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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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