Sunday political talkies: Beware the cult of masochism in Sydney today
Mood:
d'oh
Topic: aust govt

Picture: Notable Sydney press Saturday 19th July 2008 reprising the crucification of Jesus from the Bible on each page 1 as Pope Benedict visits to boost the Catholic franchise/cult. According to one religious view one must suffer to be holy like Him. As if Christ wants us to suffer little crucifications in pale imitation. Such a grim joyless perspective. Rather the truth is more likely that He suffered so that we might not. Isn't that every good parent's wish? In other words the opposite of masochism.
Author’s general introductory note (skip this bit 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 and/or video feeds go to web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.
Media backgrounders
* humbling article by Hamish McDonald is a cracker about East Timorese priest martyred with 25 others from Indonesian military:
Flawed truth and fatal consequences - World - smh.com.au HILARIO MADEIRA was the sort of priest who makes you understand how the balance of the global Catholic congregation is shifting to the developing world, |
Picture: Drug (legal) pushers News Corp and last months full page grog adverts in theSydney Daily and Sunday Telegraph, including today's papal reportage. They sure know how to get in the "spirit" of things like the SAM's editor's alcoholic grandfather, now dead journo/WW2 correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald. And father too of 9, we being no. 8. As a teetotal these days we can confidently say it's an Irish thing.
9 Sunday 7.30 – 9.30 am
Stephen Crittenden and Caritas guy Jack De Groot (!) on the Catholic WYD [notice George Negus at Dateline suggesting dishonest deletion of Catholic to one of the black bishops here.
Some tough question by Ellen about manipulation of youth to conservative side of the Church.
Ross Greenwood finance wrap up – spills the beans that Reserve Bank didn’t raise interest rates because 1 it would look political, and 2 backing a different horse.
Ellen balances up with some gush later with the news and sports guys after 8am “we love Benedict don’t we, nice middle European Gentleman”, [or the Vatican Rottweiler – which is the truth – almost certainly both – staying with the Opus Dei thugs]
East Timor story about medical volunteers – important, well timed story like Hamish McDonald approach yesterday in SMH.
Buy in feature about Christians run out of Baghdad. Grim spin on US war causing 4.5 million refugees.
…………..
Pre adbreak, great camera pause on Wong as still as the early morning, nearly 5 seconds two blinks but not a quiver or pause. She is one tough ….. pollie, [‘not that there is anything wrong with that’ (!).]
Laurie Oakes with Minister Penny Wong. Easy questions about Costello go or stay, save
Climate – Pope used as cover for bad news? Not top of mind she says.
Big tv advertising campaign asks, uses BNelson as cover to say YES. “Public information” campaign. Another GST, Work Choices [splurge] “hundreds of millions of dollars” – not says Wong.
What extent compensate households. Wong formulaic – no cost free, positioning for the future, economic prosperity, modeling, as a commitment, compensating, assisting. LO counters with own weasel word culture jam re aspirationals rather than just welfare cases – ‘very conscious about petrol prices’.
LO coy about offsets, 5 years ahead says Wong. Waves her right hand lowish for emphasis, that’s the tell she is begging for acceptance/emphasis amongst the inscrutable façade. [She should be known as Mogadon Wong for ability to put the audience to sleep with a serene sense of calm – as the floodwaters rage down the valley].
LO – no real difference between Howard, and Rudd policy – why waste a year, pursues the thesis of his excellent article yesterday in the Saturday Telegraph.
LO “just lifted the policy” – Wong agrees always building, claims more detail on household compo – goes on to say without demur that Coalition should cooperate [proving Lib-Lab Bib and Bub, a term invented for the 1993 election by The Wilderness Society’s Karenne Jurd and Peter Warrington to real effect. Keating hated them ever since and trashed Australia’s native forests like the barabaric thug that he is on the environment.
Missed the last tiny bit, out take on survey 45-55 says Pell should resign.
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp
10 Meet the Press: 8- 8-30 am
Lead footage is Wong and Climate Change . Swan as Treasurer slumming it on Ch10 shows Govt is worried? Jackman as per ALP Govt porn in the Australian.
Press round up refers to Sunday Herald in Sydney.
Compere is Greg Turnbull. Double byelection. Vaile and Downer gone, Costello too?
[relates to The Oz front page lead about polling showing Costello was the threat to ALP in 2006, never got the chance.]
Climate Change – silly question by GT – worried about CC on their watch [it was how they got elected, leveraging such as Get UP after seed funding of same].
Better question from GT re entitled to be cynical. Swan says huge difference to Green Paper and BN budget reply speech. Then goes on to repeat Nelson line on price signal already.
GT sticks at it, good man, re undoing price signals in the broad, yet compensating broadly. Swan goes on re protecting “trade exposed sectors”.
What about Qantas $100M cost, job layoffs etc. Says international aviation is not included in the scheme (!).
Panel after 1st adbreak Philip Clark 2GB, Jessica Irvine SMH.
Author Christine Jackman, spouse too of News Corp editor. This is really ALP porn in the sense of raking over their machine and personalities, mostly self referential, subjective and a priori. Insider, duchessed script. Has to be read down in that light.
There she is spruiking turned around the polls “in a year” and ‘it wasn’t luck but the man [Godfather of her child, none of this declared or even asked about by the ‘journalists’]. It’s all about getting future access by Jackman and News Corp etc to the new regime.
[which reminds AM’s editor better do my 3 years of tax because the obverse is also true, ATO owe me on low income anyway. 6-10K pa grovel good luck ATO!].
Blahs on about economic management – coalition walked away from that record – The Australian News Corp speak for Rudd should mimic their political economy biases too.
Flatters Rudd re detail man. Serves well in campaign not sure about in govt. All mates together smiling from the over paid over buffed Big Media.
Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.
Riley Diary 7, 8.35 am
Riley still on holidays by the looks. Filler with Matt Harding the jig man, seems to be a metaphor for global cooperation on climate change somehow from developed to undeveloped world – take action, be positive etc. Antidote for despair.com on 9 a few weeks back. Truth in both philosophies perhaps.
One caption in the video looked wrong. The Giant’s Causeway is in County Donegal in north west of the Republic of Eire/Ireland, which is not actually the North East UK territory of “Northern Ireland” (have to check this).
Cut to body language guy rubbing his nose!
http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend
Insiders 2: 9- 10am
Lead is Christine Milne accurate about compo priced the ETS out of existence for Polluters ‘get paid’.
Industry like Qantas use as cover to slash their jobs, using CC as cover for escalating price of petrol.
Cross to Emma Griffith. Dwells on sorry by Pope for abuse such as 2 children raped by catholic priest in Melbourne destroyed their lives. [As per SunHerald lead which indicates editorial news integrity, versus crap News Corp no declaration of financial conflict of interest.
Panel – Annabel Crabb new adventurous hairstyle. Nice. Rounds up press – ‘pee or get off the pot’ very child friendly. Can’t tell if she is hitched waving her right hand around.
Grab on Swan earlier today.
Bolt on panel too, as too Meglo. About Costello – flattering to stay. AC believes he has had other offers.
BC refers to potential of ‘one term government’
Interview with Mal Turnbull – looking a bit too early. “Scrutinise legislation with great care” earnest comments about complex affects on the economy in the national interest, have recognized the extent of the problem.
Very haughty born to rule tone, we should be making these grave decisions. Argues Rudd 2010 plucked opporutistically ‘hairy chested’ in the campaign. Implies too soon – panders himself to skeptics. Dwells on LNG – vital part of lower emissions future, as ALP agree in their platform. LNG no protection [talking about Woodside].
1,500 tonnes per $1M of revenue. Absurdity – the dirtier ones benefit, the cleaner ones penalized.
Those out of the system competitive disadvantage. Makes talk of “global problem”.
BN says wait until the rest of the world. MT says election policy was to support ETS but very carefully. Damaging LNG bad for environment [actually exaggerating a bit because it’s all increased production even at a lower rate via LNG, it’s lower emissions but still compounding dangerous climate threat just slower. At best a transition energy source.]
Vaile blah – right in the criminal AWB scandal with Anderson. [Notice Sunday Tele Milne story has wrong caption on McGauran, actually new Nat leader – name?]
TB goes on blah about reconciliation – grievously wronged by members of the church.
Everyperson with martial arts school young blokes – Asian guy a bit nervous does his talking with his body and skills. All muscle and bone these skinny guys. Cute cut to Bruce Lee. Compo “pointless” well said Asian Australian guy.
Missed a bit in the panel as the remote went dodgy again.
Panel is not convinced by 3 year review, which is really from 2010 so it’s 5 years to 2013.
Paul Kelly notes it’s a political fix, re-elect Rudd mechanism. Can’t be justified in light of the Garnaut report. Far more severe than GST on the economy. Greens will be very happy. Rudd targets are very, very modest. Says The Greens will go beserk [as opposed to News Corp being editorially objective as they travel with the Pope and don’t declare their financial interest?]
Meglo reckons about .9 inflation, $10-20 per week. Bolt declines. Rudd has dodged it. Fuelwatch writ large, carbon watch multi billion dollar scheme won’t reduce any emissions. What’s the point? Bolt is right – if it doesn’t work what’s the point?. AC uncomfortably cast as apologist for Rudd Govt re Howard delay. Is it a job application Anna? Let it go, they are not worth it. [not hitched, left hand, thorny rose suit nice]
Bolt – rest of the world will never be involved. Prof Jeremy Sachs says no one else will want to be involved because the ETS is so clumsy. India and China have their own Garnaut report and rejected it. Meglo says actually gambling on technology for fixes.
AC no problem with 100 legacy we go first, good woman. Bolt revisionist on the science. AC says misrepresenting. Bound to be right. Bolt speaks the Coalition book why they are he asserts revisionist on the science/policy too.
All plausible until the first southern latitude cyclone in Australia like Wilma or Tracey or Katrina. Bolt dogma multi billion scheme won’t achieve anything. [Bolt sadly is so wrong – the science is far more settled than he can bare to consider given his false direction his whole life. Eco dunces with massive financial conflict of interest.]
Bolt goes ad hominem shows he is losing/lost the credible science argument as money and privilege hit the wall.
Jackman thesis [alp porn!] – poll about Costello in 2006 could beat Beazley. Anyone but Beazley beats Howard, and beats Costello even more. But all speculative given Costello would have the PM reach, Bolt makes that point too. Laughts with AC about Costello as the world’s greatest hypothetical. Bolt claims father in law as co author will add substance to PC’s coming book.
Talking pictures mostly about climate and Pope visit.
End of show predictions - Schubert had a 3kg red headed brat, bravo. Can't recall Meglo's prediction. Bolt something about 'we were first/Turnbull ETS' really the best way to win the next election' [said with menace for the big polluters from total climate change skeptic].
Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/
Inside Business 2 10 am
Business fallout over price of petrol and climate change.
Dixon for Qantas – oil price over $100 makes airline difficult.
Banking and aviation and mobile phone – high oil and food and credit crunch is causing stagflation [growth low, inflation high? Not sure the defn].
Economy on collision course with carbon trading control on carbon pollution. Dixon again “quite severely affected”. No plan for jet fuel, but is for refineries and drivers. Compo soften affect.
Two experts Nick Rowley adviser to Tony Blair. Elaine Prior Citi Analyst. Quite reserved, uncertain, usually damages says AK. Affect power sector? Will require some fossil fuels be taken out, to get real cuts. Have to be closed down. Steel, cement, aviation, costs to come through too. Two tier stockmarket those with and without permits asks AK.
Nick Rowley worked with Nicholas Stern, 10yrs advises Carr, and Copenhagen Commission. Kinesis now. Long worthy green Paper. Still uncertain what affect.
1000 companies figure lacks credibility.
About 50% of EU economy is affected. “Strange” to refer 1000. AK then uses the figure anyway in a question. Asks and effectively answers – will this system drive down.
………………
Interview with Graeme Samuel head of ACCC – don’t need to pander to business, or have their support. Over the last 5 years business believe in compliance as very important. Quite tough now asks AK. Just experience and more confidence and assertiveness. What extent has it changed him or vice versa. Dovetailing he says.
Role of Chair – face of the ACCC, journos always try to personify. Supported prefaced by rigorous analysis. Transparency and rigour reviewing Parlt cee, court, media or tribunals will find the error.
ACCC role expanding water, gas, electricity, petrol and groceries. Doorman anecdote – my family is relying on you. Said straight to camera, and quite moving too.
Posted by editor
at 10:15 AM NZT
Updated: Monday, 21 July 2008 11:43 AM NZT