Mood:
caffeinatedTopic: election Oz 2007
Picture: Interview: Kevin Rudd Watch video at Sunday 9 show.
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.
Media backgrounder:
Gittins in business smh takes spin out of productivity debate. Productivity should be a spin-free zone - Business - Business ...
Marcus Padly instructive – China's boom too good to last - Business - Business - smh.com.au
Refer our traverse on SAM re Brendan Keilar high public awareness of rights of children and criminal violence. With one omission: the killer Hudson was quietly noted in the coverage out of Melbourne as being “a blue collar worker from a building family”.
The law and order theme rolls out direct, and indirect, in the Sunday papers at the expense of the ALP (fed and state) governments, eg Sun Telegraph in Sydney, leavened with general culture of complaint about ALP governance
- page 2 union blues embarrass Rudd again
- Eddie Murphy immorality claim in story page 3
- These mask much bigger scandal of Lib MPs facing fraud charges p2 also quite big on the tv last night
- Rape test scandal victim story p4 blames NSW Health p4 and 5
- Another law order story Howard with family cabbie victim shocker p7
- Another lousy rail service price rise NSW Railcorp p7
- Derisory postage stamp bottom left p11 on federal health story.
- Drunk driver crashes through home p13
- Sunken wharf NSW Ferry joke p20-21
- Vic minister misuse claim p20
- Oil leaks on high voltage wires p23
- Parking metres by local councils p27
- Air pollution Sydney road p31
- Hacker 4 year jail term p39
- Aboriginal kids p79, 81
- Iemma fudging the figures, sultry Sharri Markson p83
Sun Herald in Sydney
- lead story Drug tests for all MPs - cheap headline, little substance p1, 5
- Devine promotes Howard action page 4
- sledge on bleeding heart lefty actor in Peru straight out of the Karl Rove file
- Howard with dead cabbie wife p7
- sledge of Iemma p9
- Devine again p15
- [more ...]
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10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am
Prime Minister, long time, is on with compere Paul Bongiorno.
Warren cartoon shown, we used yesterday in our piece.
PM – “law and order is the first step” echoing our analysis headline yesterday on SAM news site.
Heffernan drug tests. It’s been discussed before and only where there is evidence of a need, in effect a cheap headline. MPs 'should be drug tested'
High level panel: Jennifer Hewitt AFR
Peter Hartcher SMH – goes back to IR economic justice, debate about rollback. Howard as if he didn’t expect this topic. Deliberate question choice away from law and order? And brave.
JH asks on work choices too. A failure?
PH asks again in quiet soft tones – age of HCA judges is 72 for retirement, what about you?
JH chips in supplementary. You will retire next term? Makes it very clear HE IS NEVER GOING TO RETIRE, refers to USA president in his LATE 70ies.
Nicholson from The Australian – Iraq Statue of Liberty blown to bits on departure of USA. Grim, very grim.
Amazing footage from April 2007 of Australian troops meeting with defence minister Nelson, strong fit looking experienced soldier, why are we being withheld compared to other Coalition troops. [The answer surely is 500K protest marchers in Hyde Park Feb 2003].
PM says always a limited role. Short q on broadband.
The subdued look on Peter Hartcher’s face says it all. Look out there is a big political law and order shark in the water.
Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress
7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary -
Congratulations 7 for streaming this on your website (2 week delay?)
News headlines run Heffernan cheap headline first.
Fantastic scoop on Play School using a pretend family of John Jeanette kids Melanie and Richard.
Very amusing, well worth a watch if they stream it.
Q and A on hard fought electioneering from now. No mention of Parliament resuming.
Thinks Aboriginal child welfare will resonate, get traction, it’s time (now that’s a culture jam of sorts on the it’s time to remove John Howard vibe).
Notes they raised $200K for burns unit at charity ball – that’s admirable. [It’s good to be alive, no doubt about that, even with the hole in my tooth.]
http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
Sunday 9
Ray Martin of Aboriginal Reconciliation Council in past years, with Ellen Fanning. Rife abuse.
Senator Allison Democrats with hair dye, Fred Chaney on the panel too.
Health story – shock of the new about depression?
Oakes interview with Kevin Rudd Opposition leader. Shows he’s getting busy again with the challenge into the election.
Billion dollars on health? Missed answer.
Only 3 questions on health. More to do, waste questions on Abbott not helpful – good answer, Roxon working on policy in pipeline to come.
Rudd says Stanhope wrong to say racist. Racism turns on whether positive measures under the Act terms. Wait for detail. Not opposition for opposition sake.
[echoes flip flop of Beazley for then against Tampa measures?]
Work with him. Take the politics out of it. Stabilise of law and order – agrees.
Huge deficiency in numbers of police – big numbers increase needed Police Federation of Australia. Shortfall of about 700 officers in federal police.
“our friends in the police federation”, “counter terrorism for APEC” international paedophile on the internet etc.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul in recruitments.
Sounding and looking fit relaxed focused fluid bright affable. Quite an impressive response interview to the growing political storm. A younger better looking Howard. If he doesn’t win, it will be a tragedy.
Take the politics out of this. How? If we win, war cabinet together both sides, echoes Fran Kelly call for unity. Nation is fed up. Bipartisan. Measure against real targets. NT start. Many varied stories Aboriginal and Torres Strait.
Beyond mindless partisan fight. Not what sounds cute to right or left hairy chested.
Iraq topic. Gordon Brown in days – some indications. Much nuanced talk, sounds damn good and uplifting and balanced. Refer transcript at link below. Sounds even happy. Chirpy laugh at unionism gaffes on video.
Candidate for Franklin.
Laurie is asking in soft tones perhaps because Rudd is so responsive and probative in his answers. Rudd draws his distinctions. Quick disagrees re Harkin. Has to operate on facts not passion. Very diplomatic.
Howard next 3 years. Not his age. Up front – if elected will you stay. Is he being honest who they will get.
Website question – State premiers take up PM intervention on Aboriginal Affairs.
Harry Kewell in Howard's sphere with Big Media Pic Fac. Got to hand it to Howard. He is a hard working electioneering freak (or his team is) who will appear in the sports pages today or this week.
Transcript, webcasts here http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp
Insiders 2
Aboriginal welfare
Headline news runs Meet the Press grab, law and order ethic.
Mal Brough federal minister driving this.
Only one attempt to contact Claire Martin – she appears later in the show.
15 of 90 males charged with abuse in Columbaroo (where is that, NSW?). Ends.
Every person focus group – Abuse as law and order is short sighted, can’t just be punitive. Natural shelf life of a govt, beyond paternalism to racism, no, one politely disagrees - need intervention no delay.
Panel is Fran Kelly RN ABC, George Meglogenis Australian, Gerard Henderson Sydney Institute.
Cynicism about the Govt motives here. Kelly agrees based on history. But PM genuine reasons too.
Meglo notes PM actually driving this. Hendo
Laura Tingle – AFR for Paul Kelly overseas (Ireland?). Thinking man’s beauty. Looks typically drawn like Clints first wife. Agrees cynical view, time will tell. Business community cute to say not politics to enter PR fray on IR esp via Textor agency.
Henderson says its not a wedge – how bogus is that. Totally. Have to be more mature says Fran than treat disagree as wedge but its all about choice of prominence and process and rhetoric. Meglo picks it up too. No serious consultation so it is tainted with politics eg Pearson 15 min before PR.
Fran scathing on lack of Claire Martin involvement. Hendo points out 8 weeks delay to feds. Both playing nasty politics. Hend has a point, though bogus to say feds would respect an embargoed copy from Martin. It’s a poisoned well on all sides.
Emerging consensus Kelly and Hend.
Claire Martin listened to panel. Early draft to her, then finalized copy went to Federal Govt – rejects sat on it. Beyond financial capacity of the NT govt. She has changed so much to one of frowning anxiety, voice is still strong and appealing but looking old before her time and it damages her credibility (smoking, drinking?).
Fran Kelly takes on Henderson point and puts the critical question of time delay to Martin. She filibusters and alludes to wedge politics – clearly should have crusaded to get that federal intervention but wouldn’t - paralysed. Says she was set up waited half an hour at her desk to talk to PM.
A lot of alcohol bans in NT [long list of bans in crikey.com late last week].
Kelly makes plea to utilize the existing expertise of the political rivals like the Dodsons, and allow people in the debate. Meglo points out lack of articulate leadership with Aboriginal People last 10 years is this Govt’s responsibility.
Henderson parades his HR Nichols credentials, run footage of chubby twin Joe McDonald, who truth to tell has a degree of honesty about him, in a tough milieu. Bad language or not. If Joe does the biggest loser and goes big PR he could do the union movement a great help.
Talking pictures: Reference to Bjelke on 31%, implying Howard is similar? Great Moir cartoon here:
52% locked in says the poll via Newspoll CEO Martin someone with his collection looking way too comfortable and relaxed with the world and polished like our politics are actually irrelevant to his grand hierarchy. A circus master.
Footage of Turnbull on dam in SE Qld clever rhetoric.
Heffernan needs psychological testing says Henderson for calling posing as asio and Barnaby Joyce to Cubby and local constituent respectively. Reign him in says Kelly.
Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/
