Archive
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 4
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| Title: - EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” - - The Campaign Trail – Day 4 - | Author: No-Way José |8th Aug 2013 | |
| Policy Issue Debate: [Information on Policy issues you won't hear during the current Election Campaign.]
Previous Policy Issues: [Use links provided to read story in a new window and see relative polling data ...]
Day 4 Policy Issue: Government Limit on Borrowings – i.e. Debt to GDP ratio …[EYE-BALL Guru] … [click on Debt/GDP chart image to enlarge in a new window.]
it will be about the economic record under Howard, and the economic record under Rudd/Gillard Governments. If any one did research on economic management from the Government’s perspective it is all after the fact. The Australian Constitution has this to say on how a Government is allowed to manage its finances: See PDF version … see Word Version … On Taxation: [Revenues]
On Expenditires: [Spending]
The Constitution places all expenditure and revenue to be provided for under legislative process – meaning that all current and new expenditure is subject to existing and new laws under the Government of the day. In other words if the Government can pass legislation through the HOR and the Senate, then there is no restrictiveness on any Government spending initiatives, nor taxation revenue collect at its own will. The policy debate wanted is whether these rules should still apply given they were written at a time where Politicians had to get themselves elected, were deemed to be ‘of the people’ and ‘for the people’, and acted frugally when it came to the public purse. Since then society had changed in many ways, the advent of television and the ease in which the politician can reach the masses, and the modern method of the ‘candy store’ giveaways during election campaigns to get elected.. Since the GFC, all we know is that the world is in a debt spiral where new debt is doubling the old debt every four – five years. Obama inherited a 2008 Bush debt of US$7 trillion – five years later the debt is above US$16 trillion. Rudd inherited zero debt, and now we have almost $300 billion of debt, and under Bowen’s new forecasts, likely to be $4-500 billion in the near future. Europe is a basket case where many Nations have worse debt proportions than others and the P.I.I.G.S. have GDP/Debt rations from which they cannot recover if they remain in the EuroZone. Debt is the evil curse the Government’s have embraced to prop up ailing economies. In fact it has been irresponsible economic management and placed future generations in the position none of us want tem to be. Surely the prudent thing to do would be to place restrictions on the Government of the day’s borrowing capacity – force the Government to act responsibly and cut spending via Constitutional change linked to say – the Debt to GDP ratio. What we do know and as it stands now is this:
In a world where the struggle of life is ever increasing through debt explosion, and the Bank’s providing limitless lending to people already in financial trouble, the obvious answer to the question: ‘where will it all end’ … is relatively obvious – ‘badly’. Should not Government’s impose limitations on themselves and run budgets according to economic conditions? The problem is that ‘economic conditions’ is a subjective argument not often agreed to by opposing political party’s. Elections are won and lost on the basis of policies promised and the balancing of the costings for those policies left to balance once in Government. Surely we must know that this is ridiculous and makes us all look pretty stupid in accepting the ‘candy’ handouts with our vote. In a perfect world the onus of responsible ‘economic management’ would come from the Government – but when re-election is on the agenda, or a new Government wants to take control, responsible ‘economic management’ becomes about ‘tagging’ the other guy whilst not getting ‘tagged’ yourself on economic management. In that scenario who do we believe, the $70 billion hole in the Coalition policies promoted by the Government, or the confessed $50 billion hole by the Government? In either case the taxpayers and the electorate are bound to get screwed either way as they have done across the globe for the last 40 odd years. Should the people have a say in how much the Government can borrow during at term of office? How would an economic stimulus package as Rudd instigated in the face of the GFC work if there were limits on borrowings in place? Should a change of strategy against election policies render a Government out-of-order, and be forced to go back to the people to get approval and seek a mandate? One thing is true – Governments have to be made accountable for the mistakes they make in relation to managing the finances of the Nation. The referee who makes the decision of whether the Government has overstepped their boundaries has to be the GG under our current Constitution. Therefore when a GG is selected, are they canvassed on the matter as to whether they would be prepared to out the Government over poor economic Management, and who would they receive advice from if such a decision had to be made? It’s all too hard one might say. But easily fixed if it was legislated that all Government borrowings were restricted as a ratio of GDP. Meaning that if GDP growth stalled, then no new borrowings can be assumed. If GDP growth fell, borrowings would need to be reduced. If GDP growth grew, then the Government has opportunity to enact new expenditure policy. The goal being that the Government is responsible for economic growth and it has to find ways to stimulate that growth away from new Government debt spending. For far too long Government spending has underpinned GDP growth and as a result the World has become a toxic debt explosion waiting to happen – the GFC was a tremor compared to what is still to come. This has been coming for many decades and it is a global problem. Debt got us into the GFC problem, and the only solution Western Governments have been able to come up with in the last five years it to increase their debt exponentially. All with a consequence of future taxpayers being responsible for the repayment of that debt, and the resulting reduced living standards that will ensure. Please take a minute to register your opinion in the Poll below: [EYE-BALL Guru] … Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Anthony Green’s Election Blog: Linked here. Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 3
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| Title: - EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” - - The Campaign Trail – Day 3 - | Author: No-Way José | 7th Aug 2013 | |
| Policy Issue Debate: [Information on Policy issues you won't hear during the current Election Campaign.]
Previous Policy Issues:
Day 3 Policy Issue: Judicial Appointments: …[EYE-BALL] …
High Court: Appointments to the ‘High Court’ and other Federal Courts are made by the Federal Attorney General. These Federal appointments are then rubber stamped by the GG. The appointments are drawn from a short list, after judicial reviews and assessments, and then decided upon by the Federal Government including the PM and its Cabinet process. The Attorney General announces the appointments after the GG has signed off on them. The current ‘High Court’ structure and appointments is contained in the table below: [linked on-line here.] [Click on image to see all judicial appointment data i.e. Education and Court experience, in a new window.] One of the rules for High Court appointees require mandatory retirement at age 70 – hence the appointment tenure. The spread of appointments of the current Justices is spread as three (3) from John Howard’s era, and four (4) from the Rudd/Gillard era. Two new appointments are due to be made during the next Federal Government term – both were John Howard appointments. Other Courts and tribunals controlled by Federal Government appointment include: [links to the Australian Federal Courts websites provided.] The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is an independent body that reviews a broad range of administrative decisions made by Australian Government ministers and officials, authorities and other tribunals.Administrative Appeals Tribunal The Australian Competition Tribunal was established in 1965. Prior to 1995, the Tribunal was known as the Trade Practices Tribunal. The Tribunal hears applications for review of determinations of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.Federal Court of Australia The Commonwealth Courts Portal is an initiative of the Family Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia and Federal Magistrates Court of Australia. It provides web-based services for clients to access information about cases before the courts.Family Court of Australia Inquires into the amount of royalty payable in respect of the recording of musical works; fixes royalties or equitable remuneration in respect of compulsory licences; arbitrates disputes in relation to the terms of existing and proposed licensing schemes; and deals with applications for the granting of licences.Copyright Tribunal of Australia The Council of Australasian Tribunals facilitates liaison and discussion between the heads of tribunals. It supports the development of best practice models and model procedural rules, standards of behaviour and conduct for members and increased capacity for training and support for members.Administrative Appeals Tribunal The Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal hears and determines appeals from courts martial and Defence Force magistrates in respect of service offences by Australian Defence Force personnel.Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal The Family Court of Australia has jurisdiction over all matrimonial causes and associated responsibilities.Family Court of Australia The Federal Circuit Court of Australia (formerly known as the Federal Magistrates Court) was established at the end of 1999. The court is an independent federal court under the Australian Constitution. The jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court includes family law and child support, administrative law, admiralty law, bankruptcy, copyright, human rights, industrial law, migration, privacy and trade practices. The court shares those jurisdictions with the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia. The objective of the Federal Magistrates Court is to provide a simpler and more accessible alternative to litigation in the superior courts and to relieve the workload of those courts.Federal Circuit Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia began to exercise its jurisdiction on 1 February 1977. It assumed jurisdiction formerly exercised in part by the High Court of Australia and the whole of the jurisdiction of the Australian Industrial Court and of the Federal Court of Bankruptcy.Federal Court of Australia The High Court is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. Its functions are to interpret and apply the law of Australia; to decide cases of special federal significance including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws and to hear appeals, by special leave, from Federal, State and Territory courts.High Court of Australia The Migration Review Tribunal (the MRT) and the Refugee Review Tribunal (the RRT) provide an independent and final merits review of decisions made in relation to visas to travel to, enter or stay in Australia. The MRT reviews decisions made in respect of general visas (e.g. visitor, student, partner, family, business, skilled visas) and the RRT deals with decisions made in respect of protection (refugee) visas.Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal The Social Security Appeals Tribunal is a statutory body established to review decisions made in relation to social security, education or training payments.Social Security Appeals Tribunal The Veterans’ Review Board is an independent tribunal to review decisions made by the Repatriation Commission on claims for acceptance of injury or disease as war-caused or defence-caused, on claims for war widows’, war widowers’ and orphans’ pensions, on assessment of pension rate for incapacity from war-caused or defence-caused injury or disease, and on claims for the grant, or assessment of, attendant allowance.Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The list of Current Federal Judges appointed to these courts are: Judges based in Sydney
Judges based in Melbourne
Judges based in Brisbane
Judges based in Perth
Judges based in Adelaide
Judge based in Canberra
Judges based in Hobart
List of State Courts: [Click to enlarge in a new Window.] All State based Courts Judges are appointed by the individual States Attorney General after the same process is pursued as for Federal Court appointments. The Debate: The system in place for Court Appointments has been in place since Federation and before. If not the Government to make the appointee decision then who. The matter comes to the debate table because of the appointment of Justice Bernard Murphy during the Julia Gillard term as Prime Minister. The AG at the time of the appointment – 13th June 2011 – was Robert McClelland. Nicola Roxon took over the portfolio in Dec 2011. Robert McClelland was involve din the AWU scandal as a lawyer after the AWU sacked Slater and Gordon and transferred their legal work to Maurice Blackburn. Nicola Roxon worked for Maurice Blackburn and it is widely acknowledged that Roxon took over the Gillard AWU file when Gillard was sacked from Slater and Gordon. McClelland introduced into the House a speech about his knowledge of the AWU scandal and Gillard’s involvement. Read the full text of McClellan’s comments – 21st June 2012 – in Hansard here via Andrew Bolt’s blog, or via APH here. There is a 12 month gap between McClellan’s comments and the prior appointment of Bernard Murphy. McClelland was sacked from the Gillard Ministry for supporting Kevin Rudd in his early 2012 Leadership spill. You do not have to be too clever to understand McClelland’s motives for the Hansard comments. What is interesting is that if McClelland knew about Gillard’s AWU scandal involvement, who else knew as well. And – if the numbers of ALP MP’s and Senators were aware of Gillard’s AWU scandal involvement, why was she chosen to become PM with the chequered AWU history there for the media and public to expose? Was the Bernard Murphy a payback by Gillard to hush up his knowledge of Gillard’s involvement in the AWU scandal – the evidence revealed to date had Murphy’s account differing with another Partner’s on the record account, and the transcript of Gillard’s recorded termination interview. As a policy issue – if the PM abuses their office to make judicial appointments who would know? Is there an appeals process for judicial members to appeal their case for a position they feel qualified for and want? The concept of Governments stacking the Courts is theatre stuff … honest and genuine Governments don’t play politics with Judicial appointments, just the same as judicial appointees never bare their political persuasion when passing judgement. That is how it is supposed to work and there are many judgements made that challenge the courts neutrality. The media and other vested interest try time and again to make the case of bias decisions from the judiciary. There is no case law where this has been proven. The Courts are often though of as being the third (3rd) arm of Government, behind the Legislature, and the Executive. [see link here.] Our Court Justices are charged with enforcing the Laws of the Land and as revealed with the High Court’s dismissing the Government’s Malaysian solution to asylum seekers, they are not only required to be seen to independent but they must act independently. Please take a minute to register your opinion in the Poll below: [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Media Stories: … [EYE-BALL] … Amedia story no one is writing about is the Treasury forecasts made in May for the 2013 Budget and the $33 billion hole across the forward estimates made only 11 weeks later. Surely the story we all want to know is how Treasury could have got it so wrong – yet again. Remember the 2012-13 forecast in May 2012 was for a $1.5 billion surplus. It was revised down to $500 million surplus in the mid year estimates and then in Dec 2012 it all came unstuck. As at the May 2013 Finance Department numbers the budget is at $17 billion deficit. So in the space of the time from May 2012 – to Aug 2013 – the Treasury estimates have made errors in excess of $50 billion … how can the Treasury forecast modelling be trusted. The Opposition have every right to have no confidence in handing over their policy’s for costing by Treasury. But the question has to be asked – why have they not used the incompetence of Treasury over the past 2 odd years as the reason. The other news story today worthy of note was the High Court decision on the MRRT challenge from Twiggy Forrest.
Please give your feedback on whether you have confidence in the Treasury modelling and the numbers presented in Chris Bowen’s amended budget forecast: … [EYE-BALL] … Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … The BULLSHIT Measure: The graphs showing the “Bullshit” measure will be updated weekly or there abouts … please if you find a story or media report that reeks of the ‘bullshit’ context, please send a link of the story text via comments section below. General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 2
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| Title: - EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” - - The Campaign Trail – Day 2 - | Author: No-Way José | 6th Aug 2013 | |
| Policy Issue Debate – Corruption in Politics: …[EYE-BALL] …
Why Not? With the Obeid/MacDonald ICAC revelations, the ongoing Craig Thompson saga that started in 2010, the AWU scandal on the go since the early 1990′s and both still not resolved, and then there is the Peter Slipper affair that goes back to the Howard years – political corruption and the abuse of parliamentary privileges is a big issue for the electorate. The Gillard assist in having the Thompson and Slipper incidents waylaid to allow the Gillard minority Government to stay in power is another issue that reeks of corrupt deals – yet and nobody in politics is interested in seeking the truth or having those deals exposed. The electorate want the debate, they want positive action to clean up the corruption issues and the longer Rudd and Abbott and other candidates hold off on the debate the more disengaged the electorate will become. When the rorting or travel and other personal expenses is excused as in the case of the Opposition Leader, the vested self serving interests that allow these claim error hiccups to go away is not the way these matters should be dealt with. We want the overseas trips for cooking lessons, and Test cricket junkets, the family trip to Tuscany to all stop. We want MP’s to pay for their own lunches and stop dining on the public purse. We want them to use taxi’s, buses and rail to experience the real public transport shortcomings the public are forced to endure. Claiming security needs and time constraints should be restricted to Cabinet Ministers – not backbenchers nor Senators. The first candidate to take a hard-line on political corruption will set a trend that can only drag all the other candidates into the same debate. Being soft on corruption is a great negative to any party or individual … If this be so – then why won’t they talk or debate the issue? Simple really – they are all a part of the problem and because they operate under a self-policing arrangement, they will not advocate for independence of the ‘watchdog’ ensuring expense claim legitimacy. Now that would be an election issue that most voters would be very interested in. Do you agree: [Please vote your interest below.] … [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Media Stories: … [EYE-BALL] … The most honest of all the media stories browsed/read yesterday and overnight was a story by Peter Hatcher from “The Age” titled Both parties peddle a fiscal fairytale … lead in below:
Hatchers story reflects what we all know but political leaders want to take no notice of. Who wins an election with policies that increase taxes … yet that is what is needed. Please give your feedback on tax increases: … [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Political Campaign Stories: …[EYE-BALL Guru.]… The obvious clanger of the day is the Opposition’s claim that lower interest rates translates to poor economic management.’ Joe Hockey made the statement in relation to the expectation the RBA will reduce official interest rates to 2.5% when the RBA meets today. This level is a record low for official interest rates and Mr Hockey made the statement that this means that the economy is not doing well. Mr Hockey has not updated his personal website with the text of link to his comments. However, Mike Pasco writing for the SMH posted a story on Mr Hockey’s credentials late last week – linked here – and points out Mr Hockey has some creditability issues as the alternative Treasurer. Searching for confirmed text and video of Hockey making his comment re the lower interest rates mean poor economic management are still eluding search and research requests. Perhaps Hockey has killed the story and the fact that his personal website does not carry the story is indicative. Suffice to say – interest rates go up and down in this Nation in response to the RBA’s view on inflationary pressures. EYE-BALL Guru has made the argument countless times that this inflation targeting by the RBA is in fact one of the major causes of our weakening economy. Interest rates should have been at these levels 3-4 years ago as they were with the rest of our major trading partners suffering under the GFC impact – see Guru charts below: Global Central Bank Cash Rates: – [click image to enlarge in a new window.]
10yr and 2yr CGS v RBA Cash Rate: – [click image to enlarge in a new window.]
Both these charts reflect the RBA’s policy in how Interest rates are used to kill inflation whether there be the threat of inflation or not. The easiest message the Opposition can use on economic Management is to ask the question why mortgage holders have had to pay A$1,000′s in forced higher interest rates compared with our trading partners? Why have offshore investors been allowed to plunder our riches at the expense of mortgage holders? Both these policy explanations would stump the Government – nobody thinks inflation is an issue anywhere across the globe – why is the RBA stuck in this twilight zone where 20 odd years ago, inflation was a problem for all the western world. All political parties are stuck in the mud on this issue and claim the RBA”s independence, just like Treasury – these bureaucrats get it wrong – just look at the $33 billion hole since the MAy ’13 budget. Of course the higher interest rates here influenced the value of the A$ and that higher value had an impact on all our export industries leading to job losses and increased domestic labour costs relative to the rest of the world. The fact that the media nor the political brains of our Nation have not made the connect and acted accordingly gives insight to the how and why we are where we are economically speaking, and in the position of being forced to prop up the car industry and spend taxpayer funds to support ailing export and domestic business’. Mr Hockey and Mr Robb would be a worse alternative to Swan and Wong, now the ALP has The economy will be a big election issue – on management, on spending restraint, and on policy implementation i.e. Gonski, NBN, Disability Insurance etc … but what it won’t be about is who best understands the global market and how Australia is an island in a cyclone tempest where we live and die by the value of the A$ and the export revenues that rise and fall on the back of the stability of the A$. …[EYE-BALL Guru.]… Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … The BULLSHIT Measure: The graphs showing the “Bullshit” measure will be updated weekly or there abouts … please if you find a story or media report that reeks of the ‘bullshit’ context, please send a link of the story text via comments section below. General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL Opinion – EYE-BALL’s MediaZone Growl No: 4 – Australia’s Media Horde
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| Title: - EYE-BALL’s MediaZone Growl No: 4 - - Australia’s Media Horde - | Author: EYE-BALL MediaZone | 30th July 2013 | |
| Hello all … frustration more than anything drives this post – frustration at our Media and the complete ineptness demonstrated in the way they report political stories and the News.How many times do you now see a story and immediately recognise the bias involved, the slant, the unasked question we all want asked, the pursuit of a desired answer to a question we all know was prompted, how many times do we see journalists behaving like dogs off their leash?The reality in how politics is being fed to the public via News broadcasters is nothing more than extended personal political battle-lines, all to a cause to serve media barons and their lust for political favours.
All political News these days holds a propaganda message designed to influence rather then inform. A lead story on one broadcast is treated as low profile on a different broadcaster because of how it portrays the story comport. Who’s interests were best served when the Gillard ‘police investigation’ story was rejected by the media as News, who’s interests are being served when the Abbott travel rorts for his book publishing tour were discovered and treated as a non event? The Slipper, Thompson, Williamson, Obeid, MacDonald corruption stories – all major fraud stories and stories all given different prominence and focus by different broadcasters. Over a long time the likes of Rupert Murdoch and his fellow media barons have demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice integrity and moral standards in the pursuit of political favour for withheld news stories. Deals are done and trade off’s made to have stories pulled or ‘toned down’ when the media is looking for favour – be it lobby donations for a more agreeable media ownership spread, more coverage, more influence, and it sickens to imagine where it will all end. The Media are responsible for the greatest fraud of all time – the media barons alone have destroyed the integrity of News reporting – remember Conrad Black, the Maxwell empire, and the countless other media barons over the years who have come and gone. There is still one that has survived them all – the Murdoch press. Globally Murdoch is the most influential media empire the world has ever seen – and still he does not have enough. Who do we have in Australia, Kerry Stokes, Fairfax – ha … small time players and not in the same market as Murdoch. Murdoch plays the ‘kingmaker’ … and the Australian politicians and public listen. Neutrality of opinion has disappeared in the way journalists write their stories. Editorials express opinions and journalists take their cue from the editors. To highlight the most recent episodes of some non Murdoch owned or influenced TV shows – the following is presented. The three high-profile political programs I watch are “Insiders”, “The Bolt Report”, and “Q&A” – in no particular order of preference all have highs and lows in what there serve up to the public. A common thought about all three is that they do a great disservice to the political debate as media presentations. For example - The Bolt Report: Take last Sunday’s program built under promo’s in that the PM will make his first appearance on the program. Bolt invited us to see the PM squirm under his questions and revealed that the PM would answer honestly – look what happened: [Warning - watch for Bolt's need to pursue the answer he wants - not the answer the interviewed wants to give ...] You see the point – the political Q&A is not important – only the shock value to boost Bolt’s ratings. Bolt could be called a ‘narcosis psychopath’ in the way he believes his opinion is the only one that matters. He stint on “Insiders’ was proof in his believe that his opinion was more relevant and more correct whenever he shared the panel time and question. Now his show is on commercial TV and is struggling for ratings so there is commercial value in trying to play the Bob Dwyer ‘Pick-a-Box’ theme of audience drawn into the suspense and drama of trying to trip up the PM or some other guest on the show. Bolt’s ‘prima-donna’ performances have earned him a reputation that scares politicians. Albanese is the only other ALP Minister to have appeared on his show. Rudd’s aim was to shorten Bolt’s stature, Bolt’s aim was to get one over the PM on National TV. How does that advance the political debate? How does that hold the Government accountable – there were so many areas Bolt could have gone to expose Rudd’s weakness – i.e. the AWU scandal and how Gillard became PM in the first place – the Peter Slipper affair as he sat on the backbenches watching it unfold – same with the Craig Thompson affair – surely Rudd’s responses to these questions would have served the Australian people so much more than questions about a new initiative in asylum seeker policy that is currently being tested by the people smugglers. Rudd has to wear his share of responsibility as well – if he wanted to put Bolt in his place and that has to be the only reason Rudd would appear on the show – his response to Bolt’s ‘goading’ could have been so much more dismissive and to the point … it was pathetic television and a waste of time. “The Bolt Report” gets a 2/10 rating, and Andrew Bolt gets a 1/10 rating for interview style and how he presents himself as a member of Australia’s media industry. ABC’s “Q&A”: Monday nights program – linked via “IView” here – was a massive disappointment – normal host Paul Jones was absent and Virginia Trioli stepped in. The first question asked by a schoolgirl was:
‘… put Australia out of its misery …’ indeed – how does a schoolgirl who is more than likely not old enough to vote get to pass a judgement about ‘political misery’? How the researches who vet the questions allowed this to pass as in the interests of the viewers watching the program points again to program agenda as opposed to true political interest. So much of the media today are about when the election will be called – why waste all that page and TV time on a question that will never be honestly answered … Kate Ellis was allowed to state chapter and verse about the ALP policy successes whilst answering a question about something entirely different – why did the presenter allow this? The most interesting guest on the program was Peter Shergold, who was Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2003-2008. He was also the nation’s most senior public servant when he resigned four months into Kevin Rudd’s first term as PM. In two decades he served in the public service he served four Prime Ministers and eight Ministers in both Labor and Coalition governments. During this time he established the Office of Multicultural Affairs, headed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), and was Public Service Commissioner. He was secretary of several government departments, including the Department of Education, Science and Training, and the Department of Employment, Workforce Relations and Small Business. Surely his contribution to the political debate during this program could have been better used – he hesitated on his first direct question that asked him for an opinion … the question was -
That was about the most exposing question put to Shergold – why not ask about the reason for his resignation i.e. the Rudd work ethic in those first months had the public service up in arms about the demands and hours they had to work – surely Shergold’s take on that would have audience interest in forming opinions as to why Rudd was booted by his ALP MP’s. The rest of the program descended and Magda Szubanski’s levity was about the only reason one stayed to watch the whole program. This is a program that has the ability to get real answers to people’s concerns – the problem is that it to is in a ratings war and dictated by populists formats. Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg had his moment of fame when he talked about the Rudd tweet about cutting himself shaving – really … is this what Frydenberg wants to introduce as his contribution to the debate …
This question should have opened many doors – why did the media focus on the ‘shaving cut’ as opposed to the unemployment numbers … whatever Rudd’s purpose to tweet that he cut himself – and I’m sure it was not him that actually typed the tweet but some media staffer – the opposition chose to raise the tweet in context with the unemployment numbers. Does this not demonstrate the shallowness of Frydenberg and the rest of the panel, or the audience for allowing the comments to go unchallenged? “Q%A” get a 2.5/10 rating, and it’s a rating that has been on the slide for some time. ABC’s – “Insiders”: [or the Barry Cassidy ego and ALP propaganda show - watch here - transcripts here - ] Cassidy gave Opposition Immigration spokesperson Scott Morrison a good go – unusual for Cassidy. Morrison has grown in his responsibilities and is an impressive communicator. His early days in the job prove he has come far. The issue here is that the Rudd answer to the ‘asylum seeker’ will not prove to be a failure or success until it has had time to impact. The rush by people smugglers to get the people who have paid for transit rather then refund if people change their mind highlights the desperation these people are subjected to. This is criminal and negligent homicide by the people smugglers and it all happens far away from our shores. It will only be in 9-12 months as to whether opinion can be gauged whether the policy has worked or not. Rudd knows that if he finds a perceived solution to the asylum seeker invasion that he has a better chance at the election. Abbott knows also that and success to the Rudd plan means his job becomes tougher in trying to win the election. It is understandable why the media have this focus – but they also know that short term speculation can only damage the policy as the people smugglers build a case for the Abbott response to hasten the asylum seeker exodus. “Insiders” Rating – 4/10. Summary: So where does one turn to get informed political opinion? Is the Murdoch press the only source of real journalism? None of the above programs has any real interest in exposing the AWU scandal, nor the Craig Thompson, or Peter Slipper corruption charges. I ponder long and hard as to why that is? The people have a right to know why Tony Abbott’s ‘book-tour’ travel expense claims differ to those of Peter Slipper. Why is Abbott given a free ride and Slipper hung out to dry? Also – why the Union movement was called upon to help with the payment of Thompson’s legal expenses – all to avoid his bankruptcy and the resultant calling of an election for his seat some two years ago. These are stories that have public interest yet none of the three above programs go near any depth of question on these matters. The subject of a post due to be published soon is the expense accounts for Tony Abbott – as a forerunner check out this excel file imaged below to see how Mr Abbott has used his parliamentary expenditure expense account since mid 2009. [Click image to enlarge in a new window.]
Ho hum .. off we go … the $370 million spent as expenses by our 230 MP’s and Senators has an annual spread of $1.6 million per member. That is some 8 times their recent remuneration payment – before the increase it is a factor 13 times. This $1.6 million does not include parliamentary staff cost – which can be for up to a minimum of 4 additional staff ranging in remunerations from a high of $240k to minimum’s of $65k. The $1.6 million also does not cover the cost of the non-contributary parliamentary superannuation schemes for pre 2005 members – nor the staff expenses over and above remuneration costs – i.e. redundancy, super, and health schemes. We are truly living in the age where public servants enjoy a ‘sense of entitlement’ that borders on is decadence … |
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EYE-BALL Opinion – EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 3 – The Australian’s – Janet Albrechtsen – Journalist
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| Title: - EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 3 - - The Australian’s - Janet Albrechtsen – Journalist – on a story titled - “Man up, Labor and expel Rudd” | Author: EYE-BALL MediaZone | 26th June 2013 | |
| Ihave a view that Janet Albrechtsen is a whole lot of woman and too much woman for most men – I normally enjoy reading her column from a male perspective but there are times when she gets it horribly wrong.
Albrechtsen published a story overnight that tells us more about Albrechtsen’s own brand of gender politics, and why Gillard’s misandry continues to go unchallenged by other women. Read the story below:
If Albrechtsen possessed the necessary objectivity to be a journalist, her story about a post-election ALP should be about why a person of interest in a ‘police investigation’ into a serious fraud was promoted by Union factions to become our Prime Minister in the first place. Albrechtsen should be writing about Gillard’s criminal charges post the September Election … and about how the Union influence in Gillard’s promotion is linked to those involved in the AWU scandal and its cover-up. The absence of questions by Albrechtsen and other mainstream journalists into Gillard’s claims that she – ‘did nothing wrong’ – just does not satisfy the masses. Gillard’s gender politics is her own character flow – she surrounds herself with men in power yet runs to her feminista support base when she needs a good cry about why men don’t like her. Albrechtsen’s lack of objectivity in favour of story about Rudd’s role in trying to unseat Gillard is reason why Albrechtsen can never be rated above a ‘C’ grade journalist. Looks and sassy style can only get you so far in the game and Albrechtsen is someone who has it in spades. But when it comes to serious journalism – she is nothing but a misandrist at heart. Surely any moral person with an ounce of integrity, and an open mind has to be aware of Gillard’s flawed past connected with her association and involvement in the AWU scandal, that her status as a Lawyer is compromised with good reason, and that her past sexual relations with other married ALP MP’s would be a choice that would not fly with Australia’s voting public. Albrechtsen would rather look to Rudd for reasons why the AP is floundering. Why would that be? Albrechtsen writes about a post-election Gillard and how she deserves the privileges of an ex PM – she does not entertain any other thought or reasons other that why the ALP is in the mess it is in and not have to face the allegations that have dogged her every day she has been in public office. Does Albrechtsen believe that the campaign against Gillard over her criminal past is a misogyny plot – a campaign based on the fact that Gillard is a female. How does Albrechtsen get to hold such a role as a journalist with such a closed view? There is no doubt Albrechtsen has misandrist tendencies when it suits her – her moral judgement against Rudd in favour of Gillard’s untenable position is the evidence … Albrechtsen chose not to write about Gillard’s rise to become PM when she more than most with access to fellow ‘The Australian’ journalist Hedley Thomas’s research would know about Gillard’s past – why would she chose to ignore that evidence – unless it was an Editor’s pick to give the paper an angle that could only be written by a female journalist … Failing the above scenario – Albrechtsen’s willingness to pen a story about Rudd as the destroyer is based on a ‘man-hate’ position she cannot defend … |
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EYE-BALL Opinion – EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 2 – The SMH’s – Mark Kenny … Chief Political Correspondent
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Title: - EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 2 - - The SMH’s – Mark Kenny – chief political Correspondent - - on a story titled - “Gillard’s fine reforms slip between the gap…” | Author: EYE-BALL MediaZone | 9th May 2013 | |
The EYE-BALL MediaZone aims to highlight media content that misleads, is inaccurate in its reporting, and has an agenda other than to report the facts as they relate to the content and context of the story.Today’s story was a clanger and was to be expected from the ALP loving Fairfax Media owned Sydney Morning Herald. Their Chief Political Correspondent Mark Kenny penned a story that told us:
It is a stretch by any journalist to claim that Gillard’s record – ‘holds up well’ … any journalist who does have an agenda that is in conflict with reality often writes about what troubles them most. That is why editors are there to ensure objectivity … but what can you do when the Editors have the same problem. What motivates a journalist to promote ‘chuck stake’ as ‘prime rib’ as Gillard is to Paul Keating, or Bob Hawke. Surely a journalist understands the difference and that they should never slant a story to promote their own political views … yet, we live in an age where the media have become mouthpieces of the message the Government wants sold. The Media industry have become street beggars, street walkers prepared to sell their column space for an inside tip to a bigger story. Politicians use these media whores like masters abuse their slaves … and the media keep coming back for more. Sadly – there are not too many alternatives when trying to understand Mark Kenny’s point of view in his version of Gillard history reproduced in full below:
When Kenny writes – [bullet points added]
… I laughed my arse off – and that is no mean fit given how big it is … Government has three main stay obligations, Welfare, Health and Education … Defence runs a distant fourth to these other three. Collectively, Welfare, Health and Education make up 60% of all Government expenditure … add defence and the number jumps to 66%. Any Government who understand their charter tinker with these numbers according to political views – ALP are more generous on welfare and social programs, Coalition Governments lean toward less welfare and more business incentives. A political journalist has to know this … yet Kenny sees the NBN as a success yet Minister Conroy is yet to deliver a success story on any forecast NBN targets. The School funding on top of the ‘Schools building Program’ fiasco where ALP loving contractors made themselves filthy rich at the taxpayers expense and all to the generosity of one Julia Eileen Gillard who was in charge of the program and had criminal history with the Thiess Contractors who won a large share of the rebuilding program. Reforming aged care – a no brainer for a Government with an aging population and less hospital beds, less nursing home beds, and a growing need for both. What are the reforms Mr Kenny – again you flash a policy initiative and claim it to have been a success yet you don’t produce the rhetoric that backs and supports your view. Honest and truthful facts gets a journalist creds with readers – Kenny is but one of many Journalists inflicted with the Gillard/Swan disease – tell it like you know what you’re talking about, and then let others write about what they know … nobody writes about the facts anymore – it’s all about the illusion and the perception that every word is indeed about the message the Government wants told. Who is Mr Kenny kidding – the intent to do good does no measure or count when all we see is ‘failure’ to honour the promise made by the Government of the day. Implementing a policy that is funded and cost neutral at the outset, and then due to gross incompetence, or a deliberate fraud about the numbers when the revenues raised, or the new taxes to pay for the policies fail to raise the revenues expected, does not give the Government a pass mark. Kenny says -
Global warming and the Digital age … these are crux phrases, waffle words, a macro stretch and used by Kenny as a smoke screen for what lies beneath … the Carbon Tax – Gillard’s plan to fight global warming is in meltdown, the digital age – was here long before Gillard walked on stage … I have no idea in what context Kenny was trying to portray Gillard as a success story in this story – and as such his article won the MediaZone Growl award for today. Kenny’s story is about painting Gillard in positive terms when 70+% of Australia believe she is a negative for the welfare of the Nation. What makes a journalist take on those types of odds …
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EYE-BALL Opinion – EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 1 – The Australian’s – Adam Creighton
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Title: – EYE-BALL MediaZone Growl No: 1 - - The Australian’s - Adam Creighton on a story titled - “Interest rates fall to record low as RBA fires first shot in currency war…” | Author: EYE-BALL MediaZone | 8th May 2013 | |
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This post under the new EYE-BALL MediaZone header is the first of a new category of stories aimed at a MediaWatch type critique. The aim is to highlight media content that misleads, is inaccurate in its reporting, and has an agenda other than to report the true facts as they relate to the content and context of the story. The first story on what was a big day for choices is a story by Adam Creighton from the Australian. The Title of his story is: “Interest rates fall to record low as RBA fires first shot in currency war…” and was published on the 8th May 2013 in The Australian. The story is reproduced below:
Where to start – the A$ has been above trend/average values for more than 10 years, it returned to below its mean average since 1983 during the worst of the GFC crisis late 2008 and 2009. It sold off from above parity levels to hit lows of below A$0.60c as off shore investor unwound the ‘cash and carry resource’ trade. When markets settled they returned with a vengeance and drove the value of the A$ from A$.60c levels to above parity and highs of $1.10c levels. For the past 4 years it has averaged in the $1.04 range and still some $0.30c above its mean average of $0.75c. See 1998 – current A$ v US$ Chart below for confirmation. [click on chart to enlarge in a new window.] Since the GFC – European and Nth America interest rates have been at or near 0.00 -0.50%. In all of that time the interest rate differential with Australia has allowed offshore investors to strip wealth from the Nation. The RBA’s singular focus during that timeframe, and since the early 90′s has been to keep inflation targets within set parameters set by agreements between both sides of politics. the RBA has never targeted currency in the time since the A$ began to rise above its 30 year mean average . I ask the question – why is it now as reported in the story above, why has the RBA waited some 10 years to think that it can influence a high A$ value with a 0.25% interest rate reduction? The answer is simple – the writer of the story hasn’t a clue about currency, interest rates, global investment, labour costs, or any of the other interconnected motives behind global investment. This story does more harm than good to investors and the moms and dads readers listening to an unqualified journo reporting a story that should never have been published. The story misrepresents the truth about the reasoning behind the .25% reduction in official interest rates. The RBA has stated publicly that it has no interest in intervening in currency markets to stem the capital inflow to the A$ – see Oct ’12 story here. More to the point – the RBA themselves have been targeting inflation when the rest of the world has had zero interest rates for 5 years and inflation has never been a problem. EYE-BALL Guru has been writing about this stuff for years and it is only now when Australia’s finances and projected revenues are at a crisis level – have Government spokespersons and media commentators started to talk about the cost of the high A$. Creighton’s “largely to take pressure off the stubbornly high Australian dollar” comment in his first paragraph has no research creditability whatsoever. The RBA has reduced interest rates since the early part of 2009 in .25% increments and never has the move had any lasting impact on the A$. In fact any fall on the announcement encourage more buying. From the above comment onwards – the story has no basis in fact or truth. In fact the RBA Governor at times during these interest rate reductions talked the A$ up giving confidence to off-shore investors to keep pouring funds into the Nation. Sadly – the old adage remains – ‘… what went up, must and will come down…’ When Australia has become too expensive for the rest of the world, and we are on our way to being the most expensive Nation in the world – I think we were ranked 6th last time I review the rankings, and when jobs have been exported, when farmers no longer get value for their crops, when miners are receiving a fraction of $A returns they were receiving in the early times of the mining boom, then the off-shore investors will see they have sucked us dry and look elsewhere for value investment. Why do you thing the P.I.G.S want out of the EuroZone – they need their currency back so they can become a competitor on global markets once again. For 10 years the Government, yes both Howard and Costello, and the idiots there now got this wrong. The RBA and Treasury were no help as advisors – they all had a think-tank that may have been useful 20 odd years ago and none have upgraded their modeling to factor in the current global marketplace incentives . It’s journalism like this – and there had to be an editor who approved the story mixed in there as well – that makes the Australian media at large hopeless at their jobs. Wayne Swan’s attributed comments highlight just how insignificant he is as a financial manager – his track record on budget forecasts and the ability to explain the numbers – i.e. Nominal GDP as opposed to Real GDP shows his and the journalists ability to read the numbers and call Swan out when he is telling them porkies and misrepresenting the facts. Creighton should take a good look at his output and ask a recognised economist of other market operative about his story. The shock advice about his inaccuracies will do harm … and another less than qualified journalist might bite the dust.
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Gillard’s Real Problem – a truthful expose on her past deeds –
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 5th May – The Drugs in Sport Scandal - it’s not about the DRUGS – it never was … - 5th May – Free-to-Air TV and NRL Broadcasts – it’s definitely not about pleasing the fans - - 4th May – Truth and Clarity of facts count – the real cost of Gillards asylum seeker policy - - 27th Apr – Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh – her past is about to catch up with her … - 25th Apr – Prime Minister “JEZEBEL” - Does she deserve the Respect of the People? - - 24th Apr – The Australian’s Hedley Thomas & Friends – Still hunting down Gillard over the AWU Scandal - - 24th Apr – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding - - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Gillard’s Real Problem - - a truthful expose on her past deeds - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 6th May 2013 | |
Almost like an uncanny inherited skill that reflects the heritage of our great ancestors – convicts and the like all shipped out to make room in English goals for more petty thieves and more serious criminals. Rest assured the public opinion of Gillard is such a revelation – she is tarnished – corrupted – and all those who support her are guilty of a crime where conscience is absent. A generous contributor to this site is ‘Hillbilly 33′ … Hillbilly blesses a number of political blogs with commentary all aimed at Gillard and her criminal past. The common theme in all these posts and comments registers an abhorrence in tolerating and accepting a unconvicted ‘criminal’ as our Prime Minister. ‘Hillbilly33′ posted a comment on a previous post today that we should all read with a vacant mind and let the evidence form the opinion … that comment is again presented below:
With clarity and direct introspection – Hillbilly33 has revisited the simplest of expected behaviour and pointed out Gillard’s failings – where Gillard says – ‘I did nothing Wrong’ – others know different. Gillard can never escape this history and for her to have risen to the PM’s office – those who assisted in that elevation are equally corrupted and due their own enema of exposure. Well done Hillbilly and thanks for the continued support.
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EYE-BALL Opinion – The Drugs in Sport Scandal – it’s not about the DRUGS – it never was …
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 5th May – Free-to-Air TV and NRL Broadcasts – it’s definitely not about pleasing the fans - - 4th May – Truth and Clarity of facts count – the real cost of Gillards asylum seeker policy - - 27th Apr – Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh – her past is about to catch up with her … - 25th Apr – Prime Minister “JEZEBEL” - Does she deserve the Respect of the People? - - 24th Apr – The Australian’s Hedley Thomas & Friends – Still hunting down Gillard over the AWU Scandal - - 24th Apr – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding - - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - The Drugs in Sport Scandal - - it’s not about the DRUGS – it never was - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 4th May 2013 | |
The Australian Crime Authority report into the ‘Drugs in Sport’ inquiry was the largest sports story in many a year – or so the Government would have us believe. The timing of the Government’s release of the report was sceptical and as the weeks have rolled on by – that scepticism has escalated and now the media are reporting on the lack of real evidence to back up the report. The real story here is not the report itself – but the reason’s the Government released the report – right smack in the middle of the ICAC Obeid exposure, and the Craig Thompson arrest media cycle. At the time the Gillard’s and the ALP poll numbers were plummeting and another Rudd challenge beckoned. The ACC report was released on the 7th Feb 2013 – a Thursday and we had just come off the previous week’s poll numbers that had Gillard’s preferred and 1st preferences numbers in free fall. To see the Newspoll results for the week ending the 3rd Feb 2013, the next poll taken on the 25th Feb, and the trend for the preceding weeks – use this link … To see the poll results since please use this link … The ALP brand at the time of the ACC report release was as dirty as a three-month old’s nappy, and the stench hanging over the ALP at the time was no better no matter how you dished it up. The Obeid inquiry was in full exposure with Tony Burke, Stephen Conroy being named with other senior ALP members as having availed themselves to Obeid’s hospitality. The previous week arrest of Thompson – see SMH story here – was a double whammy of bad news for Gillard and the pressure of both stories was building. If she was to survive – the Government had to get the media off the ALP hunt scent, and on to a different story. It had to be big to shift the focus and Gillard being true to form – through Australian sport under the bus to save her own ass. This was a major story and as usual the media fell hook line and sinker for the mis-direction. Some three months later – the sports doping story has egg all over ASADA and the ACC. To sell the story at the time Gillard sent out two freshman Ministers in Jason Clare and Kate Lundy. When was the last time a major announcement was made when Gillard did not do the honours … these were ALP Ministers eager to cut their teeth with the media, and they sold the media a ‘dump’ they are still stewing over. The media had to be ALP supporters for them to have so easily been distracted – that says so much about why Gillard has survived for as long as she has. In the three months since where is the evidence to support the ACC claims – they want witness;s to come forward and confess and volunteer to dob in other athletes. As Phil Gould wrote in his column last week – he is convinced the ACC’s release of the report in the manner it was done has harmed sport in this Nation – and he asks who should wear the responsibility for that? Read Goulds story here … In my opinion the ACC report was nothing more than a desperate attempt by Gillard and her minders to get the Obeid and Thompson stories off the front pages. It was the cheapest and nastiest bit of politicking in my life time. How dare they use Sport to cover their collective arse’s. To background this story further – links to various documents and other resources are provide below:
The media have failed again to make the Government accountable for their actions in releasing the ACC report in the way it did. Included in Phil Gould’s story he pasted the following text:
Gould did not pushed the envelope far enough – that week of the 7th Feb had the ALP’s and Gillard’s long neck laid bare ready for the axemen’s chop … that is the way it should have gone down all things being equal. The ALP desperately needed to change the media focus before the weekend else the poll taken that next weekend would have been all over red-rover for Gillard with Rudd’s camp primed at the ready. It would seem that nobody thinks about motives any more. The Government had everything to lose with the Obeid and Thompson stories running amuck – why is there no investigation into ASADA, the ACC, and the Government in the way the ACC report was released, and for the damage it has caused countless thousands of Australian athletes, Clubs, and Administrations by association. How many lives does Gillard have left … surely they must be all done …
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Free-to-Air TV and NRL Broadcasts – it’s definitely not about pleasing the fans -
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 4th May - Truth and Clarity of facts count – the real cost of Gillards asylum seeker policy - - 27th Apr – Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh – her past is about to catch up with her … - 25th Apr – Prime Minister “JEZEBEL” - Does she deserve the Respect of the People? - - 24th Apr – The Australian’s Hedley Thomas & Friends – Still hunting down Gillard over the AWU Scandal - - 24th Apr – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding - - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Free to Air TV and NRL Broadcasts - - it’s definitely not about pleasing the fans - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 4th May 2013 | |
The question has been asked many times – why are pay-for-view games not replayed on free-to-air, when pay-for-view have the rights to replay free-to-air games? Since pay-for-view became available in Australia in 1995, each new broadcast deal for the major sporting codes in Australia has seen free-to-air broadcasts lose ground to the benefit of pay-for-view broadcast rights. Foxtel [pay-for-view] broadcast the NRL games using their infrastructure and other resources. ‘Channel 9′ then purchase the rights off Foxtel for the free-to-air NRL games – yet under the current legislation free-to-air have first right of refusal on all NRL premiership matches. The NRL’s first responsibility should be to the game and the fans, and for fans not to be able to see their team play every week, be it live or on replay, is the NRL horse-trading the game for more money rather than looking after the fans. As a result the game does suffer. This issue has been like a bugg-up-my-ass for years – in the modern era where televised sport becomes the lifeblood of remote and local communities, one would think both the NRL and the free-to-air broadcaster would be looking to do right by the fans as a first option. Three premiership games out of eight every weekend does not favour the fans or the game. At a minimum the right to replay all NRL premiership games should be available to the free-to-air broadcaster. To this scenario – the latest new NRL broadcast contracts were negotiated in late 2012. Foxtel and Channel 9 agreed to pay $1.025 billion over 5 years for joint broadcast rights. One could reasonably have expect the new supposedly improved and savvy NRL CEO, and with the expansion of Channel 9 channels looking for late night programing that would be most profitable with advertisers, would have been looking for ways to appease fans and give the game back to the fans. With the disappointment of not being able the see the NRL Round 6 game between the ‘Storm’ and ‘Rabbitohs’ free-to-air either live or on replay, I contacted Channel 9 via their ‘ninemsn’ on-line contact link. That contact is copied below:
The following response came a day later:
You note that the letter was not forwarded on to the relevant contact – but sent back with ‘freetv’ links, and only a physical address and phone number contacts for Channel 9. I then wrote to my local NRL broadcast affiliate WIN Network and received the following response:
This response also did not answer my question apart for the obvious that the pay-for-view games were not available to Channel 9 and its affiliate networks for broadcast. The question raised was about the ‘WHY’. I followed up and contacted the WIN Network executive who wrote the letter late last week. During that conversation the following was stated -
Some free-to-air and pay-for-view history: For some years the free-to-air sport broadcast content in Australia for major International and Domestic sporting events has slowly been transferred to pay-for-view – all with Government Legislation to allow it to happen. The 2013 ‘Masters Golf’ tournament was picked up by the 10 Network, but the British Open last year, and this year was and will be broadcast on pay-for-view only. Both these International events have equal footing and prestige in Golfing circles. Why one and not the other? Australian golfers have won the British Open numerous times ,and it was only Adam Scott’s victory this year that saw an Australian as a winner of the Masters. The British Open has prime time advantages for Australian broadcasters and advertisers when compared with the Masters early morning starts. The 2010 Anti-Siphoning list drawn up by the Federal Government included the following events under Golf: – link to full sport/event anti siphoning list
When Pay-for-view first came to Australia, Australia Sport was a protected species as was a number of International sporting events. The legislation for ‘anti-siphoning’ laws comes under Senator Conroy’s portfolio – and perhaps no more need be said. There was a report submitted by the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations published in 2001 – linked here – that was in response to an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Authority [ABA] into the events on the anti-siphoning list. The ABA final 2001 report can be read here … This ABA report gives some history of the before arrangements relating to deals between pay-for-view and free-to-air broadcasters in the period before the anti-siphoning ‘list of events’ became a part of the legislation. However – even before this ‘list of events’ became Law in 2006, some original laws pertaining to the anti-siphoning were introduced in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 . The 2006 list outlined all events that were protected in favour of free-to-air broadcasters – i.e. they had first refusal. The 2006 ‘list’ can be read in full detail here … The Department of Broadband, Communications, and Digital economy, Senator Conroy’s portfolio, has its own history of the Anti-Siphoning laws and amendments. Linked here … In a media release from Senator Conroy in Nov 2010 – the following text was published …
The question remains against all the right of refusal entitlements – why have Channel 9 not availed themselves to the NRL premiership games as the Legislation provides for – either on a replay basis, or in terms of the right to broadcast more NRL games live on free-to-air? Have Foxtel outsmarted Channel 9 in negotiations with the NRL as the WIN Network executive suggested? Or – is it a case that financial issues exist that make Channel 9 beholding to Foxtel to retain the very lucrative NRL broadcasts? Does Channel 9 kowtow to Foxtel on the deal with the NRL – and if so … does this breach the intent of the anti-siphoning Legislation when other National free-to-air broadcasters want to be able to compete for the NRL rights? Could it also be that the exclusive rights to the live ‘State of Origin’ broadcast on Channel 9 is the trade-off giving Foxtel rights to 5 of the 8 NRL games available for broadcast week to week? Whatever – the NRL have the last say on what deal they want in place to protect and administer the game – why have they allowed the free-to-air replay of pay-for-view games to not be available to Channel 9 for replay broadcast? It would seem the fans are not the NRL’s first consideration. The more we let big business encroach on our sporting events for profit – the less live broadcast we will get. Look at where the ARU game has gone. The flip side of this equation measures up as well – without the pay-for-view broadcasters in the game, the money filtering through to the players would only be a fraction of the current levels. So many large business’s made a living off the NRL premiership – sponsors put up hard-earned money to be a part of the game. The big profits come from the broadcast players and with Foxtel pretty much the only player in the market in Australia – they get the code without having to bid against any genuine competition. All the fans want is to be able to watch their team every week – live or on replay – that should not be too much to ask. This is an ongoing story and NRL fans deserve a better deal and should have their say. Please use the links below to write to your Local Federal Member(s) and/or Senator(s) to voice your opinions.
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Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Truth and Clarity of facts count – the real cost of Gillards asylum seeker policy -
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 27th Apr – Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh – her past is about to catch up with her … - 25th Apr – Prime Minister “JEZEBEL” - Does she deserve the Respect of the People? - - 24th Apr – The Australian’s Hedley Thomas & Friends – Still hunting down Gillard over the AWU Scandal - - 24th Apr – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding - - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Truth and Clarity of facts count - - the real cost of Gillards asylum seeker policy - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 4th May 2013 | |
Just had to share the following e-mail covering some of the cost of asylum seekers and how Gillard’s policies hurt Australia. Thanks to Maurice G Kriss – Barrister at Law in Sydney and the sender of the E-Mail Dawn S.
A wonderful presentation of ‘hard facts’ and how the Government spin distorts the truth, and a pathetic media neglect their responsibilities to bring Governments to account. Well Said …
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh – her past is about to catch up with her …
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 25th Apr – Prime Minister “JEZEBEL” - Does she deserve the Respect of the People? - - 24th Apr – The Australian’s Hedley Thomas & Friends – Still hunting down Gillard over the AWU Scandal - - 24th Apr – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding - - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Gillard’s long walk of shame is almost nigh - - Her past is about to catch up with her - - Goodnight Labor … | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 27th Apr 2013 | |
Surely if our Legal system is to be preserved and serve justice – the matter where all Public Servants are forced to step aside pending the completion of investigations when serious allegations are made – why does the Prime Minister have special privileges, and allowed to retain her office and use that office to influence the outcome of her own investigation? Gillard could have gone to the polls early to clear the deck on all that overhangs her – instead she chose to force all Australians into a record breaking seven month election campaign. She could have made anyone of her new policy’s for Gonski, and NIDS an election gambit prompting an early election to seek a mandate from the people. Yet she has chosen to rush through the legislation with a gun to the head of all the States on the Gonski reforms funding, and the NDIS – ahead of the election, and risk the House and Senate rejecting the legislation. Gillard wants to forge her own legacy – she knows she will be beaten at the Sept ’13 Election, she does not admit it publicly, but she knows she is done. To the detriment of all Australian’s Gillard has dug her heels in and has an agenda to muddy to waters for the incoming Government. The dye for the next Governments performance and agenda will have been dictated to by what Gillard leaves behind. She is that vindictive … if she was a dog – you’d call her a mongrel bitch and take her out back and shoot her. If she were to respect the Office she serves, as opposed to using the Office to serve her own agenda – she would not play chicken with the media and the law enforcement agencies in daring them to make their charges and create the very history she knows confronts her. She has elected to place the burden of proof on those who want to see her charged – as she is entitled to do. But it is a devils game of bluff with such high office – Nixon tried and failed and Gillard is no Nixon. Her bluff and bluster has all the legal minds on tenterhooks in the outcomes if they were to call her bluff. You tell me how justice is being served in this context. The AWU scandal has been out of the news cycle for some weeks now and is about to splash our News feeds with new version’s of old truths. Gillard’s poll numbers will fall further with these stories and challenge her 25% numbers of a year or so ago. At what point do the 50% or so of ALP caucus members who still support her respond … If Gillard had any integrity left, and any respect for the office – she would do the right thing and exit before she completely destroys what remains of the ALP for decades to come. This AWU scandal has reignited again because if the interview she gave to 2GB’s Ben Fordham on the 7th March 2013. Gillard made a mistake in accepting this interview invitation – her normally feisty media control lapsed in the seemingly comfort privacy of her own limo from whence she gave the phone interview. She was already having a rough week in ‘Rooty Hill’ to cover up the ‘unwelcome sign’ handed to her by the WA ALP leader who did not want her anywhere near his State election campaign. There is no doubt Gillard underestimated Fordham’s toughness and she let him get under her guard. She is now about to pay a heavy price for that mistake. Whether her media advisor gave her a bad profile on Ben Fordham and thought him a lightweight – and lets face it outside of NSW Fordham is known as Karl’s sidekick on the ‘Today’ show, or whether Gillard thought she could dictate and intimidate Fordham as she does every other interviewer, is for Gillard to answer. This ‘limo-interview’ is becoming National news and is made available again below – Interview date: 7th Mar 2013. This interview proved just how bad a week Gillard was having in ‘Rooty Hill’ … To have allow the interview to continue when Gillard had to have known she had lost control and knew the direction Fordham’s questions were headed was her first mistake. Fordham’s questions were incriminating and she knew her answers were all over the place. Fordham to his credit did not back off. Gillard was surprised by Fordham’s questions and his pursuit of precise answers to those questions. It was something she has hardly ever been exposed to before. She tried to respond with her usual answer but not an answer obfuscation trying all the while to politicise the response – but Fordham used his skills to corral and put Gillard on the defensive several times. Normally in these types of interviews Gillard has all the chips – but Fordham attacked her like a puppy poodle with sharks teeth – well done Ben and you showed up the dearth in journalistic integrity in this Nation. This is the type of questioning that serious and senior journalists have never been able to ask Gillard. In fact – all Gillard’s press conferences normally have a hand-picked guest list – and the journalists know that if they don’t heel they won’t be invited back. There was a follow-up comment by Fordham to all his listeners this week when he was contacted by Victorian Police and asked if he would be wiling to give a statement about the interview and the comments made. Hear that broadcast below:
In the time since Fordham’s clarification that ‘Gillard’ is under Police investigation earlier this week, National interest has again been perked. Hedley Thomas did a story on the 24th Apr 2013 in regards to Fordham’s 2GB show revelation that he had been contacted by the Victorian police – read that story here … Since then, the story has nested and mainstream media – with the exception of News Ltd publications – have largely left it alone. Thomas again revisited the facts and wrote another story in the ‘Weekend Australian’ – that story is published below:
Mainstream media outside ‘News Ltd’ publications refuse to report on the story – what is it that Gillard has over Fairfax that they are so intimidated from pursuing Gillard. Gillard’s performance in that Ben Fordham interview shows she is being less than honest with the truth – if she was in the room with Blewitt she should just say it and it goes away. Gillard has never been under oath in any of these Q&A’s – but when the police come to question her she will be under an oath or sorts. She can refuse to answer the questions but that will only cast more suspicion – how would that look to the Australian public when a sitting Prime Minister is questioned by police and refuses to answer the questions on the basis it might incriminate her. Now – this is the tickle … police try to entrap suspects in a lie and then produce proof to the contrary – who knows what Gillard’s Secretary has said, who knows what searches have been done with Airlines ticket sales, passenger manifests, motel room bookings, and the like. If Gillard answers ‘I don’t recall’ then the other evidence more than incriminates Gillard because she can’t refute the claims. We all know that Gillard lies and has told some big ones at that – she might debate they are political lies and that all politicians lie. But with respect to the way she has answered questions on this AWU scandal, she knows there is a difference in telling a direct lie and answering in an indirect way. The way she responded to Ben Fordham when he put it to her that she was in the room with Ralph Blewitt and she responded be it a reluctant – ‘yes’ – I bet London to a brick – that is what the Victorian Police are interested in. The lingering and follow-up questions are numerous and just don’t go away – why all media outlets don’t run this story for its true value is a crime in itself. Exposing a Prime Minister of Australia involvement with a fraud that happened 20 years ago and refusing to be – ‘on the record’ with her answers has to be news. If anyone believes the past ‘staged-managed’ press conferences Gillard gave have been accurate ‘on the record’ accounts is a fool. The right questions were never asked – they never probed or allowed follow-up questions. All the questions were vetted and Gillard’s answers were prepped by her staff after deep consultation with legal representatives advising her what answers would suffice, and not what to say. There have been plenty of bloggers who continue to carrying the message, and some feeder publications, but in essence the National Broadcaster – The ‘ABC’ – funded by the Federal Government and recently given an out of contract increase to funding by Gillard, has a cupboard full of Labor supporting journalists who have lost all their objectivity. There has even been Tribunal hearings on the pro bias Gillard reporting and attacks against those who have trashed her. The chief of these ALP loving journalist’s is former Bob Hawke media advisor Barry Cassidy – the Presenter of ‘Insiders’. In fact one of the ‘Insiders’ bench presenters in Glen Milne was sacked from the program in late 2011 for writing about the AWU scandal in ‘The Australian’ – see SMH story her … I can guarantee you that Gillard is guilty of conduct unbecoming of a licensed Solicitor – her actions have not allowed her to practice Law again. On that basis alone a series of question for Gillard to answer should be about her Slater & Gordon dismissal, and what conditions were imposed with regard to her practicing Law again. Six months after the sacking – Gillard did not renew her Solicitors License and has never practiced Law again. Fordham’s questioning on the use of the AWU name in the known ‘slush fund’ intent, as the ‘AWU workforce reform association’ … was also on the mark. Gillards answers were again vague and obfuscated around the question trying to avoid direct answers. This is important – it goes to the quality of advice Gillard claims she was offering to Wilson and Blewitt as employees of the real AWU Slater and Gordon client. If she knew the association and their accounts was to be a ‘slush fund’ and not a re-election fund that was stated on the application to incorporate the Association – Gillard breached her Legal responsibilities and will face charges that could have her struck off. Slater and Gordon know this and would have been the reason they dismissed her with conditions. If Slater and Gordon were ultimately made responsible for Gillard’s conduct and faced a legal challenge from the real Slater and Gordon AWU client – Gillard’s conduct would have become a matter of public record. The crime is in the cover-up and there are many people involved in that. There is no way they will all stick to their stories and Gillard has to know that her time will eventually run out. None of the then Senior Slater and Gordon Partners want to talk about it. Journalist worth anything would be on this story like flies on a dungheap – yet the Fairfax press stay silent and the likes of David Marr – a Director of Fairfax and muse to his own ego tries hard to pontificate his neutrality – he fails miserably. How Oakeshott and Windsor continue to support Gillard raises more questions about what they received in return for their continuing support. There is nothing about Gillard’s Leadership that inspires – in fact it does the opposite and Australia is the loser on so many levels.
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Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Our Higher Education System – Universities fudging research for Higher Funding -
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 20th Apr – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - 4th Mar - Gillard and her ‘Rent a Crowd’ – It’s all about – Me…Me…Me… & I…I…I… - - 4th Mar – Abbott still in chase mode – Will he ever choose to be a Leader - - 3rd Mar – Government – The Best PONZI Scheme ever - - 28th Feb – Media Ownership Agenda – The Gillard Asylum trying to shoot the messenger - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Our Higher Education System - -Universities fudging research for Higher Funding- | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 24th Apr 2013 | |
 Allegations have been made concerning University Heads reallocating accreditation for research material for the purpose of colluding to enhance funding opportunities.
These allegations and at a time when the Gillard Government is threatening a $2.5 billion funding strip from Universities, pose serious integrity questions in how the higher education funding triggers work. The allegations were made in a story published in ‘The Australian’ today and is reproduced below:
Some immediate question come to mind as a result of these obscure allegations, particularly in relation to the academic research into the ‘Climate Change’ debate, and how this Government and the research results are now being peeled back revealing flaws in the research arguments. On a global scale, many alarmist’s are now turning sceptical with the most recent data showing the last decade was much cooler then the previous decade. There has always been a ‘vested interest’ cloud hanging over academia land and how they procure research funding. They are all mostly reliant on Federal and State Government funding, and the debate that ensures is whether it was the funding that produced research results favourable to prolonged funding programs, or was it the research outcomes that produced the continued funding. In recent times, anyone seeking funding for a research program to prove ‘climate change’ arguments were top priority – grants to disprove the ‘climate change’ argument were low priority. If the allegations in the above story prove to be factual … so many questions will be answered. Gillard and her Ministers claim as do the Opposition that Education is the silver bullet – the statement has been around forever. But to me the question is that with knowledge comes enlightenment, but the wisdom of life is not learnt in books or by attaining higher education. Emphasis on one to the detriment of the other creates an imature and uncomplete rounding of life and humanity. If our educators are in fact cheating the system for greed and prestigue, then the wisdom of life within the mindset of these Institutions is a sad failure. If you can’t trust the educators on integrity and morality, what will the next generation of students give us when it becomes their turn to lead and take their place?
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK – has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education –
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 3rd Apr – Gillard v Nth Korea - - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - 4th Mar - Gillard and her ‘Rent a Crowd’ – It’s all about – Me…Me…Me… & I…I…I… - - 4th Mar – Abbott still in chase mode – Will he ever choose to be a Leader - - 3rd Mar – Government – The Best PONZI Scheme ever - - 28th Feb – Media Ownership Agenda – The Gillard Asylum trying to shoot the messenger - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Gillard’s Hubris – YUCK - - has nothing but contempt for the Disabled and Education - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 21st Apr 2013 | |
It is pure hubris contempt on Gillard’s part to think that rushing these important Legislative Bills should have a time stamp attached. There are three issues in Western politics that motivate electoral activity, Welfare, Education, and Health. Gillard’s socialist agenda has already had a crack at Health and has the States off-side. The Education strike is on the agenda with the States at the moment, and more will be known next week in how the States have responded. As for Welfare – the aged have fared quite well under Gillard, the un-employed have not, and now it is the turn for the disabled. Gillard has an overflowing fault – debt created to fund her socialist agenda thus far has not been funded by the two new big taxes she introduced – i.e. the Carbon Tax and the MRRT. She has erred badly in balancing the spend and now with the European Carbon Price collapsing – another $10 billion hole just hit the budget forward estimates. Last Thursday Gillard fronted the ABC’s ’7:30 Report’ and was given the ABC’s ‘friends of Labour’ treatment. The normally feisty Leigh Sales held her cue and allowed Gillard to spruik her garbage about ‘funded savings’, and other dipstick logic to try and explain how the Gonski reforms are funded. Have a listen using the link here – or read the text of the interview pasted below:
I know – you had trouble believing and staying with the commentary – I put the YouTube clips in to give some reality to her responses re budget savings … who can believe anything she has to say … Gillard has lost the plot and lost the ability to speak in anyway where people want to listen to what she has to say. The Nation has just turned her off … and she refuses to accept all the advice telling her she no longer has the connect she thinks she has. As if her trip to ‘Rooty Hill’ a month or so ago didn’t let her know how the people feel – she believes her Education and Disability Legislation will somehow win over a disengaged electorate – how big can a bloody fruitloop be … The Gonski Report:
The broad strokes in these key recommendations are as obvious as a ‘Pro Hart’ landscape. This paid for report hardly covers any of the important issues attached to the Education debate. For example …
Students who put in the effort should be rewarded … better students get better amenities … This is the one thing that has worked for humanity over the centuries – it is incentive based advancement. The Western World is so preoccupied with equality based opportunities it has weakened the whole education system … Where is the Gonski recommendations to address unruly classrooms, the abuse Teachers are subjected to, the lack of parenting responsibility for truancy and poorly behaved kids, these are all important issues Gonski does not even go near in his recommendations – why is more money always seen to be the answer – sometimes being forced to accept responsibility for poor parenting and poor behaviour is all it takes. Technology is changing at such a pace, that a University graduate is outdated within two odd years unless they are employed in the field and upgrade their knowledge base. Nothing competes in the workplace against experience … a 25 yo who has never worked a day in their life stacked up against someone who has 5 plus years of work experience is a no brainer. It’s a bit different for some Professional trades, but then they all have to learn on the job as well … I’ve attended some of these courses, I ‘ve even lectured at some … the point is that many who take the course will never what they have learnt ever again … it’s a time filler, a funded education plan that gives the student or unemployed some hope that they might still be able to find a career … it’s all bullshit – if you want it you’ll find a way to get it done … the handout has never worked … and I don’t think it ever will … The National Disability Scheme [NDIS]: How dare this cow use the paid for report to suit her socialist agenda … use the disabled to try to save her political career … The Disabled are in need, their carers in more need, and the facilities they require are not what they should be … but Gillard’s plan is not about addressing the needs of the Disabled, but consumed by the illusion that the NDIS will win her votes at the next election. This is who Gillard is … her pious tone when she turns on the charm to sell her message is nothing but a bitch in heat turned and presented ready for a mongrel service. Gillard has no interest in the Nations interest – her interest is in her own interests. For someone to have got the budget forecasts so wrong – and serious politician would not be shoving another $20 billion of unfunded policies at an electorate trying its best to tell to fu_k off. Even the abattoir would reject the Gillard carcass … cows like her need to be burned and then buried deep … a complete waste of human interest and the media should do a number on her – just don’t mention her in dispatches, don’t cover her Press conferences … black list the bitch until she gets the message … I’m not sorry for the vitriol … Gillard and her cast of Pied Piper Monkeys are just that bad … and does the monkey’s a dis-service …
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Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL Opinion – Gillard v Nth Korea – Gillard off to China to fix the problem – talk about an overreach -
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Latest ‘EYE-BALL Opinion’ Posts: - 2nd Apr – Gillard – twisting and turning on the spit – there are no fools like old fools - - 30th – Be careful what you wish for - - 28th Mar – Apathy – Australian’s have it in spades and deservedly so - - 23rd Mar – Legitimacy - - 19th Mar – A downside of Democracy – and the ease in which past Leaders move on - - 16th Mar – The UNION’s - someone needs to tell them – about high labour costs - - 15th Mar – Gillard decides to jump off the cliff – she would like us to all to accept her invitation to follow - her desperation is obvious and her judgement is becoming suicidal - - 14th Mar – Conroy’s Proposed Media Overlord - - 12th Mar – The Speaker of the House Fails all Australians – Question time is a farce, avoiding accountability - - 11th Mar – On Education – ‘The Munsters’ style – Bowen and Garrett put on a show - - 10th Mar – The Nation is Slipping Away – can you feel it? - - 9th Mar – The Dribble … it’s just so exhausting … - 6th Mar - Journalist’s – the perils of Slow News Days - - 5th Mar – Gillard and Rooty Hill – why not Gillard helping the WA Election Campaign - - 4th Mar - Gillard and her ‘Rent a Crowd’ – It’s all about – Me…Me…Me… & I…I…I… - - 4th Mar – Abbott still in chase mode – Will he ever choose to be a Leader - - 3rd Mar – Government – The Best PONZI Scheme ever - - 28th Feb – Media Ownership Agenda – The Gillard Asylum trying to shoot the messenger - - To see more EYE-BALL ‘Opinion’ posts: |
Title: - Gillard v Nth Korea - - Gillard off to China to fix the problem - - talk about an overreach - | Author: EYE-BALL Opinion | 3rd Apr 2013 | |
| There is one thing the Chinese are good out – freezing women out of the loop. Gillard’s foreign policy experience extends to a visit to a royal wedding, bungee jumping with Obama at some G20 conferences. Along the way she batting her eyelids at all the powerful men surrounding her during photo shoots, and had them drool over her misogyny speech, all the while trying to not embarrass herself over what she does not know about foreign policy.
Well – the Nth Korea situation has escalated beyond idle threats – Nth Korea has made a claim that it intends to wipe the very existence of the USA from world history. Many Nations are taking the threats seriously. The unpredictable Nth Koreans are known to carry out their threats when faced with a humiliation back-down as the only other alternative. Former PM and Foreign Minister, and by far the best FM we’ve had in a very long time Kevin Rudd started rattling China’s cage a week or so ago telling them they had better intercede to quell Nth Korea’s sabre rattling. Gillard’s China trip has been on the agenda for some time and she comes out today telling us that she is taking the most serious of delegations with her to China to fix the Nth Korean situation. Read the story below:
‘High Powered’ delegation indeed – herself and Bill Shorten … come on there like two butterfly’s trapped in a museum bottle when it comes to Foreign policy knowledge and diplomacy. This story marginalises and damages Gillard and her Leadership. It leaves the impression that Mr Rudd is and has been the go-between between China and the USA on Nth Korea – I would not be surprised that Gillard sees it that way as well. It weakens Gillard no-end. The PM released her own Press Conference speech and it is linked and pasted below:
How can you stack Gillard’s agenda outlined above up against what Rudd has done in recent weeks re Nth Korea and China’s influence in the region? She does not even mention Nth Korea! Taking Bill Shorten with her – why not the Foreign Minister Bob Carr? Since the phantom spill 10 days ago, it is widely rumoured that Carr and Gillard have not spoken. There is trouble in paradise and given the threat language coming out of Nth Korea – it is more than surprising Gillard did not mention Nth Korea directly in her press conference. Remember this PM has her finger on the War footing of this Nation, she is responsible for military decisions – how it has come to this is indeed something to ponder and ask what needs to be done to fix the problem. How many more soldiers will die because Gillard does not have the balls to end the Afghanistan occupation. Yes the withdrawal is happening, but what will have been achieved once the ‘coalition of the willing’ has deserted their charter and left? China don’t respect Gillard and never will. The most revealing matter this trip reveals is the widening gap between Carr and Gillard, and with such an important trading partner at the other end of this overseas trip, Gillard demonstrates how thin bare her loyal Ministers are.
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Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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