Mood:
spaceyTopic: aust govt
Author’s general introductory note
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. Perhaps the greatest utility is the headline synthesis above of the 3 or 4 shows followed in this session.
For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.
Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.
Media backgrounders.
1. This week the venality of PM Rudd is exposed like a loose thread that may unravel his career from stratospheric polling results. Appointing Nelson to “serve as Canberra's representative to NATO, the UN's World Health Organisation and as ambassador to Belgium and Luxemburg” against fast action on climate, pro Iraq war/admitting war for oil, and proven disloyalty to the Liberal Party, shows Rudd as a political chancer/opportunist. Good short term politics, but setting a deep neurosis into the fabric of the ALP which may see it shatter with a glancing blow from any David versus Goliath. The appointment is proof positive of Lib Lab fusion in thrall to big business, and says volumes about The Greens being the real opposition.
2. Similar to point 1, Godwin Grech has not been charged with anything by the AFP. Why? Because the ALP have real accountability issues yet? ‘Doogie Howser’ Charlton has never been forced to answer any questions publicly. Nor has any other PM staff. Just saying. They may be as innocent as driven snow. And still GG has not been charged. Why is it so?
3. Keating in the SMH broadsheet is portrayed as Napoleon over planning issues on prime Sydney harbourside area. What is the self interest of PK we wonder. He was also consultant to Frank Lowy on the oversized Westfield at Bondi late 90ies – a regional sized complex in a sub region wiping out satellite shops. Why is he referred to as in effect regressing back to the value system of his youth over natural landscapes? A sense of guilt over failure of the environment as former PM? In the age of disastrous climate change? Mmmm. Good story Matthew Moore, SMH.
4 (a) Minister Kristine Keneally on Stateline last Friday revealed she doesn't know who leading planning law barrister Tim Robertson is, being a Labor Lawyer (at least previously), joint architect of Carr’s early 90ies forest protection led famous election victory March 1995 (as legal counsel for North East Forest Alliance in marginal seats there), and if memory serves brother to famous Geofrey. Which despite the Minister's telegenic appeal and yankee verbal mastery, this ignorance also echoes with her frightened and inadequate interview as new planning minister with abc radio’s Deborah Cameron some months ago. She appeared on the Stateline footage in tandem with head of planning Sam Haddad. Recently we wrote to SMH journo Kate Mclymont about Haddad meeting a developer father and son team in about 2000 with their senior counsel in tow (a senior figure in NSW institutions now). Developer then left the meeting stating “we have 2 green lights” which begs the question 'What open and transparent planning system?'
(b) Our other information about Haddad is that he presented in effect as a highly politicised instrument of the govt back in 2005 when he refused our FoI request in lead up to the September 2005 byelection of Carmel Tebbutt from Upper to Lower House seat in Marrickville. We wanted the Commission of Inquiry report relating to Port Botany economic drivers for the infamous $5B truck tunnel Port Botany to M4 East ….through Marrickville involving smog stacks ….completed some months before by respected Commissioner Kevin Cleland. Then Planning Minister Frank Sartor then released the report three weeks after the vote to announce an expansion of Port Botany prefaces smog stacks in Marrickville. The Dept even effectively refused to release their 'refusal of the FoI' letter in a timely way. They appeared to us very much to be running the clock down to only 5 days before the byelection. We complained bitterly and even stamped our feet in the foyer of their city office. We blogged about the curious adjustment of dates on the refusal letter signed by Haddad here:
Thursday, 21 February 2008 Dept of Planning DG Sam Haddad politicised in Marrickville by-election 2005? Mood: sharp Topic: nsw govtAt http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/index.blog/1790631/dept-of-planning-dg-sam-haddad-politicised-in-marrickville-byelection-2005/
and notice image here:
Marrickville byelection: State ALP suppress Cleland Report into Port expansion Posted September 10th, 2005 at http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/21107
And up to 2007 here:
Picture above and more below: Community rally at Botany Bay Beach off Foreshore Rd, Botany Saturday 3rd March, against expansion of Port Botany guaranteed to increase toxic transport congestion in most of southern metropolitan Sydney. Shade was a premium under the burning late summer day.
Other images of environmental campaigning here: Marrickville by-election photo gallery 9/05 and more background here Botany Bay heritage
5. It’s mayoral election season in NSW and the ALP beat up of Waverley Liberal Mayor chubby Sally Betts over car parking fees is underway. People forget that the parking fees regime was rolled out under Labor Mayor now local state MP Paul Pearce, with help of loyal Kim Anson now GM at Marrickville Council but at that time a departmental director at Waverley late 90ies. Even back then it was a clichéd political attack over so called westies versus easties. But late 90ies it was ALP Right at state level ‘friendly fire’ against ALP Left controllers of Waverley Council over planning powers for Bondi Junction (read Keating backing Lowy expansion of Westfield there). We don’t vote Liberal but as Bondi Ward Councillor 1995-99 we know the federal and state govts have been absolutely derelict in funding tourism impacts at Bondi and gouging local ratepayers. In short the political attack on current mayor or any of Waverly is dirty hypocrisy.
6. The Opposition are ‘revolting’ according to this image lifted off question time in Federal Parliament mid last week (and yes you read that right "question time" despite a division being called as a protest by the Opposition regarding a minister no longer be heard.
10 Meet the Press: 8- 8-30 am
First guest is Infrastructure Minister Albanese. Mostly boilerplate and opportunistic splitting of Opposition.
Compere Bonge tackles Albo about ALP lack of talent to appoint Nelson to Nato diplomacy.
Panel Fran Kelly ABC RN, Glenn Milne News Corp Sunday Telegraph.
Second guest is former Opposition leader Nelson in cosy Govt job
Panel rightly target Nelson on internal inconsistency regarding climate policy [but perhaps reinforcing the truth of the ALP falsity on any real reduction in emissions here and pro coal generation and export donors both union and business]
Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.
Riley Diary 7, from 8.40am
Very funny Gene Wilder Frankenstein visual metaphors (and over acting) re alleged Work Choices resurrection, dismissed by Riley as opportunistic but reinforcing the damaging beat up by ALP on opposition leader Turnbull ruling it dead on YouTube.
http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.44 am
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith mostly sidelined by funny Riley Diary. Mostly boilerplate.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes
Insiders 2: 9- 10am
Riley Diary style intro featuring Gillard, and expulsion of Tony Abbott and other question time hysteria.
Cross to Lisa Miller in US re PM visit to New York/UN.
Panel is Schubert Fairfax Age, Coorey Fairfax SMH, Toohey Fairfax AFR.
Minchin re Telstra break up policy. Guest is Lindsay Tanner, former shadow minister.
Women in politics vox pop.
Toohey goes hard on Nelson inconsistency, lack of credibility. Coorey agrees Nelson has no credibility. Paul Kelly agrees Nelson is now property of PM Kevin Rudd. Toohey scathing of Nelson not believing in ALP govt policy on climate.
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders
Inside Business with Alan Kohler
Fallout of structural separation of Telstra so called ‘choice’ ultimatum to Telstra by federal govt with interview with Minister Stephen Conroy, morphs into discussion of CEO remuneration need to hypothecate to performance.
Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/
