Mood:
chattyTopic: 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. To confirm the increasing irrelevance of the Coalition the Iraq war party farewelled Brendan 'war for oil' Nelson from parlaiment with ex PM Howard and ex Treasurer Costello and current embattled Opposition leader Turnbull all in attendance.
2. The new shrunken business/sport section of the SMH is surely the first step to a more tabloid format as revenues bleed to the web. How long until the AFR is in that fold in an amalgamation of both newspapers? This would parallel the increasing doubts about the financial viability of The Australian broadsheet also.
3. Meanwhile we notice increasing engagement of ABC figures into News Corporation (Uhlmann in The Oz this weekend, Colvin/Sales on Punch webstie, Masters now ex ABC in Daily Telegraph) leaving such as Marg Simons at Crikey/freelance/Monash Journalism School and this writer wondering why. Partly to rival Crikey? Partly to moderate News Corp viciousness to the public broadcaster. Partly Mark Scott empire building with reassurance of strong govt subsidy and web/NBN expansion any time now.
4. With all the controversy over "influence peddling" in NSW Planning we noted ex minister Sartor met one or other Medich developer some 4 times in some reportage somewhere (or did we, it gets so confusing in the deluge). Sartor refused to answer whether he was lobbied by Obeid and Tripodi MPs in a parliamentary inquiry last week.
Now as we did our tax late this week we came across this scrap of notepaper out of the shoebox literally - quickly scrawled in a coincidental conversation with an off duty abc journo on a city train ride mid 2008.
The timing indicates many people knew Mr Vereker was an unlikely big ALP party donor in 2008. We don't know what the Mr Ell reference is exactly, but we notice his name in the press also this weekend some 15 months later (shown). Mmm.
5. Laurie Oakes uh oh moment came in estimates last week when West Altas oil leak was revealed as potentially 2000 barrells a day, after Oakes attacked Greens Senator in print for daring suggest more than 400 barrells on bum steer from ALP resource mates/ministers. But in a strong redemption Oakes runs Senator Brown in a balancer today on Today 9 tv show. That's what we call a fair go too LO.
6. Here is that picture of Julia Gillard gotcha moment we sought from last week with LO on Today 9, when she realises her own 2003 media release is being quoted at her regarding "another boat, another policy failure". Gotcha maybe but we saw it as human expression of due shame for a shameful period in Australian politics over 5 years ago now, and best left there. The lips are wide not to speak but quick inhalation during listening mode, followed by a deep blink as if to wipe the slate and start again with a new script. A real CSI moment. And she didn't pause indicating quite some steel in this politician.
7. KKK aka Minister Kristine Kershner Keneally, theology and politics graduate with a flair for bright red outfits, described as "a knockout" by the News Corp press gallery man Salusinsky, is like air freshener sprayed to disguise rotting dead cat in the rafters. A sickly sweet experience that you know is unhealthy. Part of the theatre is a gender righteousness (eg on display on NSW Stateline). Trouble is the ALP have a problemmatic record on gender as red herring so to speak when it comes to integrity issues : Yvette Andrews - exposed here on SAM - was 18 months the general manager at Addison Rd Centre in Marrickville on $60K a year (possibly pro rata) without any competitive job selection, indeed refusal of the board to advertise, then resigned just as a controversy involving her husband assaulting a tenant caused shockwaves there. A rolled gold scandal. And Andrews just happens to be co-author and former staffer to Meredith Burgmann's famous Ernies, beloved of the sisterhood. She liked to run her gender righteousness too. It takes a sleazy party to run interference like that.
8. Boris Johnson the newish Mayor of London, and hardly a raving socialist, had a cracking piece in our local press regarding banks as giant vampire squid. They 'don't get it' was his premise and 'call in the regulators'. Strange times indeed.
10 Meet the Press: 8- 8-30 am
Intro on national broadband network NBN - $42B. Rudd and Turnbull. Press roundup on ‘plane people’ in Sydney Tele etc.
Conroy is the talent. Boilerplate on boat people re global patterns of instability. Telco Industry Ombudsman report huge increase in consumer complaints across the sector. Out take is Joyce and Feilding going at eachother. Grab from Nick Minchin re Telstra legislation allegedly rushed through.
Panel is Hewitt News Corp and David Crowe of AFR. Minister says reshape the industry as competition has not delivered, higher prices, less innovation. Crowe penetrating questions for a newbie in this forum.
Out take Nicholson Indon solution speaking strine. Intro grabs – Stone, Tuckey, Rudd etc. Senator Sarah Young on 78 boat people still moving around. Questions of open door. Location means much less than other countries. Boat arrivals miniscule but safety issue is highest. [Presents like ex Senator Kerry Nettle as very articulate.] Open door? Presses refugee convention signatory, never let this happen again with Jews in WW2. Q whether tamil fighters on board. Assessment. Should accept real refugees. Regional solution okay, neighbours should sign refugee treaty, build up cooperation. Hewitt looking suitably impressed by young bright senator of similar proportions. Is good.
Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.
Riley Diary 7, from 8.40am
Start runs into Oakes interview. Advert for national swine flu programme. ETS dynamics, tennis metaphor, best of bucks fizz, Trioli finger twirl, Rudd on Rolling Stone. Aaa mate, for a in Copenhagen, the island state
http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.44 am
Senator Bob Brown Greens with LO [balancer for attacking Greens on leak rate at 2000 barrels a day said only 400 barrels, good deal LO]
Sanctions on Sri Lanka push factor. Bradfield and Higgins byelection. Greens versus the Coalition in both seats. Susie Gemmell, and Clive Hamilton, very tough to win, vote will grow and promote democracy.
Claims Greens shepherd the $42B stimulus package versus Coalition. Pushes equity of payments to households not polluters. Polluter pays. Happiness is not related to consumer excess. Prosperity too.
Tone is real fireside chat material. Get out of destruction of Australian forests and woodlands get 20%.
Oil leak in north west WA, judicial inquiry rejected, brought machine from asia not locally took too long, same company new area to explore. Rewarding the polluter. Govt ecologically irresponsible. Peter Garrett has a lot of questions to answer from.
Treasurer Ken Henry in news re kangaroo industry 50M cull per year. Bob Brown says he’s an admirable Australian and guided Greens approach on economic policy.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes
Insiders 2: 9- 10am
Riley style package on asylum seekers re morality, with Sarah Hanson Young. Profound footage of PM Rudd rejecting Tuckey. Parliamentry adversarialism prominent.
Panel is Schubert Fairfax (centre left), Coorey Fairafax (centrist/centre right), and Glen Milne News Corp (centre right).
Talent is Stephen Smith Foreign Minister boilerplate on humane balance re asylum seekers talking the issue out of oxygen and then onto Afghanistan and trade/Stern Hu issues with China.
Vox Pop Tas amongst the horsies, why Rudd so popular. Is it the money?
[refer cartoon from 6 months back, clipping in due course].
Terrorists in boat people – was it outrageous or unremarkable? Milne says not – [but that’s wrong as per Alan Jones ramp up of fear mongering]. Danby plea for correct language re refugees. Big issue re temporary visas again or not re Pacific Solution. Coorey says Rudd won’t backslide to that again.
Paul Kelly basically agrees with Rudd SE Regional approach. Population discussion by panel – is a serious issue.
Nelson farewell, Costello grabs x 2. Clive Hamilton for Greens – litany research material that could be used to embarrass. Milne rubbishes as far left. Canberra based.
Dutton Bowen mutual sledges.
Interview of US figure on NZ television about Australia not a deputy sheriff.
Merits of Canberra. Talking pictures with Alan Ramsey with book, fantastic Ward ONiel cartoons [like AFR guy today David Rowe]. War story about calling PM Gorton a liar from the gallery and almost lost his job. Piles of hard copy in his office. Grand Old Man tone.
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders
Inside Business with Alan KohlerRefer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/
