) so blatantly as the Labor Party has this week? I think not. I think Abbott’s Liberals have their eye on the prize and unfortunately, will not let anything the mainstream media does damage their chances. This is obviously purely hypothetical as the mainstream media gives the LNP a free run. Actually, it’s better than a free run. Let’s call a spade a spade – it’s a fully supported campaign. But I still think the morons in the Labor party who think there was something to be gained by giving the mainstream media a circus tent and filling it with clowns will live in our history forever as the morons who ruined Gillard’s chance of victory. I hope I’m wrong. But in my furious state, I can’t see the Labor party coming back from this, no matter how much dead wood and how many white-anting disloyal Rudd supporting MPs are sent to the back benches, which is not as far back as they deserve.

So yes, I’m furious. I’m furious that the bullshit mainstream media have been given exactly what they wanted, when all they really deserve is the falling readership and viewer numbers that they’re currently experiencing. I’m furious that the Rudd camp were leaking to the media about a challenge they didn’t even have the numbers for. I’m furious that the mainstream media were reporting on a spill, constantly for two years, that Rudd didn’t have the numbers for. I’m furious with the Labor party for giving these mainstream media wankers exactly what they wanted, when they could have just taken my advice and moved forward with dignity rather than chaos and debacle. I’m furious that the only party that’s capable of providing me with the policies that I want, is too self-obsesses and egotistical to get it together and do what should be an easy thing – to beat Abbott. I’m furious the Labor government thinks it’s a good idea to let the mainstream media narrative win, no matter how petty and inaccurate this narrative is. Because this week, that is exactly what the Labor party did.

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What I’m told by the Canberra Press Gallery

March 22, 2013
Written by: Rossleigh
9 Replies

Recently the Canberra press gallery has attracted some criticism for reporting stories which consist of nothing but quotes from unnamed sources. But surely the events of yesterday vindicate them completely.

Without these sources, nobody would have been aware of the likelihood of the Leadership spill. Then the public would have been shocked to discover that Gillard declared all positions open. In fact, the public may not have even known that an election for the Labor leadership had been held. Or rather, not held, because of the fact that nobody else stood.

Now that the principle of quoting from unnamed sources has been established as a legitimate way of reporting what’s happening, I feel quite comfortable in reporting the following:

A media executive told me that there would be a merger between Fairfax and News Limited called “FairFox”, which will run a campaign supporting Tony’s right to “No”.
A senior public servant confirmed that they were ordered to make summer hotter this year to justify the Carbon Tax.
A Liberal source confirmed that at least two of their current front bench have died, but the media haven’t noticed yet, so they figured it was best not to point it out.
An unnamed environment group told me that they have evidence that there is a Liberal plan to turn brown coal into food.
A scientist told me that there are things on Television that are controlling our brains and compelling us to change our behaviour. He referred to them as “ads”.
A reporter told me that they have been forbidden from asking Abbott specific questions on “Downton Abbey” because it might demonstrate that his claim that he enjoys watching it is a lie.
A Rudd supporter assured me that there would be a challenge today once all the Gillard supporters have gone home.

I can’t verify all of these. Neither can I tell you who said them. But I figured it was my obligation to let you know, because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t!

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Breaking news – someone said something to someone

March 19, 2013
Written by: Rossleigh
45 Replies

In breaking news, it’s been revealed that privately Julia Gillard is backing Kevin Rudd. An unnamed source today claimed that a New Limited reporter had told him that in private conversations, Gillard had said she’d be voting for Rudd in any leadership challenge.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister refused to comment on speculation about private conversations which has lead many in the press to speculate about whether there is soon to be a challenge. This was confirmed today by an unnamed Fairfax journalist who said that he’d been speaking to other journalists, who were all concerned about the Government’s attempts to shut down free speech.

“This is a blatant attempt to stifle democracy. It’s far worse than when John Howard stacked the board of the ABC, or when Kennett said if it were up to him he’d sell it off” the journalist said. “I’m speaking on the condition of anonymity. I just think the way the Gillard Government stuffed up the passing of National Disability Scheme legislation last week, by allowing leadership speculation to dominate, well, they’re just not fit to run a media unit.”

Chris Uhlmann agreed that we could use his unnamed sources on the the condition that we spelled his name correctly and that we didn’t quote anything they’d actually said. Michelle Grattan said that it’s been clear for some time that no-one likes Julia. Other sources confirmed that the PM privately supported Bob Carr’s private thoughts, one even going as far as suggesting that, in private, Carr was actually thinking things that he hadn’t actually said. Another source, was sure that Carr was saying things that he hadn’t actually thought, while a third source denied that there was any thinking going on at all.

A key figure inside the Labor party assured everyone that Julia Gillard was supporting Rudd in private, but that publicly she felt she had to maintain loyalty to herself, but if there was a spill Rudd would receive everyone’s vote twice.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Tony Abbott said there was no truth in the rumour that he and Malcolm Turnbull spent Valentine’s Day together, and had been seen holding hands in the corridors of Parliament House. “While it’s true that everyone in the Liberal Party loves each other, Malcolm and I are just good friends.”

A leadership spill is speculated to occur tomorrow, and on Thursday … Friday at the latest. If not Friday, certainly sometime before or after the next election.

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“See this front page story on Labor’s leadership tensions?”

March 17, 2013
Written by: Rossleigh
70 Replies

“See this front page story on Labor’s leadership tensions?”

“Yep!”

“Well, I heard from a guy down at the pub that his brother-in-law knows somebody in Canberra who empties bins and he heard from another bin emptier that the guy who empties Kevin Rudd’s bin had a look at what was on one of the scrunched up bits of paper, and do you know what he saw?”

“No idea, mate!”

“There were numbers. So I can confirm this article about Kevin Rudd looking at the numbers is 100% correct.”

“Gees, you reckon that guy’s the ‘unnamed source’ quoted in the article?”

“Nah, he had a name. I think it was Barry, but I probably shouldn’t say that.”

“So there really is going to be a challenge to Gillard’s leadership this time.”

“What you mean, this time.”

“Well, they’ve been saying that Gillard won’t last the month since 2010.”

“Have they?”

“Yeah.”

“First time I heard anything was from the guy at the pub.”

“Rudd’s probably going to challenge her over this media thingy.”

“What media thingy?”

“Well, apparently the Government’s trying to shut down free speech by subjecting the media to some sort of regulation.”

“Probably to stop them publishing stories like the one about Rudd doing the numbers.”

“And also to hide the fact that Conroy’s related to Joseph Stalin.”

“Whose that?”

“He was a Russian dictator that killed his political opponents!”

“No, who’s Conroy?”

“He’ s the guy trying to stop free speech:”

“And how is he related to Stalin?”

“Don’t know exactly, but I heard someone in the ALP saying that relating Conroy and Stalin was just ridiculous. You know when they deny something that it has to be true.”

“Yeah, like when they say that the leader is safe. You know that they’ll be gone within the week. So how are they actually going to stop the press from publishing articles they don’t like?”

“They’re going to introduce some sort of standards thing that the press have to sign up to.”

“And if they don’t they’ll be taken out and shot?”

“Nah, they’ll lose some of their protections.”

“And then they’ll be shot.”

“Nah, they’re not going to shot at all.”

“Oh, so how is Conroy like Stalin?”

“Well, the stifling free speech thing. Like with Andrew Bolt.”

“Yeah, I remember that front page article by him where he said he wasn’t allowed to say anything ever again. And all because he’d suggested that some aborigines were pretending to be white.”

“No, what he said was that these Aborigines were pretending to be black, and they shouldn’t because they weren’t dark enough, and that they were doing this to get some of the enormous benefits that go with being an aborigine, such as getting an acknowledgement that they used to own the land before a lot of events. Anyway, the court decided that they were actually aborigines, and that Bolt wasn’t allowed to say they weren’t because that was incorrect.”

“That’s ridiculous. You mean, people can’t write things that aren’t true?”

“That’s right. My grandfather was a digger and he fought so that we’d have the right to say whatever we liked about any group of people whether it was true or not. That’s what freedom of speech means.”

“You’re grandfather must be turning in his grave.”

“Yeah … Well, he’s not actually dead, but he would be. He’s very upset about this Government and how they’re taking away his rights.I mean, he doesn’t mind that Gillard’s a woman, he just objects to her being prime minister. He says that if God had meant women to be in charge, he would have made them men.”

“Exactly, I mean, I’m not sexist, but I was expressing the same view the other day, and my daughter told me that I was wrong. I said that it’s a free country and I can say whatever I like. Then she told me I was stupid bastard. So I said if she was going to talk that way, she could get out of the house. I won’t have my free speech stifled like that!”

“Yeah, if I was in power, I’d make sure that those teachers and uni didn’t indoctrinate our kids.”

“How would you do that?”

“I’d make it illegal for them to comment on anything political!”

“I’d vote for you. Well, do you want another drink, or do you have to get going?”

“I have to get going. My radio program starts in a few minutes, and the producer gets upset if I can’t read the screen.”

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An Open Letter to Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd

March 16, 2013
Written by: Dr Victoria Fielding
111 Replies

Dear Julia and Kevin,

Sorry to address you both informally by your first names, but I’m assuming I’d start off on the wrong foot if I wrote this letter to the Prime Minister and Kevin. And the relationship between you is what I’m writing about. It’s time to get over the sensitivities and to unite for a good cause. Julia and Kevin, I’m calling on you to build a bridge and get over it.

So let’s recap how we got to this awkward place. Kevin, I want you to know that I used to be one of your biggest fans. I wore the Kevin07 T-Shirt proudly as you defeated John Howard in the 2007 election. Yes, it was a brilliant win and a time of great anticipation and optimism. I’ve always thought your policy ideas were fantastic, and you do seem to be a smart and personable man. Being the Prime Minister of Australia, especially throughout 2007 – 2010, was not an easy job. You worked your guts out. Your response to the GFC was top notch. You never got enough credit for that. Your ETS policy and Mining Tax policy were also fantastic ideas. I’m sure, you, like I, will always wonder what might have been if the Greens hadn’t looked a gift horse in the mouth and rejected the ETS policy. I’m sure your mate Malcolm Turnbull wonders the same thing. But it wasn’t just your failures to pass policy that were the problem. It was also you Kevin. Your leadership style left a lot to be desired. You see Kevin, being a leader isn’t just about proposing things and taking the praise. Being a leader is about working with other people to get things done. And that’s where you fell down. Your team didn’t support you anymore because you were a crap boss. And you can’t run the country if you’re a crap boss. It broke our hearts to see you cry when you were forced to step down from the leadership of the Labor Party. And it’s not surprising you were so upset. No one likes being fired. But your behavior since then has also left a lot to be desired. Particularly your behavior towards Julia, who, it would seem, you are blaming for your downfall. Is that really fair Kevin? Is it Julia’s fault you lost the support of your team? I don’t think so.

But maybe you should look on the bright side. You should feel pleased that your horrible experience of losing the support of your party has now paved the way for other people to go through a similarly awful experience, without the subsequent abuse and ridicule that was reserved for you and Julia, the Labor Party and anyone who supports the Labor Party. You see, you’re a trailblazer now Kevin. You’ve made the leadership spills experienced by Ted Baillieu and Terry Mills into regular run-of-the-mill, not even front-page-worthy news. I know it’s taken the mainstream media a long time to get used to the idea that a party decides who their leader is, and some of them are still obsessing about you and Julia a bit too much (don’t worry, I’ve written to Michelle Grattan about that), but I don’t think you’re helping this situation Kevin. I don’t think your supporters are either. The mainstream media will keep reporting ‘Labor leadership tensions’ while there is even a tiny whiff of this in the air, however insignificant, because this suits their narrative of Labor ‘chaos’ and ‘desperation’. The only way to wipe this narrative out is to kill their story. If they can’t write about Labor leadership tensions, there is a minuscule chance that they might find some space in their tiny minds to scrutinise Abbott. And even if this is far too optimistic an idea, maybe they’ll look at Labor government policy instead of just crucifying personalities. Isn’t this at least worth a try?

The thing is, Kevin, I know deep down you want to do what’s best for Australia. I know you have a very keen interest in promoting progressive reform, and that this interest is far more important than your hurt ego. In your heart of hearts, you know in order to do what’s best for a progressive Australia you need unequivocally to support the Labor Party at the upcoming Federal Election. You must promise to stop leaking, and tell your supporters in the Labor caucus to follow your example. You have to understand Kevin, the only way you are going to positively influence the country’s future is by sucking up your disappointment about not being Prime Minister anymore, and supporting Julia in her campaign to beat Tony Abbott.

Julia, it’s not just Kevin who needs to suck it up. I can see you’ve been doing your best to run this country with a lot of obstacles, Kevin being one of them. I have been very proud of your policy successes and your personal resilience in the face of challenging conditions. But it’s time you realised that your message just isn’t getting through. Sometimes it seems that the electorate and the mainstream media are by default either supporting Kevin’s reinstatement as Prime Minister, or campaigning for Abbott’s election as Prime Minister. This has to change. You have a fantastic story to tell. You just need to stop being so afraid of telling it. I know this is not going to be easy for you to hear, but you could actually learn something from Kevin about how to go about political campaigning. The Labor Party needs an inspirational message. When you speak passionately, you are inspirational. When you told Tony Abbott that you would not be lectured by him about sexism and misogyny, I was moved to tears. I, like so many Labor supporters, would love to see this passion more often. We want to help you defeat Tony Abbott, but first you need to help yourself.

You need to find a way to make up with Kevin. For your own sake as well as his. We know how great you are when you come across relaxed and in control. With Kevin constantly undermining you, it’s no wonder you sometimes appear slightly on edge. It’s time to try something different. Pretending that Kevin isn’t white-anting you isn’t helping. The leadership vote of 2012 was a good idea, but unfortunately it had the unintended effect of fuelling the media’s campaign to force another vote, rather than putting it to bed. So as unpalatable as this might seem, it’s time to be the bigger person and help Kevin. Not for Kevin’s sake, but for the sake of the country. If Kevin wants a ministerial position, give it to him. And then hold a joint press conference and smile, laugh and say every corny thing the mainstream media will love to put on their front page. For crying out loud, give each other a hug! You know they’ll love that!

You both need to agree to get the band back together and then tell the public that you are working as a team to win the election. Admittedly, it is a very sad state of affairs that this country seems to care more about who is in the top job than what the person in the top job is achieving. I’m sick of Labor supporters fighting amongst ourselves about whether we like Julia or Kevin better. It’s like children fighting over a red smarty or a yellow smarty. It’s ridiculous! I know that you know that the Labor Party is more important than the leader. I know that Julia replacing Kevin as Prime Minister is not as big a deal as the mainstream media would like to make it. I know that ultimately the government’s policy successes are the work of the whole Labor Party, as well as often the Greens and the Independents. But after two years and a continuous ground hog day of reporting on this issue, I implore you both to give my advice some consideration. If you don’t, I fear the successes of the Labor government will never be the focus of the electorate’s attention. I fear that the progressive reforms implemented over the last five years will be repealed and destroyed. And I fear that neither of you will ever get the chance to make a difference to this country ever again, and will instead be faced with the worst prospect of all: Tony Abbott as Prime Minister. Please do not abandon us to this fate. We’re counting on both of you.

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Making up the news

February 17, 2013
Written by: Michael Taylor
44 Replies

We all know just how manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced the media is in this country. And it seems at time as though they are simply making up the news.

The Daily Telegraph’s Gemma Jones has been very successful in coming up with some blistering political scoops over the last couple of days that fit that description. She may have a history of such successes, but of this I don’t know as I’ve only noticed her contribution to our political discourse over the past say or so. Given that she is employed by the Murdoch media empire would suggest that she’s a master of political journalism. From what I’ve seen in my rare adventures into reading anything produced by the Murdoch zoo it portrays itself as nothing but a provider of gossip.

The three pieces that Gemma Jones has written, or co-written, over the space of a mere 24 hours confirm my opinions of the rubbish that the Murdoch media specialise in. Stories are fabricated or blown up out of proportion to make them appear as though they are the scoop of the year. These stories may very well be based on facts, and most readers might actually assume that to be the case given the sensationalist and convincing nature of the content.

I would argue that the content, in most cases, is fabricated as are the sources and statements that the articles are built around.

Take this big scoop about the old media favourite: a Rudd challenge to Julia Gillard in the article ‘Ides of March: PM, Rudd set for battle’. The story leads off with:

A final showdown between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd could come within weeks, as tensions in the Labor caucus rose yesterday over the leaking of a letter critical of the former PM.

She gives the story some ‘weight’ by introducing a host of people that could have easily been fabricated, as so might be their alleged statements. Yet they litter almost every paragraph. The paragraphs are below, where I have highlighted the ‘fictitious’ people.

Supporters of Mr Rudd yesterday accused the Gillard supporters of circulating a damaging letter from a member of the public to the media and among the caucus . . .

Claiming it was in retaliation for Mr Rudd’s public attacks over the failed mining tax, several Rudd backers claimed there was now a push within his ranks to “finish the thing before the end of March”.

Mr Rudd has been privately counselled by some of his key backers to pull back from his public campaign for fear it could spark another showdown before they are ready.

And a source close to the PM said Ms Gillard would not rise to the bait and had no intention of goading the former PM while she still had the numbers behind her.

But many in Parliament believe another challenge to Ms Gillard’s leadership is being hatched.

MPs have been seen openly coming and going from Mr Rudd’s office this week.

One Rudd supporter yesterday admitted that the issue was coming to a head but wanted to give the appearance that “nothing was going on”. “There is nothing happening, no counting, nothing going on,” they said. (“They said”? I thought there was only one supporter).

“But it would be fair to say though that a lot of MPs are becoming increasingly despondent about their prospects after the disasters of the past few weeks.”

Another MP, who supports Mr Rudd, said: “Every day is a blow, every day there is something that dents the confidence of members in the leadership . . . “.

An MP who backed Mr Rudd in the leadership ballot last year said caucus members were “shaking their heads” over the $126 million return on the mining tax and reports yesterday that a $4 billion hole could be left in the Budget when the carbon tax moves to an ETS if the price plunges, as predicted.

Just about every paragraph in the first half of the story is built around what an un-named person insists upon. They could be anybody. Perhaps even Piers Akerman’s distinguished eye surgeon. Names are introduced at the end of the article, by which time readers would be the ones “shaking their heads”.

But what I find most interesting is that this article suspiciously appears to be based around something the Opposition’s Julie Bishop had said the day before:

”Beware the Ides of March.” The next meeting of the Labor caucus falls on the week of March 15, she said. Who would be the Prime Minister’s Brutus? Exeunt and end scene.

How convienient. Someone has given Ms Jones a little spur from which to build a story. And in keeping with the Murdoch agenda it was used as an attack against the Government. Kevin Rudd might very well be planning a challenge. I don’t know. But I do know that Ms Jones’ article fails to convince me that it’s a true story. And I find it odd that when Kevin Rudd does come out and publicly state that he’s not interested in a challenge that it appears in news.com without an author referenced. What’s the matter? Can’t Murdoch find any journalists prepared to but their name to a story that might have some truth about it?

Twelve hours later an article from Ms Jones again makes the front page; an article about taxpayers paying for NBN coffee. Jones didn’t make up many names, just the story. On the front page of news.com we read that:

Aussies are frothing at the mouth over news NBN is spending over $164,000 on fancy beans and coffee machines.

You can read her article here, titled Libs foaming over NBN coffee perk. Have a read of the article and tell if you see where it says that Aussies are frothing at the mouth or whether the Libs are foaming over the coffee machines.

Actually, don’t bother, as they aren’t there. It’s just another one of those pathetic headlining bullshit stories that have become the trademark of the Murdoch media. Expect it to get worse as the election nears.

Jones was at it again within 24 hours with this stunner: By-election threat to test PM’s leadership. I ventured in to read the story. As with her recent article about a Rudd challenge it is filled with speculation and un-named sources, which I have highlighted:

The former federal attorney-general is likely to win a job with the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to argue the resignation would be too close to the September 14 election date for a by-election to be necessary, further fuelling speculation the poll decision was simply a strategy to defend that position.

While the minority government would still have the numbers in parliament to retain power, losing another MP – even without a by-election – would cause a “psychological injury” – as one Labor MP described it.

State government sources have confirmed a decision on Mr McClelland’s job application is as little as one month to two months away. He is understood to be prepared to jump out of parliament immediately to take on the role.

A spokesman for Ms Gillard denied yesterday she had any knowledge of Mr McClelland’s decision when she announced the election date – a day after Mr McClelland announced he was retiring from politics at the next election.

The only piece of remote credibility in those paragraphs is the “spokesman for Ms Gillard”. Ms Jones, should that source not put an end to the speculation you have led us to believe are facts?

Like I noted above, expect it to get worse as the election nears. Much, much worse.

Journalists in our fair country claim we need a better government. I would argue that we need a better media. But I don’t expect that Ms Jones and her employer will bother to lead the way.

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