Mood:  sharp

The ABC PM show and ABC 7pm tv news and 7.30 Report are all carrying the unusual speech of PM Howard at the Sydney Institute at 6 pm or so earlier tonight.

The "mea culpa" speech recognising the special position of indigenous Australia will have the journalists running to make their deadlines for the press tomorrow. [The SMH carries a report here next morning: PM's 'new reconciliation' as does the rival SDT here Howard's reconciliation backflip and The Australian here Howard's 'new reconciliation' ]

We detect a real politik convergence in this latest development:

1. Howard's career has involved variously "bucket loads of native title extinguishment", and broken election promises in both 1996 and 1998 over a $40M funding of the Cape York Land Use Agreement which effectively became a dead letter after so much pioneering work by so many, the attempt to promote the Jabiluka uranium mine and lots more. Nothing can sanitise these sins of commission.

2. Howard is chronicly losing in the polls and has been failing to wedge the Rudd led ALP from the right flank of politics with variously capital punishment, logging of world heritage forest/pulp mill, intervention in the NT and Cape York welfare reform, guilotine of the Sudanese refugee programme and no doubt others. This has resulted in the infamous 'me tooism' of ALP 'leader' Rudd. The PM might as well have a go at some traction trying to wedge Rudd from the left flank on reconciliation with the Indigenous. Nothing else is working. Aboriginal tactician Noel Pearson might even call this Karl Rove inspired triangulation.

3. Another aspect of badly losing in the polls is that PM Howard needs to take out insurance on his impending legacy. Point 1 combined with point 2 above means he needs a mitigation strategy and perhaps the biggest figleaf in Australian political history if the upcoming election really is the annihilation he himself contemplated months back. This mea culpa is ideal if and when he loses the election. Alternatively we hear some (abc) journos are already interpreting this speech as a 'man of the future' pitch to rival oppponent Rudd's comparative youth.

 

Palm Island man Lex Wotton talks to Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough. Picture: Michael Chambers More

 ... 

5. The unemployment figures are such - a theoretical 4.2% or 'lowest in 33 years' - that the industrial sector needs more employee cannon fodder, including Black Australians to keep the economic machine ticking over. Willing wage slaves of all colours, race and creed are welcome. For those lost in poverty traps, then of course intervention and training is a basic pre requisite as per intrusion into domestic affairs in the NT to get the workers job ready.

6. Cardinal Pell in charge of Sydney Catholics has given grudging approval to the ALP's education and independent schools policy on page 2 of the Sydney Daily Telegraph pictured in his black penguin suit 11 Oct 2007: 

 "THERE is little difference between the Liberal and Labor Party policies in the lead-up to the looming election, Australia's most influential Catholic leader believes."

This is an overt signal, including via front page of the sister broadsheet, to conservatives Rudd is 'safe' to switch to, and thus very damaging to the Coalition conservative voter base, hence the squealing by Minister Tony Abbott last night on PM about meddlesome priests? Howard needs a big ticket moral riposte before this Pell bushfire gains ever greater traction because then it won't just be 10-12 points gap in the polls.

7. Last but likely most profound is that Howard, as he conceded in his speech, has finally travelled into the heart of Aboriginal Australia and been embraced by young kids who just want someone from the govt to care about them and help them. Even new grand dad Howard would find it hard to ignore their innocent embrace. And so the great laggard and cultural philistine has arrived where so many others have walked decades ago, to recognise a grand timeless culture that makes white fellas look like blow ins - people like ex diplomat Bruce Haigh on the conversation hour on ABC radio earlier this week: A man of uncommon impressive experience in the Kimberley, the military and foreign govt service including South Africa, and now farmer. And a worthy exemplar for such as media junkie John Howard?

The fact PM Howard's mea culpa is virtually throwing his personal record of the last 11 years on the bonfire of old news is no sweat for a real politik warrior like John Howard. A little bit of personal embarrassment is nothing compared to points 1 to 6 above. Ever the power politician. Nor should JH feel too bad about losing in the next election as we think is inevitable - he's changed the country (for the worse regarding the environment) and can laugh at the thought that the ALP has resorted to a genuine facsimile: Kevin Rudd, who on the other hand may cry on election night with emotion over the 'successful' transmogrification into his nemesis. Similarly environmental carpet bagger Peter Garrett will be reflecting he finds himself mutated into chief apologist for logger thuggery and vandalism, Michael OConnor of the national logger union.

Such is the price of love with that thrilling mistress Power, and the road to hell is paved with ....

Posted by editor at 9:33 PM NZT

Updated: Friday, 12 October 2007 10:38 AM NZT

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Mood:  a-ok

Low Head, Tasmania, Sunday, 7 October 2007  Australian Greens Climate Change Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, today called on the growing opposition to the Gunns Pulp Mill to get behind clean, green and clever developments in Tasmania, such as the solar factory proposed this morning by Chinese-Australian solar billionaire, Dr Shi Zhengrong.

Senator Milne said "The turnout at today's rally against the Gunns pulp mill at the mouth of the Tamar River shows that attempts by both the old parties to sweep this issue under the carpet will not succeed. There is a great momentum behind this campaign now, and Tasmanians, and many other Australians, will not simply stand by and let it happen.

"Tasmania has developed a reputation in recent years for moving towards clean, green and clever development, with our food, wine and tourism recognised around the world as clean and green. Building this pulp mill in this place would massively undermine that hard work.

"After returning to Tasmania on Friday from the Solar07 Conference in Alice Springs, I was very excited to hear Chinese-Australian solar billionaire, Dr Shi Zhengrong, saying this morning that he'd like to return to Australia to set up a solar factory here. Tasmania should work hard to attract that investment, as well as investment in wind turbine manufacturing and other renewable energy developments.

"The Sun Fund policy I released in Alice Springs, to shift the $300 million of annual R&D subsidies for fossil fuels across to renewable energy would certainly help bring that kind of development to Australia.

"The Greens believe that we can boost manufacturing, boost growth, and boost jobs, while at the same time protecting the environment. I set out this plan for Tasmania in 1992 with the Greens' Business and Industry Strategy driving a transition from a resource-based to a brains-based economy. This is even more critical in the face of climate change. I set out a national agenda for this economic shift in my report, Re-Energising Australia earlier this year, and we Greens will campaign strongly on this as we head into the federal election."

...........................

#2

Subject: [Greens-Media] Pulp Mill is "Howard's cup of poison" says Brown

Sunday 7 October 2007

Gunns pulp mill will be fought in the legal arena, at the ballot box, in
the forests and in the houses of finance which might think to fund it,
Greens leader Bob Brown told thousands of people at Low Head at the
mouth of Tasmania's Tamar River today.

"Last Thursday Prime Minister Howard sent us a cup of poison, and
tomorrow he is coming to Tasmania with a begging bowl. He wants our
votes. We, along with millions more Australians, will show him the exit
door," Senator Brown said to thunderous applause.

Senator Brown told the rally, organised by the Wilderness Society and
Tasmanians Against a Polluting Pulpmill, that Peter Garrett claimed he
is "perfectly comfortable" with the pulp mill which will wreck 200,000
hectares of wild forest, pollute the farmland, vineyards and fisheries
of the Tamar Valley and put 64,000 litres of effluent into the Bass
Strait ecosystem each day.

"Well, Peter Garrett, we're not perfectly comfortable with you," Senator
Brown retorted.

He also said that Malcolm Turnbull had become, in the words of Geoffrey
Cousins, Australia's minister against the environment.

Senator Brown said that barristers reviewing Turnbull's decision had
told him that the law does not authorise the minister to grant an
approval where the minister did not understand and was not properly
informed about he impact on the sea from the effluent.  There are also
arguable constitutional issues. He said that those threatened by Gunns
pulp mill would consider their legal options very seriously.

There were support protests today in Sydney and Adelaide and a video
opposing the pulp mill was launched in Melbourne.

Senator Brown said that voters were left with the Green option: Tom
Millen in Bass, Karen Cassidy in Lyons and Paul O'Halloran in Braddon
and his senate team with Andrew Wilke second on the ticket.

Further information: Prue Cameron 0408 473 379

Prue Cameron
Advisor
Senator Bob Brown
GPO Box 404
Hobart TAS 7001

Ph: 03 6224 3222 (Hobart)
Ph: 02 6277 3170 (Canberra)

Fax 03 6224 2999 (Hobart)
Fax 02 6234 1577 (Canberra)
Mob: 0408 473 379

www.bobbrown.org.au
 

............................

# 3

..........................

#4

October 7, 2007


Two faces, one mind: Victorian Greens YouTube ad on Gunns pulp mill


The Victorian Greens have released a YouTube clip that takes a swipe at
Peter Garrett's acquiescence on the Gunns pulp mill.

As protests mount across the nation against the polluting mill, the
Greens lead Senate candidate in Victoria, Dr Richard Di Natale, said
Labor's decision to back the mill is a disgrace.

“We had expected better of former environmentalist Peter Garrett, but
he's looking more and more like his Liberal counterpart each day,” Dr Di
Natale said.

“It's clear that only the Greens are providing the leadership the
country needs to oppose projects like this which not only pollute the
environment, but rip apart our precious native forests as well.”

The YouTube ad draws parallels between John Travolta and Nicolas Cage in
the movie Face/Off.
The two swapped faces in their struggle to outwit each other.

“To beat him, he had to become him,” says the ad, accompanied by a split
image of Turnbull and Garrett.

The clip can be viewed at: greens.org.au/greenvideos


Further information: Richard Di Natale 0425 771 246

Media inquiries: Jim Buckell 0400 465 459

..............

#5

Wednesday, 3 October 2007


Poll vindicates Greens' strong pulp mill stand


Today's Marketmetrics Research opinion poll showing the Greens' vote in
Bass has doubled to 18 per cent, indicates votes draining from both
Labor and the Coalition to the Greens as the unpopularity of the Gunns'
pulp mill proposal bites, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.

The poll also shows a jump in the Greens' vote to 9 per cent in Braddon.

"The pulp mill issue will bite the old parties all the way to the ballot
box.  Labor and the Coalition have ignored traditional supporters to
curry favour with Gunns.  The poll indicates that either party will win
Bass if they heed public opinion and reject Gunns' proposal," Senator
Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

.....................

#6

Former judge questions independence of Gunns pulp mill approval process

......

FELICITY OGLIVIE [journalist, abc]: Gunns pulled out of the process earlier this year in March, saying it was simply taking too long to get approval. Do you think that they've got an approval or an answer any faster than they would have got by sticking with the RPDC?

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT [former judge]: On the timelines that we had prepared, it seems that they've saved about six weeks.

FELICITY OGLIVIE : What do you see is the benefit that Gunns has gotten by pulling out of the RPDC? Has there been any benefit to the company?

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT: Well, according to what Mr Gay is reported to have said, there's been a fortuitous financial gain, but I can't comment on that. I don't know whether it's accurate or not.

FELICITY OGLIVIE: Now, what about the conditions that the mill will run under? There's permits from state government and now there's 48 conditions from the Federal Government. Would the RPDC have done a similar thing if it had approved the pulp mill, would it have put extra conditions on the mill?

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT: Look, I think that's entirely likely, but we were cut off at the knees before I was able to get fully into the assessment process.

FELICITY OGLIVIE: The State Government came up with their permit system out of the SWECO PIC report, but Malcolm Turnbull, when he was writing to the State Government a few weeks ago, he said his assessment had such a limited scope and a lot of the people making comments to him actually had issues that were the state's responsibility like log truck traffic, effluent washing back up onto the beaches, air pollution and odour from the mill.

Do you think that the State Government has adequately dealt with those issues or would the RPDC have done a better job?

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT: I have some doubt about whether they'd been adequately covered and the process of submitting it to a parliamentary approval process, it was most unusual, in my assessment. But I can't say, I haven't followed the matter through in detail by any means.

FELICITY OGLIVIE: What has Tasmania lost by losing the RPDC process?

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT: I think a lot of people would say though, the independence of the process has been abandoned. It certainly was no longer an independent process in the way that it went forward after March of this year, and I think the lack of a process, which included public hearings, is very regrettable.......

Posted by editor at 10:00 AM NZT

Updated: Monday, 8 October 2007 1:22 PM NZT

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Mood:  blue

Why should mainlanders be concerned about the environment in Tasmania when we have big problems here including over consumption by rich folks, and destruction of Botany Bay? Because it's the same over consumption/poor governance driving both, so the problem there is the same thoughtless problem here. We spent 6 hours yesterday separating waste at a community market - turning 6 bins of general waste into 2 recyclables, 2 compostables, and 2 unusable plastics or similar. Sounds like grovel but actually it was an uplifting social interaction that people enjoyed.

This is the change we have to see in all of society regarding issues of sustainability. And the social lesson was, it wouldn't have happened despite signage without external intervention by this agent of the centre management at Addison Rd Community Centre because people are thoughtless, lazy, ignorant or in a hurry.

It takes intervention to protect the environment. Here is an instructive deconstruction of the false Wentworth versus Tasmania debate amongst environmental locals of demonstrated goodwill over many years:

.....................

Sunday political talkies: New rodent species Howardensis discovered in forest, eats giant freshwater cray Malcontensis
Mood:  party time!
Topic: election Oz 2007

 

Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 10:15 PM

Subject: Fw: Tasmania, all 500K population massively subsidised by .... mainlanders e.g. Wentworth? Re: PULP MILL AND BOTANY BAY

Hi Tom

I neglected to comment on this line:

 Truth be told Taswegians should be asking the rich people in Wentworth permission to go ahead because chances are they pay more tax dollars into Tasmanian services than anyone else. At least the companies they own do.

The ACF commissioned study - reported front page of the Herald in August - concluded that the largest proportion of an individual's ecological footprint came from consumption of goods.  The  bigfoots were found to live in areas like Wentworth while Tasmanian was the state with the had the lowest ecological footprints.   Instead of singling out the loggers and miners what about looking at the complexity of the individual footprint. 

Cheers, Lynda

 

From: [Ingrid Stewe, Mayor of Waverley]

To: "ecology action australia"

Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 10:59 AM

Subject: Re: Tasmania, all 500K population massively subsidised by .... mainlanders e.g. Wentworth? Re: PULP MILL AND BOTANY BAY

> Quite right.

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 5:55 PM

Subject: Tasmania, all 500K population massively subsidised by .... mainlanders e.g. Wentworth? Re: PULP MILL AND BOTANY BAY

The best simple answer to this furphy is Tasmania is significantly subsidised by mainland Australian taxpayers, including sadly via over exploited Botany Bay. This tin pot 'parliament' no bigger than Sutherland Shire in population of about 500K population live off our backs here in NSW and especially WA and Qld eg the massive subsidy to the Mersey Hospital being the latest, but uneconomic broadband and everything else we subsidise from the mainland too. If you really want to hear squealing, we could make Tasmania fully pay it's own way, then we could expect to hear, help help help federation, federation, equal services, equal funding, citizenship rights etc.

 

If taxpayer hypothecation came into it we would have Tas Parliament located somewhere between Perth and the Kimberley from mining profits because that's what keeps them financial. And just consider all the financial subsidies from Tasmania's 'gubberment' to the loggers is in turn subsidised from the mainland when we mainlanders put into their consolidated revenue. Truth be told Taswegians should be asking the rich people in Wentworth permission to go ahead because chances are they pay more tax dollars into Tasmanian services than anyone else. At least the companies they own do.

 

In other words this very selective parochial state based sovereign exclusion argument is complete opportunistic bullsh*t. Any mill that chews 4 millions tonnes of natural forest a year in our country is evil and the rest of Australia has a duty to object. Though we should look after Botany Bay too. No doubt.

Cheers Tom McLoughlin

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 4:40 PM

Subject: PULP MILL AND BOTANY BAY

DEAR ALL

This letter appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald today:

I find the opposition to the Tasmanian pulp mill by people in other states to be hypocritical. Why don't you clean up that stink hole you call Botany Bay before sticking your nose in the industrial development of other states?

Tasmania is by far the cleanest state in this country and will continue to be so even after the pulp mill is built.

Brett Rutherford Devonport (Tas)

 

Regards,

Lynda Newnam

www.botanybay.info

protecting environment = protecting people

Posted by editor at 8:53 AM NZT

Updated: Monday, 8 October 2007 9:15 AM NZT

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Mood:  party time!

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

- The drum beat of climate change scaring the bejesus out of every serious objective thinker in the land just keeps, well drumming, the reverberations right in the chest cavity there and the loins as regards our genetic descendants and their prospects. Quite fundamental stuff really:

* Temperature likely to rise warns CSIRO - 5 degrees by 2070 quoting Dr Penny Whetton whose qualification is never mentioned by AAP in the News Ltd section (?) 6-7 Oct p10 Resources section of Careers in The Australian.

 

* Cash to cut and run by admirable Asa Whalquist on agri industry welfare.

 

* Climate inaction will hit output economics of climate

 

* Looks like Chile and other spanish speaking Latins are sacrificing their rivers for hydro power for lazy Australians who failed to promote solar, as per Sunday 9 story today, or is that just too cynical?

 

* "Roaring Forties change course as clean energy targets get wind farms out of the doldrums", yeah that's actually a headline.

 

* Chic Saffron Howden pushing forward some strong features in the News Ltd Daily Telegraph these days:

 

 

- It becomes clear, as per the headline, Turnbull former federal organisational treasurer and leadership aspirant has been first parked in the death's head portfolio of environment for a coalition/national party govt, then against odds on say water reform was getting too successful again, and now has been wedged on approving the pulp mill by forces within his own Liberal Party support base.

All of this is very cute and expedient from vain old powermonger Howard's perspective keeping the rivals in his tent busy and battling each other, Howard the climate change vandal and laggard, forest destroyer his whole career, who has woodchipped Costello's spirit, and now has to beat off Turnbull who is even more fearsome than the Treasurer, in order to control his succession and legacy. Glenn Milne seems to be helping out Mal the Coalition Minister with this splitter in the Sunday Telegraph (possibly offline) p5 today at the expense of the ALP's George Newhouse closing in as long as he holds his nerve:

But the hammer blow is Ramsey here, the old goat can still butt something fierce - 50 year legacy indeed:

- Gay friendly Sydney City Hub October 07 monthly edition publishes Christopher Pyne's name in the scurrillous hubris column. Circulation about 100? Just joking. More like 10,000 innner Sydney. With pro Liberal Party out Victorian MP Andrew Olexander  in a feature in Sunday Telegraph p87 with the other serious agenda features, surprisingly sober and dare we say straight piece about the politics of minority sexuality. Probably offline. Gutsy stuff. Called Throw open the closet.

- Sexy Eco Worrier Oz colour supplement, so called green is new black in p1 teaser

- Caroline Overington colour supplement in The Oz last week carries profile of Howard - hangs together until the last page where it falls in a discreditable heap both for the writer and for PM Howard. For instance:

* "loyal backbencher Jackie Kelly" who is also quitting on her leader Howard. So loyal.

 

* Jackie reckons Howard is worried about ALP wall to wall but not about very close to wall to wall Liberal in 1996 (eg gun law reform period, Carr ALP in power in NSW). Can't have it both ways.

 

* concedes foolishly the electorate is "bored" with Howard. You bet. [Just look at Dr Zhengrong Shi story below on Sunday 9 to understand how stagnant Howard really is.]

 

* Overington says Howard "has run and only lost once - and it was 20 years ago". That's a joke analysis of his career having lost the leadership twice as Mr 18%.

 

*Sol Lebovic touting there, and elsewhere for more work at Newspoll continues to massage the comeback thesis when its a 10-12 point margin stabilised for months. He would say that. If the ALP just keep on as they have this last 9 month election campaign, the polls aint' changing, formal election campaign or not. And notice Howard saying it will now be before early December, not 'by Christmass' reacting to the allegation he is being a smart arse, which he is still being.

 

* laughable reference to Howard's Rockerfeller idol contra distinction presumably with Rudd's anti fascist Bonhoffer.

 

Even so it was a funny read. She's a good writer.

- Reba Meagher stories - depressed fragile divorcee not coping with curnch job of NSW Health Minister because of personal life ? Feel sorry for her, but more sorry for NSW Health system and the citizenry. She is walking wounded propping up Iemma's power in the govt. If she falls will Iemma?

- amusing article by the always bright Imre ZZ here. Secret handshake indeed saying their machine has more fairies than the Greens. Mmm.

- ALP messy stuff in the North East Seat of Cowper here, which reminds me of some bloke Combet?

- last stretch kinder to incumbents says Sol Lebovic, probably true even if touting for Newspoll.

- African refugee programme cut, image in Weekend Australian at p27 demonstrates Govt claims, refer discussion in Insiders below too. Fairfax running positive images by comparison.

- The Australian chips (gotta love that) The Daily Telegraph's Hackerman over Heiner whiner story with Far Right behind Shreddergate bid

- Nasty little story about extreme secondary boycott anti free speech law if federal Parliament returns before the election, at page 38 of Inner West Courier 2/10/07.

- Not a good look for NSW police shoving local pro Burma democracy activists when 200-300 of their compatriots are getting shot and beaten to death. Sure Bathurst races have needed riot control in past years as has Bondi but a pro democracy protest? Please, get a grip and a perspective will yer Chief Scipione et al

Meet the Press

Footage of Bret Solomon outside Phillip St Sydney office of Turnbull/Howard Govt, chief organizer of Get Up with Sylvia Hale MP Greens in background, condemning pulp mill decision as anti democratic.

Guest is Peter Garrett, footage of Bob Brown exposing PG as impotent, useless.

Garrett reruns script on support [for 50 year pulp mill

Facebook question climate change, pulp mill backward step. Garrett sings ALP pro pulp mill song, proving beyond all doubt he is an ethical prostitute. All the cartoons show this understanding. PG was always bad on forests from at least the Sydney Town Hall meeting of 1500 greenies Feb 1999 which he snubbed as ACF president [this writer was a key organizer of that event, which the Carr ALP hated]

First adbreak Climate Change spoof by Get Up with Brett named. Good work.

Panel Michelle Grattan Age, Peter Hartcher SMH both serious weight thinkers.

Q. 5 deg C by 2070 increase. Footage of Sen Milne, more than akubra hat and bandaid cheque.

MG – no medium term targets? PG - Sledge of govt. Ross Garnaut report info for that. A lot of info cop out? [PG effectively avoids responsibility, claims virtue of need for more detail, really avoid wedge by Howard in the election]

PH – pulp mill, broaden scope of Env Protection Act. How?  Change discretion.

PH – great question – tax payer subsidy of major carbon emitting industry like pulp mill?

PG avoids question, sledges govt. …..

Farmer audit of land – lays out formula for that wise defensible policy against agri corporate welfare.

Coal, claims $500M clean coal research is good. Ethical prostitution again.

Out take 2^nd adbreak – animation from Courier Mail, Costello using ALP theme song what about me but about leadership with Howard placating whimpering PC.

IR advert Liberal managerial voter shafted by Work Choices, real people real stories.

John Robertson Unions NSW - won't do vote for Greens in the Senate deal on Work Choices campaign.

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

Myspace web address: www.myspace.com/meetthepeople

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary  -

 Bathurst races coverage, no Riley Diary one presumes, and see media backgrounder above re police politics.

http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend

Posted by editor at 10:27 AM NZT

Updated: Monday, 8 October 2007 8:03 AM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

It would be presumptuous to pry into Ms Meagher's private life, but sometimes it takes impertinence to help someone in real trouble i.e. to intervene. She is so fragile its a cruel situation and she needs support, including help to stand aside if that's what it takes. In our value system a minister's portfolio responsibilities should not include ritual humiliation in public as a result of a medical condition.

[And we notice the relatively judicious and compassionate approach to Reba Meagher's career prospects pp 88-89 in the Sunday Telegraph 7 Oct 07, while correctly demanding performance in a key role.]

Anyone who saw Stateline last Friday with any real life experience, or survivor of trauma, knows the Minister is in serious trouble. We were on notice from Andrew Clennell's dramatic language earlier in the week at the SMH referring to her comprehensively folding at a press conference. We couldn't bare to watch she was so shaky. If Dempster was not such a decent professional it could have been an execution, nor did Dempster appear to withhold the steel under the velvent glove on issues of merit at say Royal North Shore hospital.

The feature story by Simon Benson, no fool, in today's Telegraph is also instructive. 5 weeks holiday as a senior minister is also indicative.

Iemma must get involved here and help Reba Meagher. If I could talk to Reba Meagher I would tell her some compassionate things:

1. a career in politics is not the main purpose of life. Life is the main purpose of life. If a divorce has knocked you down and left you shattered then hooray welcome to the family of humanity. It's okay. It's normal. You will have to stop and recover. Really. You can't hold down a super hard job like Health Minister in NSW in what everyone calls the bear pit of Australian politics and deal with a shattering experience at the same time.

2. its just the breaks. No one's fault. Life is not simple, never was. Your boss - Premier Iemma, Kaiser in the Premier's Office, whoever - they are responsible for protecting you and all ministers psychologically and emotionally in the workplace when you can't for whatever reason protect yourself. They must help you as a professional duty to stand aside to recover.

3. Everyone in professional politics can see you are way too fragile at that level. This watcher is worried for the minister's well being. We thought earlier in the week Reba were getting an attack of the Lathams 'out of love with the ALP' syndrome. Or maybe it's the domestic home front. Geof Gallup tell her she has to save herself.

39 or 29 or 19, when you cop an emotional haymaker you just have to take time out. Like quit your job, go fishing, whatever. You owe it to yourself, you owe it the job of Health Minister and the people of NSW, but mostly you owe it to yourself so you can start work on the next chapter of a rich and fulfilling life.

Remember while your down there at the bottom , as you survive and gradually rebuild you will be just that more able and effective. But it will take time - a year maybe more.

Listen to me Reba as if you would read this news blog, you are at risk. It's okay to let go. So you can start remaking your life.

4. Emotional toughness and well being has nothing to do with intelligence or innate talent. You might be a political genius but it's no use if you are emotionally broken beyond repair - the talent will just be squandered. That toughness has to be developed through hard troubling experience. It's painful because there is no way around really living that trouble. That's life for real.

There is light in the tunnel Minister but you have to change your life, that's the point. Good luck.

Posted by editor at 4:58 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 7 October 2007 11:22 AM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

Hanson/Australians Against Further Immigration/white supremacist vote in 1998 caused mayhem for Howard/Abbott Coalition by splitting their vote. In 2001 Howard actually adopted the strategy to get that bigot vote back in the infamous Tampa Affair. Decency gradually shut down Hansonism and the Tampa strategy for being what it was - "dog whistling" and the "race card". So what is going on this time around issues of colour as the Americans call it in 2007?

Consider some apparently disparate facts:

Falung gong in their email broadcasts argue that Chinese Communist Party regime fund the Sudanese civil war (to annexe the oil) creating widespread misery.

Caller to Trioli 702 abc radio (5/10/07) - tension between Africans and the Asian shop owners in the Adelaide market area. Barely contained mutual hatred is the implication.

Eyewitness report from our source in Inner Sydney re Asian Australian Christian outreach folks, run in with African guy who upturns their table. Quite irrational, sad, unacceptable. Atypical contrast with the vast majority of African youth both well behaved and welcome in this diverse coffee coloured area.

Join the dots: The pragmatic Howard Govt need (according to their self interest I mean) to neutralise and shutdown the white supremicist ultra right at their heels in case their vote splits the Coalition again in a 2007 election already looking too tough. It was called One Nation 9 years ago, now its Pauline Hanson Mark II. On the other hand they need to avoid the muck of the racial gutter or be correctly condemned and lose the mainstream too. Their interim partial answer to Hansonism - just stop the flow of colour.

The Africans refugees with their very recognisable (and we say appealing) physical traits are an easy mark for the ultra right bigot/simpletons to the right of the Coalition govt. Ironically it was this same distinctiveness that served a useful real politik for the govt against the left pro refugee groups by demonstrating with symbolic small numbers of African refugees a moral riposte. But the bigots have closed down that Coalition govt angle now too. The govt in real politik terms is walking the tightrope of mainstream decency and ultra right jackals in a very fragile election profile.

To guillotine the African refugee programme is a real sign of electoral weakness by Minister Andrews , not so much appeasing racism as fearful of the 1998 demonstrated effectiveness of their evil ways.

We submit the African refugee potential Australian citizens enriching our society and pool of talent - are just another victim of this long drawn out election season for complex reasons.

Less a case of racist motive by Minister Andrews, more a case of real politik survival.  One hopes post election decency will return on a bipartisan basis. Depressing to know the 5% racist vote are having their pound of flesh if only for a month or two until the vote.

Posted by editor at 11:30 AM NZT

Updated: Monday, 8 October 2007 1:05 PM NZT

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Mood:  special

Wentworth voters (Waverley, Woollahra Councils' ratepayers) OWNED the dioxin spewing Waterloo Incinerator and SUPPORTED closure of the highly polluting monster sited well outside their councils' area in 1997 after a determined campaign by Greens/ Greenpeace/ Friends of the Earth, South Sydney Council media consultants, resident groups, from at least 1992 onward, at significant asset loss ($40M) mitigated by land sale, and higher waste management costs this last 10 years.

Yet the Wentworth voters gave their real politik support out of public goodwill to Zetland/Waterloo folks at risk of cancer. They did it out of growing environmental consciousness. They did this because it was the right moral thing to do despite the cost.

At one point former ALP council colleague and later Mayor Peter Moscat asked this writer "What have done to those people down there?" meaning Bondi Beach ward, referring to their greater tendency to feral community driven politics. At the time I was flummoxed by the question but on reflection the answer is this: "I gave them 'permission' as their local representative". A permission they didn't really need from anyone but but maybe just wanted a little encouragement from a path finder.

The same will likely apply in terms of Wentworth voters concern for the Launceston folks at risk of dioxin and furan water pollution, and rotten egg gas air pollution too, from the Tamar Valley pulp mill decision this week.

Posted by:

Tom McLoughlin, editor, former Greens Councillor Waverley 95-99 (retired), Chair Environment Committee, member Finance Committee, ex officio co director of Waterloo Process Plant (ie Incinerator), Friends of the Earth 1995-2001.

Posted by editor at 10:36 AM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 6 October 2007 5:30 PM NZT

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Mood:  down

Green light for mill

• Labor happy with mill approval
• Gunns welcomes Turnbull's decision
• Cousins says fight against pulp mill not over
• Business group applauds Turnbull decision
• Mill conditions will be a joke: Wilderness Society
• Conditions of approval of pulp mill
• Timeline for the pulp mill project
• PDF: Turnbull's decision
• PDF: Chief Scientist's report
• Video Pulp mill opponents fight on

Certainly the smarties in the gallery are impressed, and the nightly news bulletins are heaping credibility on clever Malcolm the 'Environment Minister', perhaps not realising like most politicians that clever is just another word for loathesome smart arse in the eyes of the vast majority of anti pulp mill voters. Which just happen to be the majority of Tasmanians, Australians, and voters in Wentworth in 'clever' Mal's own electorate.

It's all about the scientific advice says Mal. Only speaking as a science graduate myself this is the same expert adviser Jim Peacock who barracks for a nuke reactor in every city ignoring duel use weapons proliferation agenda and waste and terrorism. Just incredible: PM - Scientists call for action on climate change. Dated 3rd October 2007 yet other scientists say ....

Nuclear no cure for climate change, scientists warn - National ...

not to mention Prof Ian Lowe of ACF also anti nuke.

But don't expect such insight from the Canberra Press Gallery, or indeed our political dunderhead 'leaders'. This is how they are reporting it:

Barry Cassidy on ABC 702 gave Turnbull a rap in effect for neutralising this issue as preface to Insiders on abc radio earlier this arvo by analysing it entirely within the two party framework with the ALP aligned. Says the science has now spoken - as if.

Mal Farr of the Daily Telegraph on journo forum 30 minutes later same channel echoes Cassidy. Doogue is surprised no deal done with John Gay to move it, David Marr waffles on about pity for Turnbull's predicament, marginal gay Wentworth blah blah. Nothing like the predicament of the ecosystem yer think?

Laurie Oakes on 9 similarly notes lack of contest from the ALP with Garrett transformation from "activist to mainstream politician complete". Good footage of Bondi beach protest banner. Lead story too. Garrett looked really lame grinning bean pole, brazen, totally compromised, marionet, camera dwelled on him twice.

Mark Riley 7 does a competent package but only 4th in the line up after localised focus on other traumatic stories chasing the superficial ratings rather than long term weight.

SBS Karen Middleton, 2nd lead story, quite a bit of Geof Cousins all day saying Turnbull was gutless for "squibing it" when he could have been a hero, and the fight goes on 'with plenty more to happen yet' like the Franklin River in 1982-3. (Historically accurate, stopped a year after approval.) SBS very good on narrow aspect of the scientific advice of the 'chief scientist' wanker.

Lead story abc tv 7 pm news.

Turnbull has flattering interview with Kerry Obrien on 7.30 just now. "Belt and braces" to the pollution controls and monitoring. But its still a disaster for forests and greenhouse and a bloody disgrace: Democracy is broken folks, vast majority don't want it and it gets approved with both major parties supporting it.

Here are some prime quotes:

200K ha per year logged, quote Senator Nettle

4M tonnes a year mostly native forest, quote Geof Law TWS on World Today: 'Turnbull announces Tasmanian pulp mill go ahead'                   TRANSCRIPT          

...........................................

10M tonnes a year greenbouse gas impact, quote Senator Bob Brown.

.................................

This writer spent the middle of the day casing Turnbull campaign office next to Bar Colluzi in Victoria Rd Darlinghurst (nothing on street level). Also Greenpeace anti logging images on exhibition at Redfern rail workshops called Carriageworks:

 

We also picked up the last two weeks of Wentworth Courier from the Bondi Junction office (now News Ltd owned) after Trioli on ABC 702 interviewed their editor at about 9.15 am. 3rd Oct 07, who says 'the issue will definitely kick on'.

.................................................................

 

Sad stuff. Never been a better time to promote the 'woodchipping sux' message outside supermarkets in the Wentworth electorate.

 

Posted by editor at 10:11 PM NZT

Updated: Friday, 5 October 2007 10:01 AM NZT

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Mood:  d'oh

Picture: SMH advert running today 3rd October 2007 on this climate change story here

Picture: Bushfire in Ku-ring-gai National Park taken from the hill above Watson's Bay in Sydney Monday 1st October 07 by this writer.

One could be excused for getting tetchy in the hot sunny weather this early Spring causing creeping dehydration, unexpected sunburn and heat stress.

But we submit the vision on the ABC and other news last night showed cranky Ministers Tony Abbott, and a pale Joe Hockey on 7.30 Report for another reason altogether.

The Newspoll early this week showed the ALP firming in its landslide ascendancy despite a massive overkill in government advertising: One of these ads called Climate Clever has become a laughing stock by way of a spoof on free to air tv and elsewhere by Get Up kindling the ever present irreverent humour of Aussie folk. The big free media have picked up the vibe widely reporting the exploitation of public revenue for election gain and echoing the cutting satire.

Then today feeding that vibe are an avalanche of credible stories quite negative to the federal government

- a poll by a University of Sydney (USYD) think tank showing Australians are quite anti GW Bush rather than the United States as such

- a big IR/WorkChoices study covering the health, community, finance sector from another respected USYD thinktank, with the added edge of a transparently cheap defamatory attack by spooked govt ministers Hockey and Costello of the academic authors. Indeed Costello on Trioli ABC 702 (2nd Oct) dived willingly into his own version of 'Hewson's 1993 GST cake debacle', by wasting precious interview time on an ideological rant enthusiastically attacking union "contamination" of academics where none was proven. It was nothing more than an egregious "slur" to quote respected Michelle Grattan on ABC radio national today 3rd Oct at about 7.40 am.

- Churches signing up to protect God's creation from dangerous climate change (DCC)

- Climate change conference this week in Sydney jointly sponsored by the CSIRO predicting same DCC from an academic and governance perspective

- Polling suggesting climate worries Australians as much or more than terrorism

- to add the political reality of DCC in our daily lives despite predictions still some 40 years hence, we have the early onset fire season  (pictured above), no doubt more serious because of unseasonal hot weather: Academics last week agreed mega fire is likely to be alot more prevalent with evidence these conditions are already here. The new 38 year old NSW Fire Commissioner looking more like Minister Phil Koperberg's political understudy warns of a long hot fire season (p20 Sept 30 Sun Tele, p90-91 profile same paper). Matt Price has a cutting piece in the latest Sunday Telegraph too about 'Captain Howard misses the boat' at p93 (offline?)

- polling in the electorates of Bass and Braddon, says The Wilderness Society, is highly adverse to the pulp mill proposal for Tasmania's Tamar Valley reports ABC AM this morning 3rd October 07 at this archive in due course.

And still the Howard govt refuses to name an election date, which just compounds the impression of the political community - like Sky News man on ABC radio recently - and increasingly the general community that this vain aged PM is being 'a smart arse' over the schedule.

There's one thing Australians, voting or not, always reject and that is a 'smart arse'. And that's the subliminal message the govt is at risk of promoting with its so called 'climate clever' slogan. Clever = smartarse.

In January 1994 when this writer represented The Wilderness Society and there were literally hundreds of bushfires raging in NSW, we wrote 'a letter of the week' reproduced in The Land newspaper calling for unified purpose and a rejection of divisive politiking, green baiting or whatever. We quoted chapter and verse the well known rural ethic of diverse country peoplepulling their weight against the common threat of bushfire, with greenies in local bushfire brigades as listed there, one with the firetruck in his driveway as he took my call at home in North East NSW.

We quoted statistics in an unemotional way about more fires going into than out of wilderness areas etc and our traditional enemies at The Land agri press gave us a fair go on their letters page. In the Inquiries of that fire season we learned that the greatest factor in those fires was adverse climate. Sure there is plenty one can do about ignition, fire trail maintenance, planning, asset protection and fuel load, but in the end it comes down to climate with even a hazard reduced area burning again a year later if the conditions are bad.

In 2007 there is a broad understanding of that changed bushfire risk profile around climate which was only a suspicion in 1994. And that's why bushfire politics - usually the friend of conservatives - will not deliver any change in polling for the Howard Govt, just as the big bang budget,  smear attacks on leader Rudd, govt adverts swamping the airwaves or the election campaign is likely to change the polling. We think the politically expert ministers in the Howard Govt seem to know it and understandably are unhappy with the certain downturn in their election prospects.

It appears to our eye only John Howard still has faith in himself and will continue to believe right up to the concession speech. The curious aspect of Howard's ego is that he loves the attention win or lose. His colleagues would do well to remember that. Win or lose he is still enjoying the game just as long as he has the spotlight. And that's where they have miscalculated his scant loyalty either to them or to the sustainable future of this country.

This Prime Minister won't be missed.

Posted by editor at 10:58 AM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 4 October 2007 10:44 AM NZT

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Mood:  chatty

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

- WS FM runs Tommy Rodonikis attacking adverts using tax dollars for playing politics, should be playing football, ALP's Tim Gartrell authorisation at 10.30 am.

- Ramsey Saturday Herald slam dunk of sad sorry Heiner affair as a political strategy versus Rudd, as Sunday Tele runs Akerman tub thump on same thing on shadow even numbered opinion page. Ramsey has the provenance re Sankey Liberal legal trickery too. BUT the Heiner shredding is really a symptom ofthis: the Fitzgerald Inquiry wanted to put the salts through the ALP after doing the Nats over in the 1980ies, but Fitz was prevented from doing so by incoming ALP Goss govt to avoid “a lawyers picnic”. This is the story that hasn’t been written – that Joh’s deep corruption had tainted the ALP too, even if the Heiner matter is a blind alley, echoes of Beattie wheeling Joh’s wheelchair?

- Megalogenis at The Australian, and Hartcher et al Fairfax slam dunk the boondoggle agrarian socialists  in the National Party guilty of disastrous land clearing,and lying (Vaile: $100B economic contribution, only $25B, disjunction of export to food security etc) as to their economic importance. They only exist to prop Howard prime ministership but they are easily on the wrong side of ecological history.

- Laughable hypocrisy of sneering News Ltd on the one hand distributing Climate Clever booklet, and advert page 21 in Sunday Telegraph but calling it “Greenhouse mania” in their editorial in The Australian weekend copy AND $2 Will Bailey …err Tim Blair in Sat Tele calling everyone else hyprocrites for caring about climate with dirt in both papers recently on Dr Karl (Strewth column in the Oz Sept 28, p3 of Saturday Telegraph) for getting involved in the Climate Change Coalition electioneering. Notice the shift in emphasis – yeah DCC is real but its techno fixes and our Coalition side that’s got it covered. Only they haven’t, and it won’t be techno, but cultural, well both really.

- Onya Ziggy, confirms Howard very pro nuclear energy in The Oz.

- Here comes (reports Chris Merritt) the bogus tort of privacy  to enbale big corporates to reassert legal ascendancy after asbestos/Hardies inspired reform of defamation law to really debate the corrupt multinationals and smaller wannabes.

- Tas pulp mill not an economic goer in fact - just all boondoggle corruption really - per Oz p6 28/9/07, repeat of p2 8/9/07. And John Lyons suggests its increasingly as unpopular as equine flu

- Big profile one page profile for media tart Mick Kelty and his 'AFP family' re police remembrance day but as much special pleading on Haneef, elsewhere stories of Chaser possibly to get off with wrist slap major embarrassment, and Mamdouh Habib scandal of forged evidence in The Oz.

- Meanwhile the Climate Change Coalition and Greens (pictured above) are vying for full page adverts in SMH monthly glossy Sydney Mag, and Good Weekend respectively on populist DCC. Greens have the machine for my money.

- 2 page advertorial by GHD promoting Al Gore visit and business sustainability in The Oz, Thursday or so (advert offline)

- Perhaps the most uplifting aspect of the weekend press is Kessing getting a $40K handshake from the big media for doing his public duty only to cop a conviction and 3 year legal merry go round and lose his job.

- Another uplift - NSW govt contradicts its own nature by saving a few red gums for now, say till the federal election?

 

 

- Idealistic media run images of caged reality 'installation' on Bondi Beach in Fairfax, Australian and ABC tv news etc, so naturally Saturday Telegraph runs a 2 pages 25, 26 spoiler about : 'Beirut' Bondi with repeat pics of same Mekano digger, repeat pics of same high rise renovation, and repeat of same story we ran here on SAM ie allusion to 'battle ground Bondi' ...oh was it April or May 07? Having voted as councillor 10 years ago for the west side of Campbell Pde upgrade the real story is why the Federal Govt continue to spend next to nothing on Bondi Beach maintenance when tens of millions visit per year. That's a real story.

- WWF report damns Howard Govt strategy: Fri 28th Sept Sept p3 SMH by Marian Wilkinson, seriously smart new 'environment editor', next to

- We noticed page 5 of The Oz 3 picture splitting story (show above)about Not Happy John team getting a chill from charmer Maxine McKew in The Oz, who doesn't want the abrasive aspect to her outreach. This writer felt a twinge of criticism, but agree with the notion Howard Hating is no way forward for previous supporters of Howard because it provides no room for dishonourable disengagement from the Rodent. And the real point is as Silas once of NHJ and now of Get Up will tell you, Maxine has her own new 'NHJ' run by Brett Solomon/Evan Thorley et al. So dear John Valder it is time to focus on Wentworth where they enjoy a bit more biffo compared to Epping. Mind you Darling Point and Double Bay are very Epping too even if the white picket is more deck and balustrade than fence paling.

- Interesting splitting angle by Howard's office promoting ex ALP PM Hawke as the current PM's confidant, probably on yellowcake, as Hawke does ALP tub thump tour in WA to great effect. A prime ministerial warning to silver bodgie to back off or the rep get's it? All leveraging Hawke/Keating hostility with sledge of latter woven into the story, where else but p1 Australian 28/9/07

- Bloggers are newspapers 'best friend' for effectively promoting their online adverts by links

- Errol Simper blows the whistle on axing of the Natural History Unit at the ABC who 'coincidentally' broadcast the anti logging The Last Valley. You join the dots. Similarly Amanda Meade notes Kim Dalton not welcome at Eureke awards.

- 'Rangoon detains activist over rally' - August 27 2007, The Australian p12. That is the tragedy there was brewing at least 5 weeks ago.

- Hans Blix plea for nuclear disarmament was lost in all the APEC palaver, 28/8/07 p13 SMH

- nice to hear Cats win the AFL grand final, because we didn't bother watching after the 3rd quarter in disgust at the mismatch, and the surly 'play the man not the ball' mediocrity of the Port Adelaide defence. You have to be hungry for the ball and that's the real joy of the game, not the other side. Port were psychologically misdirected.

- oldie but a goodie, battery charged bicycles for the hills in Sydney. 28/8/07 SMH p14.

Meet the Press

Drought climate nexus Vaile is talent. Press roundup re Cats win afl grandfinal. Union slush fund story, Telstra to target Howard Coalition, poll Nov 24 last Saturday in November?

Voter drought? Vaile smirks re date no confirmation. Vaile doesn’t discount dangerous climate change (DCC) causes drought at least in tone while quoting history of previous “cyclical droughts”. True but sounds like he is scared too. As he might be.

Vaile admits agri welfare like auto and TCF sector. “Survival mechanism” ironic ie of National Party [that will only have pro mining economic support after farm shrinks]

My space question ‘kid’ from Toowoomba Qld student. Ans re full employment stay in regional Australia.  Outtake scratchy my space questions.

1^st advert Get Up spoof of govt climate change PR strong on sleaze aspect of hypocritical govt record re Kyoto spoiling etc. As per 1st quarter of AFL yesterday.

Annabel Crabb Fairfax, Glenn Milne in News Ltd. Rudd footage on positive agendas.

How many Nationals in Cabinet if they win? Depends on the vote. To and fro

Question on $1B road election promise leak in Daily Telegraph. AC tries to flush out extra to budget $22B to 2014, old money or not? Vaile fudges. Still negotiating.

Nuclear – over the next 10 years turn to this? AC bouncer again. AC steel in velvet glove with her pinny dress. Again Vaile fudges.

‘Same sex marriage’, my space question – traditional line, keep word as it meant. Moved along way on property, super etc discrimination rights.

Animation from The Australian – laugh out loud, dream runner stops for another bloody inquiry on anything [but post Fitzgerald ALP which gives some logic misdirected Heiner business]

2^nd adbreak – IR advert bonuses for corporate board, strong impact.

Kortlang moonlighting from abc spin doctos with Trioli, Liberal Party provenance but acute open amusing all the same. Lib leadership polling dynamics. Pretty “amazing” Turnbull is no.4 after Howard Costello Downer. It’s time? No – Affair with Kevin Rudd,everyweekend goes home to Howard. Over next 5 weeks Rudd is going to say have to live with me.

Long campaign like Hawke in 1984? Peacock got closer when had nothing. Howard longer campaign to close Rudd down. Only differences really Kyoto, Work Choices, troops out of Iraq, rest is campaign he implies re stumbles and bumbles.

www. Myspace.com/meetthepeople

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

Myspace web address:

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary  -

http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend

Insiders 2

Indy edition with Bob Katter and Tony Windsor. Latter torpedo re PM ad hocery in face of Rudd, and supports renewable energy too. IR sleeper issue.

Paul Kelly soliliquy - missed a fair bit, and every person segment.

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/

Sunday 9

Goes the TWU follow up with Tony Sheldon. Using discreet fund to run election related campaign on IR which is what unions do, just like business. Get out your egg beater eh 9? As Ray said off transcript last week - won't the coalition love that story. Well der it was their story.

Adbreak with pro IR WorkPlace Authority of Govt - straight electioneering ad we paid for. Corrupt.

TWU gets badgered by Ross Coulthard. Ray says "I'm sure Mr Howard and Mr Costello will love those non answers."

Next story is electioneering - young voters enrollment issue. Angus from Sydney Uni SRC with Albanese all over the issue. Token balancer story from conservative ch9?

Feature is Iraq war troops thesis both sides very similar. Weird referral of foreign policy to troops on the ground. Since when?

.......................

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Posted by editor at 10:31 AM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 3 October 2007 9:57 PM NZT

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