22/7/07 Sunday political talkies - a rodent led recovery for the Coalition looks doubtful

Sunday, 22 July 2007

Sunday political talkies - a rodent led recovery for the Coalition looks doubtful
Mood:

incredulous
Topic: election Oz 2007

Author’s general introductory note (skip this if you know this regular weekly column):

This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies in Big Politics and Big Media.

Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208

“..newspapers are only a shadow of reality; their information is important to a freedom fighter not because it reveals the truth, but because it discloses the biases and perceptions of both those who produce the paper and those who read it.”

Just substitute ‘Sunday tv political talkie shows’ for "newspapers" in the quote above.

For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Media backgrounder:

The boy who would be: John Howard had ‘average school marks because of a hearing problem’ (the transistor was invented in 1948, he only got a hearing aid ‘at 19’ around 1958, his hearing issue was spotted ‘when he was 3’) YET ‘he was a good school debater which indicated he was suited to law’. He worked as a salesman and a law firm while he was a young student …before the hearing aid?: Good Weekend SMH 21/07/07 p17. Hard of hearing or just another rodent trail? With pictures of ambitious Janette with all the trimmings. Will his woman save his career again, like the proverbial wife of the Nobel Prize winner, who if she had only married the hippy …he would have won the Nobel Prize? In other word not so much a marriage as a power pact?

Kevin Rudd, Opposition Leader - last but not least Harry Potter novel proves a pollie will turn up to the opening ... of a cardboard box, smart politics too.

Sunday Telegraph leads with more NSW Govt based Law and Order tub thumping to crowd out the federal govt oxygen. Same with Beattie up in Qld. The serious lieutenants of the elect Rudd machine. In effect running interference on federal govt anti terrorism tub thumping - a new story is running about Haneef - Courier Mail?

Energy wise out with Energy Australia bills this last week “During this year’s Earth Hour readings from five CBD electricity supply points were compared to data from the last three years and indicated a 10%.2 reduction in energy use over the hour. This is the same amount of electricity needed to run more than 400,000 televisions for one hour?” [SAM: But was it a warm night? Even so this is encouraging stuff.]

Why smelters are power hungry p 10 Resources 21/7/07 – ‘another six or seven kilowatt hours ….lost…as heat. The CSIRO’s Hall Heroult projects are on the case.

Don’t panic it's only the apocalypse p28 Spectrum Sydney Morning Herald, The Essay by Richard Eckersley on the psychology the a great ecological plane crash

Imre Salusinszky shares a tender moment Rear View p40 of Review in The Australian 12 May 07, about his daughter crying on the way home from school because Sydney suburbs will be under water “in her life time” because “you wrecked the planet”. The brutal honesty of children.

Insert in the Sunday Telegraph of new environmentally themed movie ... really ....

ABC radio late last week reported Peter Garrett was in an advance party for his Leader Rudd [Monday 23rd July] to Tasmania prompting this from the Greens Senator Bob Brown:

Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 11:47 AM

Subject: [Greens-Media] Bob Brown welcomes Peter Garrett to Tasmania

Saturday 21 July 2007

National Greens Leader Bob Brown has welcomed Peter Garrett's unheralded
visit to Hobart.

Speaking in Launceston, Senator Brown said Labor's shadow environment
minister is apparently not visiting the north of the state.

'This is the epicentre of debate about Gunns' pulp mill, its pollution
and its forest destruction," Senator Brown said.

"Many people opposed to the pulp mill will vote Greens this election
unless federal minister, Malcolm Turnbull or Peter Garrett do the right
thing and reject the farcical assessment by the Lennon government.

"Peter has not taken up my invitation to take him out to visit the
threatened forests and habitat of endangered species, like Tasmania's
giant wedged-tailed eagle."

"It is a beautiful day to visit the Blue Tier or the Great Western
Tiers, for example," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Prue Cameron 0408 473 379

10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am

Plybersek on housing affordability all worthy and sensible stuff. Looks fine, good speaking voice. Lead in footage of Rudd sledge gives handy profile on a policy of substance. Out take to first adverts is Rudd and media greatly enjoying an ‘FM radio’ read youth station some 130,000 listeners 18-24 every morning in Sydney (Nova?).

Lead in Rudd on leadership tensions in Libs. Jennifer Hewitt of The Australian looking ever bigger, throws dixer to Plyb. She betrays her enjoyment slightly. [Needs gravitas beyond opportunism]. Hewitt moves in re “culture of complaint?”

Moves in again re abandon “aspirational voters”. JH is quite a bitch in true reptile form.

Ply doing quite well, all those newspaper articles give her the words. Pushes the disjunct for battlers “never had it so good” from Howard.

Haneef matter.

Phillip Clark 2GB 2nd on panel. ALP running dead on this? Plyb plays careful bat, because lack of [in effect operational] data. Foolish to make pronouncements. [Mick Kelty will like this answer. ]

Hewitt steers to another direction. Maternity leave. Is Hewitt expecting given her size? Plyb very capable sensible answer, no cheeky smile on this topic. Shows her policy strengths rather than just rhetoric – eye to eye solidarity with Hewitt on this question after the biffo.

Q. on union thuggery.

…………………..

Take out cartoon ‘safe pair of hands’. Rah rah patriotism The Australian advert – half expected a federal govt John Howard tub thump endorsement at the end not a Big Media.

……………

Legal controversy of Haneef material. Ruddock footage slams breach of professional ethics of release of police transcript [by defence barrister].

Tim Bugg Law Council – expresses a lot of concern of his lawyer members.

Clark curly on Haneef all according to law? Bugg concedes [but wrong – selective leaks by prosecution/govt were illegal as per defence later so not by law, and that’s my legal advice – subjudice systemically wrecked, and everyone knows it.]

LC has good record on testing indefinite detention power of exec govt, not proper debate, senate committee recommended be a cap.

JH curly – public support for more draconian approach.

‘Mr Bugg’ cold tone of JH – all a matter of balance. Less burden of proof for immigration.

Clark – Magistrate can’t decide national security? Bugg says criminal law got involved from the C’th Govt first. So in effect saying Exec Govt are playing shifting goal posts. Bugg could have said it clearer if less diplomatically too, but deep voice and fatherly moderation is very effective PR image.

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

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary -

Best of Riley Diary on holidays – at end dwells on Peter Costello clever politics but also impressive Peter Garrett song at the Olympics (an all time great activist ambush, and in retrospect a very public job application to the ALP).

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

Sunday 9

9 news round up runs story in News Ltd papers re gold coast building being cased by Haneef? Big call. Game breaker if true on this particular story.

Strong Paul Barry feature on housing investment frauds.

Oakes interview – new ACTU head got Combet’s job – the mild one, fairly slow but showing substance, understands brand of IR campaign, clipped statements help with cautious pace sounds humble and honest. Quite responsive but diplomatically restrained too. Looks a little stodgy but only superficial. Oakes takes it quiety, slowly catchee monkee too. 2 million workers, and all their families still members way for the ALP to keep in touch.

Web poll 47% say John Howard should quit before the next election. 53% say no. Next week poll, ‘has Peter Costello earned the right to replace John Howard as PM?’ [ It’s very close in the conservative ranks we think. Bill Heffernan was looking very grim on the vision on abc tv last night over the Cook pre-selection farce to replace Bruce Baird. Baird should re stand. ]

Q & A with Laurie Oakes – traverse of Howard Costello relations – focus material of the ALP via Glen Milne. LO - Can dismiss as ALP stuff but some validity.

Costello lack ticker? LO – unfair, but has been indulgent. Says no point challenge if can’t win. [but that ignores the Keating two step to bring on the real war].

Gushing The Australian advert in the break promoting nationalistic buying habits when in fact biggest promoters of inequitable globalization owned by a US citizen. So ironic.

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

Insiders 2

Haneef matter, footage Howard PM plea for subjudice. Mick Kelty also pleading for subjudice.

Cassidy relies on role of media flushing out an “injustice” – Faris QC, journo Hedly Thomas, Hulls AG Vic ALP, Premier Beattie as a lawyer.

Big Q re where is Kevin Rudd on this law and order?

Talent Lindsay Tanner shadow finance minister – takes an agnostic view until the full court process runs through. “Only got partial information.”

Tanner plays dead bat, too dead like Geoffry Boycott – Cassidy presses him on subjudice leaks by govt/prosecution to senior journos behind the scenes re significant email chatter, and other info.

Pressed on defence barrister – Tanner concedes there is a question there.

Q on Costello/Howard tension – big spending wasteful govt past its time, refers to the leadership rubics cube going into melt down if Coalition wins,– a good line better than troweling poison as such. [Trouble is victory has many parents and tends to smooth things over…maybe. Can also be the resource curse.]

Tanner strong on transparency for super markets – quite right re weakness of market model in modern captilism.

Cost of living every person segment three mothers cradling kids and asian Australian dad (like the Bennelong demographic).

Panel – Schubert Age, Price The Australian, Akerman Telegraph.

General talks. Rudd leak to Milne on polling attempt to undermine Howard.

Paul Kelly (PK) soliloquy – Haneef matter – competence of the federal govt on national security in question. Reveals Howard knows about Andrews decision Nat Sec Cee of Cabinet too. Good sourcing there from PKelly. Pay the price if they got it wrong. Kelly changes tone a lot since yesterday’s column. Votes have shifted to ALP, past tense. 11 years to sort out and both men diminished by this. Could have sorted it out. Kelly sounds like he’s got a cold and little grumpy also? No action expected at the top on panel and PK agrees. ‘Story of the week’ PC was a little indulgent, big deal. PC never been more important to Howard than he is now. [which is why Costello must make a decision now, he has a some political space to make it, and it will be his last chance in my book].

General discussion of Haneef case by panel – Cassidy makes a strong point Age quoted several senior ministers just cancel his criminal justice visa and deport him, but that would only be the case if he was not a real terrorist. Akerman argues against bleeding hearts point. Reasonable point about time to prepare evidence but undone by his own agreement evidence on big matters botched. Akerman agrees with Tanner mature approach to run it through courts not the media.

Interview with Howard biographer, young, ex Liberal staffer.

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