Mood:
chattyTopic: election Oz 2007
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: [this segment under construction]
See prequel re Rudd, an Australian in New York in lurid detail, and following segments. In lieu of that imagery this old classic from Bill Leak at The Australian
See yesterday’s sledge post by us in return to Duffy and Tim Blair nitpicking temperature measurements in the absence of high level scientific expert analysis
- too many 'APEC police action and/or bloody annoying disruption to fine Sydney citizenry stories' to mention, mostly adverse such that the organisers have been forced to full page advert promo
- This clip bottom page 3 (from memory) 14th August 07
- Why is there no Big Art opera with “something to say” in the sense Bob Dylan was hungrily consumed in the 1960ies as per all the retrospectives this last week. The Opera on Rwanda genocide, on Tasmanian corruption destroying our forest, on climate change destroying our future, on the Iraq war. Why is opera after Don Giovani so irrelevant, and other reactions to this insert
, as well as promotions for 'Children in the concert hall' on abc radio to help with the recruitment to the Royal (stuck up, corporate sponsored) arts.
- Plan for N-plant "to build a $2.5 billion nuclear enrichment plant in Australia" - postage stamp in Sydney Daily Telegraph p18 12, 2007.
- With all the dual use uranium deals with India – Uranium cleared for India p1 lead 15/8/07 The Australian - and Russia, this oldie popped up p11 May 10 07 Hugh White “Another nuclear arms race is in the offing”. Rudd’s ALP gets it. Coalition’s Howard too – only he wants it. For instance notice this on the World Today 17/8/07 Russia next for Australian yellowcake and this sop Russia satisfying domestic energy needs, says analyst . And if you believe the govt soft shoe shuffle as they all run scared with the USA of the Chinese dictatorship straddling Asia, well then you haven’t been reading Beijing’s horror human rights record, let alone death rate from pollution (about 450,000 per year apparently). So nuke weapon containment of China is on. And add to this the broader the sales market from Australia the more likely customers will support Howard’s Australia obtaining nuclear weapons in the future in an orgy of pro nuke mutualism of haves and have nots. That’s the nasty way geo politics works and that’s Howard’s demonstrated ruthless style. The politics is pretty clear with the price of uranium going south now too - Resource that radiates fear 11/8/07 Sydney Daily Telegraph.
- Germany thinks big as it taps in to the sun p22 SMH 11-12 August 2007
- an oldie, image of a melting road – that’s what a tanker of petrol does not least risk planning for APEC. Ouch from May 1st 2007 The Australian p9
- another oldie – front page The Australian by Imre Salusinszky 26/3/07 Satisfied Carr emerges to claim his due, but that’s not how its played out with “Business Consultant” Bob Carr slumming it on ABC RN design show Saturday morning (18/8/07) laughably advising on “good cities” i.e Paris, Manahattan, London and quoting secular saint J K Galbraith the great political economist like others might grab a figleaf amongst the tollways BC gave Sydney. At least he sounded more humble and subdued and less dandy.
- The original story by Imre at The Oz predicting the feds beat up the States election agenda back on May 12-13 07 at p31 Feds bent upon waving a red rag
- Tim Flannery does book review High and Dry: John Howard, climate change and the selling of Australia's future by Guy Pearse smh spectrum 11th August 07
- We won't preference the ALP, Senator Bob Brown p12 27/7/07 The Australian
- Sustainability theme ex ALP Env Minister Barry Cohen Dangers in growth for growth's sake .... and Seniors shun materialism to help save the planet by Glenn Milne both August 6 p16 The Australian
- Litigation heating is heating up over climate change p34 11-12/8/07 Weekend Australian
- Rush for cyberspace has traps for new players Michelle Grattan August 12 2007 p31
10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am
Costello fronts early 2nd string (but still good) MTP. Shows he’s boosting his profile. Bongiorno inevitably leads with Sunday Tele earlier post re Rudd at a strip club in NYC and Costello plays a very very dead pan face and bat. No smirk at all. But has to crack up at the
supplementary – has he ever been to the strip club in question? Bonge was already sparkle of eye and glint of smile before he even started and so the two of them have a good chortle at Rudd’s embarrassment.
[So the issue for Rudd is holding his gravitas as an alternative PM despite his humanity. And there’s another thing about the scenario – he might just have been a bit lonely especially amongst the chilly ALP rivals way over there surrounded by 20 million yanks.]
Most of the interview lost in earnest dry economics about something (??)
Outtake Gareth Evans experienced – PM makes hay on Rudd implicit less experienced though pushing 50, family mostly grown, rich, senior role in Qld Govt etc. Fair sledge especially in context of funny strip story.
1st adbreak
Panel Alison Carabine (Canberra Times?) admirable control of the Cheshire cat too, Steve Burrel SMH.
Again earnest talk about housing etc. But it’s just dead time given the scoop story above.
Costello looking a bit healthier and appealing than usual visually speaking.
Grab from Res Bank chief need for infrastructure – Costello says States undoing their fiscal discipline.
Out take – gross Nicholson animation very unflattering to PM Howard re dismal polls.
2nd adbreak
Teachers Federation advert for the benefit of the wonks at this time?
Journalism ethics story re dinner with Costello 2 years ago. 3 versus 1. Agrees with most commentators implicit criticism of journos leaking off the record once confidence accepted. Costello showed at one point an unvarnished transparent steel I’ve not seen before that Rudd and Howard both have, except perhaps the parliamentary speech “it takes bravery”. He is growing as a politician in the classical sense of mediating the polity.
Beattie gone too far punishing any referendum on council inefficiency. Cheap points to Costello so still immature games. [real issues of white shoe developer brigade but should be sorted fairly.]
Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress
7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary -
Satire around Peter Costello’s 50th Birthday, journalists dinner and the like. Quite good overshadowed by Milne funny strip story.
http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
Insiders 2
Peter Beattie retreats on referendums, agrees to them on the show. Long interview – making political space even in terms of a few hours to get his act together, emotional poise.
Panel – Annabelle Crabb – becoming a really classy writer quite young still, respect of other journos by the looks. Price and Milne with the cracking story.
Panel discussion – Milne argues lead story goes to character and there is alleged improper touching of a stripper.
Reference to 1000 Tamil voters in Bennelong. Howard praises ethnic tolerance re his own electorate – must be seen as self serving.
Barbara Bennett IR attack person for Coalition Govt is being paid $500K salary.
IR anti union attack advert is brutal and probably effective.
Missed the rest switch to Laurie Oakes.
Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/
Sunday 9
Comperes crank the very seedy dangerous record of Scores in NYC from gangsters to rip off merchants and dirty money.
Feature on rail safety in Victoria. Big story – hard to track with 2 parallel – feed into federal attack on states probably.
Laurie Oaks with Kevin Rudd is the story/interview of the day.
The grovel proceeds, full responsibility. “Cop a belting from the community. No recollection of improper touching a dancer. New York Post editor who took them to Scores for a drink, Col Allen says he acted as a perfect gentleman. Told his wife and acted like a goose. [Allen notorious ex Sydney Daily Telegraph – story of pissing in the sink in an editorial meeting, famous drinker, never to be trusted would be this writer’s view about any moral issue.]
Only 2 occasions can recall 2 “blowouts” regarding drunkenness. LO notes he is not a big drinker. Planted by the govt?
Leaves to journos to work out. 4 years old so a puzzle.
LO notes Milne famous drunken indiscretion at Walkleys.
Christianity character? Never claimed moral perfection.
Gave speech of US-Australia leadership dialogue last night as well as field this character attack – [Empire head patting group] – founded 15 years ago by someone called Phil Scanlon (worth a research). Keen to avoid US post Vietnam isolationism. [Completely mis describes USA jackboot in South American continent as ruthless and arrogant as the USA has ever been over the period of the cold war to say 1990].
Looking a bit tired and laboured but competent and mild, no doubt the emotional impact of facing up to this LO interview and surviving the hardest topic. Gathers some second wind and spark within a minute. Almost see the colour back in his face – back on front foot with his rhetoric on interest rates etc. Quite the impressive reboot all on the screen. Talking a hundred miles an hour – sugar in the blood again.
Economic equivalent of the Tampa in financial turmoil discussed.
Interest rates – responsibily do whatever we can to as low as possible responsibly. Not irresponsible claims. 17% 1989 under ALP versus 23% in 1982 – quite a counter attack as per Paul Keating advice.
Low doc home loans back federal intervention of the govt. “Positive, ASIC powers etc, proper robust regulation.
Ports takeover – extra question said it was last one – support? Treasury not involved in federal govt proposals on this – refers to Crosby Textor research – state attack tactic. Get black and white policy.
One more question (again) – how NY adventure affect him in the polls – take a belting in the opinion polls – up to the people.
Poll question re Costello truthful re dinner with journos?
Q and A with LO follow up it seems. Govt definitely groomed the story says LO.
General view like Mark Riley, Matt Price gist of humanness, not a nerd, Beattie blood in his veins.
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp
