Mood:
caffeinatedTopic: election Oz 2007
Picture: Doug Cameron leader of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) features in most of the Sunday political talky shows today. Here he displays his broad civil society credentials at their Granville office as ally and sponser of Information & Cultural Exchange (I C E ) resource centre for diverse communities, on the field trip recently 13th Apil 07 for a 4 day international OurMedia conference. Cameron is a senate candidate still up for pre selection. The I C E is a real achievement that will do him alot of good in that contest.
We had a brief chance to ask him:
"Do you think you will get a ministry if and when the ALP win the federal election? "
Doug Cameron amused: “Oh I don’t think so, there are a lot of voices against that happening. Anyway that’s not why I am doing it. It’s to get a voice for these issues.” [from his speech these include oppressive globalisation, centralisation of media, excessive corporate bonuses, extreme industrial relations, denial of the real global warming threat, poor innovation here in Australia, quarry farm and tourist destination]
Author’s general introductory note (skip this if you know this regular weekly column):
This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies in Big Politics and Big Media. ]
Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208
“..newspapers are only a shadow of reality; their information is important to a freedom fighter not because it reveals the truth, but because it discloses the biases and perceptions of both those who produce the paper and those who read it.”
Just substitute ‘Sunday tv political talkie shows’ for "newspapers" in the quote above.
For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.
Pictures: Frontage of News Ltd's Sydney office shown here, with News Ltd owner Rupert Murdoch and his capacity for influence peddling featuring in most of the Talky shows today. From top left to right: This blogster's camera mightier than the News Ltd snapper as we traded clicks and I let him have a good measure of verbal sledges like 'wage slave'. Their mop in turn was mighiest of all against me and my chalked slogan. This stunt creating a stir was on August 31st 2006 on the morning after John Brogden tried to self harm many blamed on News Ltd harrassment. The chalked message "ALL YE LIARS ENTER HERE" is pictured below in the Insiders section of today's Talkies write up.
Saturday media backgrounder:
The ABC prime time tv news said it all last night, and its covered here in the Sunday press as well:
When Rudd met Murdoch subject menu was secretThe sight of Kevin Rudd emerging from the News Corporation building next to Rupert Murdoch triggered a stream of questions on the other side of the globe.
It was all in the tv images: Side by side strolling, Murdoch is asked – would he make a good prime minister. Murdoch stating with a big grin perhaps flattered yet again “Oh, I’m sure”. In other words, it’s over for John Howard bar the voting later this year.
But it's just moving the global warming political deckchairs really: Marian Wilkinson of Fairfax yesterday (offline) reported page 22 in “Clearing the air of spin”
“Murdoch is now tipped to make a major announcement on his empire’s serious approach to climate change next month, when he is expected to announce all of News Corp’s businesses will pursue efforts to cut their greenhouse gases. [Clive] Hamilton asks whether this will leave Murdoch’s flagship [and rival of the Herald] newspaper here, The Australian, out on a limb because of past coverage of climate skeptics.” Etc etc
Indeed Tim Blair, human rottweiler, has subtly changed his tune in the Daily Telegraph yesterday in " Earth: Love it to death" with a rev head true fiction style graphic (deceptively no label) with the Oxfam, Greenpeace, Earthhour etc logos which is a big moderation on his previously shrieking, while still dressed up in contempt and disdain. The shift for those looking carefully is not that its a stupid cause but a stupid way to help the cause. Just in case Old Rupert turns to a spot of weeding of the old payroll.
What TB (!), or should I call him “bairt” (top left corner page 17, echoing Bart from the Simpsons?), ignores is that every reform needs to front end a good communication strategy which a concert to reach our youth can help with.
But it's not just TB (!) who should “get real”. So should the whole Big Media sector, not least press gallery: Since when did Rudd as alternative PM have the right to secret meeting agendas about democracy with a foreign citizen media mogul. Just like he had a secret meeting with Dick Cheney VP of the USA. This is pure Big Govt/Big Media arrogance of a bipartisan flavour.
That’s a broken democracy ALP style, replacing broken democracy Coalition style, and no amount of food chain patronage will change the truth. It’s another big fix, moving the deck chairs.
Even Xstrata Coal know we are in big trouble with adverts p9 The Australian Careers Section for “Environment & Community Adviser/ Newlands Coal”. A chunky advert noting “ 30 coal mines located in Australia, South Africa and Columbia, employing 11,000 people …Queensland 8 mines New South Wales 14 mines South Africa 11 mines”
Notice too Wendy Frew Reserves to dry up as clean coal becomes viable - Environment ...
“Based on current industry growth and production rates of about 3.2 per cent a year, the state's 10,600 million tonnes of coal reserves would be exhausted by 2042, according to calculations done for the Hunter Community Environment Centre in Newcastle.
Those figures, calculated by analyst Greg Hall using official resources figures, do not take into account faster production that may result from the expansion of coal-loading facilities at Newcastle.
"This revelation is based on widely available industry data and we are stunned that the [State] Government has ignored it," said a spokeswoman for the environment centre, Georgina Woods.”
News Ltd are going to go carbon neutral which totally contradicts both the fossil fool industry spin in The Australia, and the more realistic implication of Warren’s cartoon of Howard nonchalance as Sydney heads toward ecological drought and destruction.
The Labor/labour movement are synthesizing the very scary new ecological realities: “Dennis Glover: The vulnerable fear neglect in post-carbon era ...
” Dennis Glover, Labor speechwriter, Latrobe University The Australian p14 20th April 2007
Meanwhile the body snatchers over at Radioactive Body Suits R Us report UK nuclear sites kept body parts | The World | The Australian That’s the nuke industry John Howard likes at Lucas Heights surrounded by a million Sydney siders held hostage to his hawkish Strangelove nuke weapon fantasies: Don't mention the bomb - Hugh White - Opinion - theage.com.au
So Howard’s team are desperate to shut down media profile of Rudd example on Sunrise Ch7. Notice this corker story hidden away p20 Confidential gossip column (always important to glance over):
“Revealed: the secret Liberal strategy to have Rudd fired”
“Senior members of the Liberal Party lobbied Seven network boss Kerry Stokes to remove Kevin Rudd from his slot on the Sunrise program well before the [so called] fake Anzac service fiasco, fearing the Opposition Leader had too much exposure.”
Says it all really, as does the huge poll lead to ‘Team Rudd’.
10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am
Paul Bongiorno directs traffic. Transmission break all purple and weird for 3 or so minutes. Jump to tv via video machine. Unless it was aeroplane interference with loud flyover? Foreshadows Doug Cameron debate with ALP leader.
Topic de jour is IR. Play the advert by union big corporate bonuses versus worker rewards. Who do you believe.
Michael Chaney Business Council of Australia (brother of Fred Chaney, blue blood Liberal Party pedigree).
Panel is Steve Murrow (?)someone from Fairfax, and Maria Hawthorne from AAP.
Boring. Pre 2nd ad break very funny rubbery figures of Paul Keating sledging world cup via The Australian rubbery figures (link somewhere??).
Doug Cameron 2nd guest. [and refer my final report OurMedia conference question to Big Doug at AMWU office at Granville in Sydney 10 days back].
Is it just choreography Rudd and Cameron? Very diplomatic re Rudd a good leader of ALP, can be PM. Saying the right things. All about democracy gist. Also fillip to Greg Combet.
PB asks re free trade agreements are disastrous, argues for fair not just free. Singapore, America, bad economic policy, not a vision for the future.
Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress
7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary
Comperes Lisa and Andrew in dark dark suits which looks quite nice. Sounding a little forced.
Riley Diary – 'Politics of dancing' sledge on Ch9 morning tv rivals who poached Rudd talent. Good dig at obesity problem for doing a chocolate pizza tv stunt there.
Not quite as funny as usual, reviving after fearsome mugging methinks. But serious discussion over Murdoch nod last night. Riley waters down Rupert’s significance but I don’t buy it. MR reckons NSW election shows the press don’t tip elections “only a few votes”, but that’s 70% press reach cranking the electronic media too. They at Sunrise methinks know that their network 7 has just been mugged by the other Big Media who hate them after the C7 pay tv litigation. And the hate is sincere.
Web page here but no transcript usually: http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
Sunday 9
Adam Shand does big feature on Islander big boys in Sydney culture.
Important interview with Laurie Oaks over uranium with Anthony Albanese, Shadow environment minister. Very dextrous advocate on the problematic area up to national conference. Refers to rejection of Bob Carr privatization of electricity assets [in 1997].
Well worth checking the transcript, strong
Face to face with Laurie and Ellen Fanning. Murdoch is significant re Rudd brown nosing. Oaks looking fitter with crease on his cheeks (only a bit, keep going Laurie, good stuff).
On ALP conference: Conference 5 months from election is risky. Got to look fair dinkum democratic stoush.
Horror of Virginnia Tech. Just awful. All those young hopeful lives destroyed. Heart breaking stuff. A nation that’s in shock and lost its way in the spiral of violence and fear that is gun culture, which transposes to the foreign policy culture now.
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp
Insiders 2
Run the Murdoch smooch as above. ALP polling strong.
Joe Hockey, tied in knots on Anzac forced labour, Murdoch scary endorsement of Rudd. Hockey paddling furiously away from his friendship … to keep his own Liberal job. Says Garrett a protester on steroids is not dignified, (the same kind of line Mal Farr uses on Kerry Nettle in a shameless agist beat up last Monday given she is foreign policy delegation of workload for Green Party.)
Hockey refuses again to put the boot into Rudd, basic decency shows through versus Downer thuggish character attacks about so called Rudd vanity. Hockey might just lose his career at this rate but save his self respect Valder style. And that’s okay. Go to the back bench Joe. It’s a healthier place.
IR focus of every person segment, youngish adults. Pretty sophisticated, but mismatch jazz soundtrack. More like techno. NSW/Qld rugby types.
Panel Mal Farr (News Ltd ‘good cop’), Misha nee Schubert (Age?), Piers Akerman (News Ltd ‘bad cop’).
Paul Kelly soliloquy – on IR spat with Cameron, diversion.
Banter about Murdoch influence and control of opinion in their press. Bit of disingenuous squirming. Akerman sledges protesters outside his News Ltd offices in Sydney, including this writer:
Pictures: Morning after self harm episode by politician John Brogden after false reporting by News Ltd, chalking by this writer back in 2006.
Picture: Day of the Lancet report of estimated deaths from the Iraq war racist military adventurism.
Talking pics: Great Moir cartoon, but even greater Andrew Taylor picture of scary hands of Rudd.
Replayed at 11.10 am on radio PNN 630 AM band.
Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/
Postscript #1 Monday 23rd April 2007
Three articles are notable relating to the above traverse of the Sunday Talkies one bearing on the political gravity of climate change, the other two re the tectoic shift in political allegiances of the business sector, who surely have children too.
1. That sinking feeling - Environment - smh.com.au SunHerald (NSW, Fairfax 22nd April 2007) with this cutting quote by earnest, angsty Australian of the Year Tim Flannery, who I must say is going way up in this writer's estimations:
"The scientific evidence is undeniable. And sea-level rises inevitable. So why is no one interested in the plight of our nearest neighbours, asks Erin O'Dwyer.
Environmentalist Tim Flannery munches on a club sandwich in a suburban Sydney shopping mall and casually begins predicting Armageddon.
"Sometime in the next 30 years, we face significant destabilisation," he says.
"Rapidly rising sea levels, maybe up to six metres. And hundreds of millions of refugees, because there are whole cities going under."
Hang on a minute. Millions of refugees? Fleeing devastated homelands? I have asked Flannery to predict the world our grandchildren will inherit. I was expecting flood and famine, not social ruin.
"We've seen what happened after September 11," Flannery continues. "People bunker down and see enemies everywhere.
"It's a world full of nuclear weapons, so who is going to be the first to push the button? That tribalism, that breakdown of international law and order, is to me the greatest threat."
It's an awful, worst-case-scenario. But Flannery is not alone in his dire predictions. ..........
"So by developing protocols to pay people in third-world countries to grow forests and sequester carbon, we can solve the problem. And you'll get peace and prosperity in these villages as well."
Not content to sit back and synthesise the science, Flannery is an ideas man who wants to put forward ways of holding back Armageddon. Yet he laments the brick wall in Canberra that greets his work.
"Why can't we make those commonsense investments that give us a better future rather than this bullshit that we have at the moment?" Flannery says." [bold added]
Picture: Ngo colleague from Voice in Bangladesh, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of Voices for Interactive Choice & Empowerment, at recent Our Media conference. We briefed him on opportunities for solidarity work over global warming threatening literally tens of millions of people there.
2. Captains of industry warm to Labor's pitch for a change of government... from the Weekend Australian by seriously good business journo Glenda Korpraal, regarding 900 seats filled in a dinner this Thursday to hear Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd prefacing their annual conference. The implication is clear as to the future leadership of this country:
"I've never seen anything like it," ALP national secretary Tim Gartrell told The Australian last night.
"It's the best response we have had to a Labor leader from the business community in more than a decade.
"We've been swamped with registrations for the Business Observers Program, and the dinner is nearly sold out with a week to go."
3. Gas lobby misfires with minister | Business | The Australian by another seriously experienced probing journo Nigel Wilson on resources for at least 15 years now in the same business pages. It's a story about big profitable companies rent seeking big tax breaks for investment in greenhouse friendly natural gas and 'their' minister Ian Macfarlane going very cold after that, under pressure from Peter Costello. It looks to be ending in tears. Nigel Wilson writes of a draft joint industry govt strategy paper (with all the juicy tax breaks) prep for their annual conference as follows
"[Macfarlane's advisers] felt the publication in The Australian of the launch proposition [of the contentious still draft strategy] was an attempt by APPEA [gas lobby] to ambush the minister.
Macfarlane was scheduled to give a keynote address at the opening plenary session of the conference on Monday.
He demanded - and received - a meeting with APPEA's councillors (some of them the chief executives of oil and gas companies) before he gave his public address.
By all accounts his words were trenchant, accusing APPEA of disloyalty and of failing to recognise the success of his previous advocacy.
Interestingly, he also accused APPEA of failing to get sufficiently behind the federal Government's opposition to the West Australian Government's controversial gas reservations policy.
The councillors were stunned, with a number saying Macfarlane was clearly nervous and apparently rattled by the prospect of a Labor victory at the federal election. " [bold added]
It goes on like that about "miffed" industry figures, "worse than hissy fit" by the Minister,"much bridge building ahead" "paper over the cracks" "naive" "tax breaks" and "improving Australia's greenhouse record". Good story Nigel Wilson in The Australian.
