Not your usual Cabinet leak
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Labor has been damaged by the leak of Cabinet proceedings, no doubt. Whether the damage is significant depends on how many more there are and how much life the story gets beyond Canberra. The last big bombshell lobbed by Laurie Oakes exploded with a sound like the crack of doom but appeared to interest punters in the real world not a jot. Tony Abbott’s curious decision to announce a business tax cut today might mean the campaign simply resumes as it was proceeding before last night. The Press Gallery is fascinated by Cabinet leaks, because it allows journalists to portray governments as racked with division when they are simply doing what you’d think they should do — aggressively debate policy proposals. Many journalists appear unaware that Cabinet submissions actually have an entire section devoted to other ministers’ departments commenting on, and frequently bagging the hell out of, the submission being served up for consideration. But this isn’t your usual Cabinet leak. This is a leak of the discussion that went on in the room when Strategic Priorities and Budget Committee considered paid parental leave and the pension increase; a leak designed specifically to undermine Julia Gillard and, ultimately, Labor’s re-election chances. The great Labor tradition, that your real enemies are inside the party and not across the aisle, lives on. If nothing else, at least it enlivened Julia Gillard, who came out with a strong performance this morning in Adelaide to make her intense scrutiny of big-spending proposals a virtue, declaring that she would always be subjecting spending proposals to rigorous questioning, and specifically denying the most damaging claim, that she opposed the pension rise because pensioners don’t vote for Labor (if she did say it, she’d be right, of course — Labor could shower the oldies in $100 bills and they’d still vote en masse for the party of Menzies). There seems to be Gallery unanimity that it was her best performance of the campaign and, hopefully, a harbinger of a Gillard less like the Mogadoned version of the last week and more like the aggressive performer we’re used to in Parliament. That would run contrary to Labor’s campaign strategy to keep the election campaign off the radar of most voters, but with any luck that may now be abandoned as the polls tighten up — which they are already doing. It’s not Gillard’s performance in response to the leaks that is the issue, though; this is about her performance in removing Kevin Rudd a month ago, and the continuing ramifications of that. Clearly the leaker, having failed to derail Gillard with revelations about the leadership non-deal, has had another go. No reason why they wouldn’t stop if this new one doesn’t work. |
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115 Comments
Politicians would probably cast aside allegations re their activities when made anonymously, but if a journalist prints allegations without revealing its source, this is taken as legitimate. Why doesn’t someone ask Laurie Oakes for his proof? He’d plead his right to ‘not reveal his sourc’? Why don’t other so-called journalists ask him for proof? It’s not beccause he has such a fine upstanding reputation as a journalist is it? He works for channel 9 for goodness sake! Hardly an unbiased media outlet!
On the face of it, querying the whole nuts and bolts of parental leave and increases in pensioner incomes would be a prudent thing to do, wouldn’t it? Asking questions doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t favour the principle - I think that this is a beat up - fancy that?
This is a sexist, nasty, filthy campaign full of disgusting, sensationalised rubbish that has nought to do with policy or good governance! Sickening!
Laurie Oake’s value is his ability to get the big scoops and leaks. That is what differentiates him from the other members of the political press. If he started reporting dodgy stuff that was from dubious sources, he would lose that reputation and hence, his clout. Laurie is not about to do that so we can assume the mole has legitimate info. As Keating would say, “Always bet on self interest. At least you know it’s trying”. The real question is “Who is the mole?” My money is on a disgruntled advisor from Rudd camp who has plenty of info from the old days, bills to pay, media contacts aplenty and a lot of spare time on his hands.
Yes, it would, but that isn’t what occurred. Julia opposed the measures on political grounds and then later tried to take the credit for them. She is a shameless and opportunistic hypocrite.
Laurie Oakes is a patsy for anyone with an axe to grind and without the guts to do it themselves. I’m not sure that’s good journalism.
@TROY C - …..but that isn’t what occurred. Julia opposed the measures on political grounds and then later tried to take the credit for them.
And you know this because????You were (obviously) in the room? Yes?
@LIZ J- Of course it’s not good journalism. Might sell papers or encourage people to tune in to their so-called news broadcasts, but doesn’t resemble good journalism?
When Labor was elected, I thought they should’ve got rid of the previous public servants and employed their own? Divided loyalties! I thought that failure to do so would bring them grief - and I was right! This is one practice they should learn from the White House protocols - out with the old, in with the new!
Well so what? Lindsay Tanner didn’t want any stimulus package, dozens don’t want to be harsh to refugees.
I thought that was democracy in action.
Good grief our pathetic media are so bored they invent any old yarn and think it is news.
For 12 years pensions didn’t rise one bit, they went backwards.
For the record mine has gone from $680 per fortnight with rent relief to $814 in the last 11 months.
It takes a real dickhead not to be able to live on over $400 per week when they are on their own.
Laurie has got the shits with the white anting of Rudd and so has Peter Hartcher.
Now Gillard doesn’t get to swan around like lady muckety muck pretending to be sweetness and light, she has to stand for something and have some ideas.
Reading Shitstorm as many have it is clear she had little input into the stimulus package so when a few small complaints started she didn’t know what they were on about.
As for divided loyalties, how many in the liberals actually want to torture refugees again.
Liz45. Note sure about your sack the public servants approach. Apart from being a bit rough on career public servants giving frank and fearless advice etc, you’d have to say it’s probably the ones that Rudd appointed that are leaking to Oakes and his co-patsy Hartcher..
Here’s a new slogan for election 2010: “If it’s mud, the source is Rudd”.
BK wrote: “because pensioners don’t vote for Labor (if she did say it, she’d be right, of course — Labor could shower the oldies in $100 bills and they’d still vote en masse for the party of Menzies).”
We keep getting told this, and it has certainly been true but am I just being hopelessly romantic when I think, as the Boomer generation fills that demographic, it will be a bit more reflective rather than reflexive. Wise heads tell us when we are callow youth that we are bound to get more conservative with age. They imply “the getting of wisdom” but I believe it is merely getting more selfish (for oneself or offspring, no diff.) sometimes viciously so, more curmudgeonly and less tolerant. I see among my generation at least some of us are going in the other direction — more liberal, more frustrated with the emptiness of a purely economic approach to life.
………………..
@SCOTT at 1:51 pm “Who is the mole?” My money is on a disgruntled advisor from Rudd camp who has plenty of info from the old days, bills to pay, media contacts aplenty and a lot of spare time on his hands.
That may be feasible and even more palatable because if it was Rudd he would be especially stupid and vindictive, not to mention wrecking his chances of getting whatever he wants in the next government (of course he probably realizes he ain’t gonna get it anyway). BUT if this is the source then what does that say about Oakes? How could anyone take this kind of leak and ascribe it much verity or value? Certainly not in the public interest. Little better than an Andrew Blot blot. Cheap publicity and ego stoking for himself.
LIZ J, isn’t Peter Hartcher Rudd’s son in law.
Scott, the quote is from Jack Lang.
Shepherdmarilyn Are you saying there is no need for a pension increase?
Liz45 Ican’t agree with dumping public servants every three years.
Whoever is leaking can congratulate themselves when Abbott is in the Lodge.
@Liz Johnston - when John Howard became PM, he sacked almost the entire senior public service, holus bolus, and journos from everywhere flocked to Canberra seeking jobs in the new regime. Many people thought that Labor should do likewise, but Rudd, an ex-public servant, declined to do so. I’ll bet that he regrets it now. To me, that was his first and most egregious error,viz., Gremlin Gretch, just one of many.
As for the PM, she did well today. I can imagine that she’s been waiting, like the rest of us, for the proverbial to hit the fan, and it’s almost a relief that it’s come. My acquaintance, not all pro-Labor by any means, is beginning to question these attacks on the PM, i.e. they’re starting to backfire.
Laurie Oakes - well, after he ‘broke’ the story of an affair between Gareth Evans and Cheryl Kernot, after both had left parliament on the spurious grounds that she excluded her private affairs from her political memoirs, I’ve given him a total pass. The man’s reputation is undeserved - he revels in scuttlebutt, although that often passes for informed political debate in this navel-gazing backwater we call Australia.
But about the elderly not voting Labor - them days are gone. My nonagenarian parents, full pensioners, couldn’t afford their life-enhancing pharmaceuticals after the last government’s ever-increasing co-payments for essential medication . Luckily, they had offspring who paid all of their bills and thus became the envy of their friends, many of whom, frightened about the Howard government’s attacks on Medicare, voted Labor for the first time in 2007.
Finally, the PM railed against parent payments….I just don’t believe it. I’ve heard the PM talk of many occasions, even before she was elected to parliament, about equity in the workforce and support for families, and I simply refuse to credit that the leopard can ever change its spot.
How’s this for taking a leak?
The one with the motive is Kevin Rudd…or Stephen Smith…or Lindsay Tanner…orJohn Faulkner…or Penny Wong…or Craig Emerson.
Congratulations Bernard, it’s nice to see a little bit of thoughtful exploration of how the press gallery’s self-interest often dictates what and how they report.
@Scott
Now in his late 60s, Laurie Oakes is no doubt highly aware that his deification amidst the rarefied Valhalla of Australian journalism is drawing to an end. So whilst I’ll agree that he has long been the conduit of choice the whistle-blowers and political insurgents looking to anonymously toss some turd, I also strongly suspect he’s ever increasingly focused on his legacy - how he will be remembered for in decades to come. Political Kingmaker probably has a nice ring to it right now
@ Marilyn
As per Kerry O’Brien, the crocodile tears Peter Hartcher and Laurie Oakes have cried on behalf of Kevin Rudd have as much to do with assuaging their own guilt as to the part they played in his downfall, than any real sense that he was poorly treated in the circumstances.
Like the rest of us, journalist have to learn to live with the consequences of their own actions and some come to terms with that much more quickly than others.
For months prior to his removal, Kevin07 was viciously witch hunted by many of our media mega stars because, due to the ongoing political impotency of the Opposition, Australian politics had become duller than dirty fishwater. The commentariate simply had little else to write or talk about . When they finally got what they had seemingly been wishing for all the long - Kevin Rudd’s head on a silver platter - for many pundits, the temptation to deny the part they played in his downfall simply proved too much.
For others it switching from Cavaliers to Roundheads was just another segue in their long history of playing both sides of the same coin in the name of ” objective journalism”
Large sections of our media are nothing but pimps, whores and emotional vampires - in many cases vastly over paid ones at that
No I am saying the pension has been massively increased in just 12 months so what the hell is the fuss about.
As for Oakes and Hartcher, I agree - I have written many times that I have never seen such a concerted hate campaign about a PM and even asked whose granny Rudd shot to deserve it.
They are all crying crocodile tears but I guess the election campaign is no boring they have to do or say something.
Love that last sentence ‘pimps, whores and emotional vampires”.
this time though I stick up for Gillard, no way would she deny parents leave.
The point to consider is that the pension increase and the parental leave scheme have been passed. Its not as though its up for discussion like the Abbott proposal which as recently as today we were told it still needs tinkering with. Labors parental scheme went through cabinet while Abbotts plan was sprung on the liberals without consultation. I still cannot see the justification for paying someone up to 75 K for parental leave ? So a person on 150 grand a year needs assistance to cope with a baby that they presumably was a planned pregnancy. For that amount of money they could hire two nannies and still pay for the gym sub to get back into shape for the tennis club.
I like Marilyn get a pension and I,m in favour of families getting assistance but Abbotts parental scheme is rubbish. I agree about the boat people hooha as being a race to the bottom but which party started the race ? Today Telstra got a hefty fine for anti competition behaviour but the coalition wants to scrap the NBN. I can get rid of my fixed phone when the NBN comes in because I only require it for broadband access. The coalition should never have sold Telstra without separating retail and wholesale but either through incompetence or worse, for greater profits decided to sell it whole.
What a waste it would be to scrap the NBN. It would rank worse than the coalitions purchase of helicopters that can,t fly or tanks that cant be transported in the rare event that a we need them overseas. The maginot line but tanks instead of infrastructure.
I,m old enough to remember the TV rants of Santamaria and we dont need anyone of that mould in government. Baby boomers get some flak but we had no big bucks first home buyers scheme ( which actually increases house prices ) or five grand baby bonus. I went to catholic schools but my parents got nothing for uniforms etc. Five kids and paying off a home but we were raised ok without any racial taunts to the many ethnic groups that passed through Port Melbourne before they ended up in other suburbs. Abbott and Morrison disgust me with their lies and foul portrayal of the refugees. If Andrews ( is he stll alive ? ) and Abbott are catholics then they must have gone to off shoot sect of the mainstream faith I was raised in. Peter Reith is alive and well but just parades under a different name, Morrison. Fortunately I cant be ashamed by my faith because of Abbotgt and Co because I no longer practise that faith. I just live as a human being who hopes I dont cause offence to others. Pity the so called christians cant practise their faith and do the same.
When can leaks turn counterproductive? When the public decide that the Rudd debacle aside, at least Gillard is trying to lead the party into the next election whereas those anonymous disseminators of privileged information and their dubious media conduits are merely trying to discredit her rather than act in the national interest. One more leak could be one too many.
@ACIDICMUSE……..Large sections of our media are nothing but pimps, whores and emotional vampires LOVE IT:-) and now Sky TV are reading from the same songbook as their cousins at Fox in the US under the baton of Murdoch…Speers obviously now demands star status after his biased effort at the no debate on Sunday….he sits in front of the camera dressed and made up like a pox doctor.
APHRA
Have to agree with most of what you said. Rudd went overboard in presenting himself as even handed even giving Costello and Downer jobs. Considering nobody else was prepared to give that pair a responsible position they continue to spout their supposed credentials to attack the government. Wasn,t Abetz a prime player in the Gretch sham yet we are expected to believe him about workchoices ? Abetz. Andrewa , Bishop and Ruddock are in the shadow cabinet but are nowhere to be seen. Almost forgot that ” rising star ” Dutton who also seems to be absent.
Funny how Henry was a fine fellow when the opposition was in government but a bastard in opposition. Strangely Abbott has now stated the Henry tax review should be implemented in some parts but not I assume the miners tax. Like the announcement of lowering tax in 2013 while raising them in 201011 there is no rhyme or reason. Parental leave over my dead body but ok now. Workchoices should be defended in ” Battlelines ” but now its dead.
Why do you think that this leak and the previous leak were given to Oakes on separate occasions? Would these two leaks and any further leaks be part of the one spew that Oakes has decided to slow release throughout the campaign. Oakes is handling this just as Andrew Robb would. Do you not see that Oakes is acting like a senior member of the opposition?
@DAVIDK - Not every three years - on the change of a political party in govt. The public servants while Howard was in govt could’ve been there for almost 12 yrs. We’ve already seen what happens when the public servants, loyal to ‘the other mob’ are still running the show when the new govt moves in! I wouldn’t trust them as a matter of course - divided loyalties would be asking for trouble, and that is perhaps what’s happening now! That should be the unwritten law in Canberra! Change the party in govt, change the public servants! Sensible move!
I wholly concur with all the above. Wasn’t it Frank Sinatra who called the Australian media whores and pimps. Oakes says the leak came from Labor but why should we believe him?
Actually in Shitstorm it is clear that when the stimulus was discussed pensioners and carers got first priority from everyone.
Gillard mentioned productivity funding for jobs.
Pensioners were always going to get the rise so what is the problem.
In fact it came in three lots. The first was the utilities allowance + increased phone for internet services, then the $30 flat increase, then rising from 25% of AMWE to 27.7% - the media almost missed the latter because they were whining about some small thing.
Tom , oakes has been a senior ball boy for the opposition party since birth and sad to see him bow to his bosses orders. This i hope kills his career and people will remember these sly acts. Put up or shut-up , this will be the P.Hanson story Rupert ran at the last qld election in the town of Beaudesert . The photos were shopped and front page in the only daily paper in qld, just before election day. They didn’t want redneck votes going to One Nation. The LNP will change Qld to Palmerville if they get in and start open -cutting mining Qld more than Labor has.
@TOM HAWKINS….good points Tom and if there is yet another so called leak from Oakes the time will have come for the PM to call in the police. These are supposedly Cabinet leaks. Oakes is banking on the source cannot be named, journalists bible.
Bullshit. This rubbish Oakes is persisting with needs to be investigated. There is no place for secrecy when the deliberations and decisions of the Cabinet are being leaked, if in fact they are. After hearing Ms Gillard refute certain allegations this morning, I would prefer to take her word over the ‘past use by’ tired aged journalist.
If he wants fame then give it to him, in a police interview room. He has no more protection over the identity of his informant than mickey mouse. Time some of these journalists were brought back to the planet the rest of us live on.
@David “..after his biased effort…”
It’s amazing reading this nonsense from the Left’s apologists, especially about Oakes. Over the years, Oakes has probably been a bigger thorn in the Coalition’s side, than Labor’s. If I recall correctly, he published an entire opposition policy speech and /or costings before they’d been offically released.
Latham identifies Oakes, in his book, as the journalist to whom Rudd would leak regularly. In fact, Latham details setting a trap for Rudd. Latham refers to Rudd as a “serial leaker”.
The point of contention is not that Gillard put a different argument in cabinet. Lots of ministers do that, and it’s probably good that there is a robust and informed debate within cabinet before a decision is taken.
But what this leak heralds is dangerous disunity. Whoever the source, he/she/they, are clearly determined to do “whatever it takes”, as Graham Richardson so aptly titled his political memoir.
That’s why Abbott , as Barrie Cassidy notes, just keeps hammering the theme of “dysfunctional government”, because that’s exactly what this begins to look like.
I guess suspicion would fall on Rudd. But Tanner has never been a fan of Gillard’s, nor Albanese, nor Ferguson. All members of the “true Left”
No hope of a Labor government villifying journalists as the media would be all over them. If it was a coalition government villifying the ABC it would be different.
I’m going to take Ross Gittins advice and take a holiday for three weeks - or be cryogenically hibernated or something
similar. I’ve had enough already.
If we’re going to countenance a destablised Gillard government post-election then the journos should at least be even handed and question why Malcolm Turnbull is hanging around waiting for Abbott to cock up.
No, not your usual Cabinet leak, that’s sure. It’s poor old Laurie waking up after another dream because of his prostate pressures. Maybe he’ll have another dream about the good old days when journo’s had principles and weren’t so weak of bladder.
@JOHNJAMES…as you are well aware my comments of bias were not directed at Oakes but at Sky’s David Speers for his failure to stop Abbott chipping in on the PM when the agreed format did not allow it. Also Speers questions at Gillard were more demanding and persistent. As usual you attempt to begin your response by twisting words and meanings. You expect me to believe the words of the dikhead Latham!!!!!!!!! Get over it. Fat chance. Obviously you know Oakes was the recipiant of a leak, according to your words….”But what this leak heralds is dangerous disunity. ” so come on name the bastard or do you also hide under the can’t reveal my source rubbish.
@David ” ..my comments of bias were not directed at Oakes… “
No, you just suggested he should be jailed. Sorry!
“….dikhead latham “
I think the adjective may be misspelt, but hey! he’s your side’s man, and someone Julia supported enthusiastically.
” you know Oakes was the recipent..”
Well, the whole world knows. Gillard acknowledges the veracity of them, she’s attempting to argue that she was just questioning the costings a little more intently.
As Abbo said, wish she’d done that with BER.
’ name the bastard..”
I wish I could. That would be a scoop!
She didn’t oppose the schemes. She merely looked at how affordable they would be, as should be done with every scheme. That does NOT constitute opposition.
It is despicable that she has to defend herself against such things.
Also, how do we know for sure it was a cabinet leak?
It’s a pathetic attempt to make Gillard look “anti-family” in direct contrast with supposed “family man” Abbott and to make the government look “unstable” (and hence make the Coalition look better). Blatantly obvious and very low.
Very convenient for the liberals though. Interesting, that…
@Michael R James
The boomers were and still are the most selfish generation in human history, those far. Why would old age change that? They had the chance and got greedy, it’s the human condition and it wont be evolved out of our genes in one generation. But they’re a good example of how not to grow old in style.
Johnjames…again you demonstrate to all just what a shyster you are and how you try to twist words and threads to suit your attempts to sidetrack others. Doesn’t work never will. Laura completes the job on your contribution.
“No reason why they wouldn’t stop if this new one doesn’t work” writes Bernard Keane.
How true!
This saga could easily run another three weeks with a juicy new ‘leak’ every few days - perhaps alongside am ‘unexpected surge’ of ‘boat people’.
Just so we don’t all get too distracted with policy issues of serious import…
The comment was made by a reporter on ABC1 news tonight that Labor knows the source of the leaks but is powerless to do anything about it.
Time for somebody like Richardson to out the perpetrator.
@David,
Sorry, but I’m certainly not “twisting words and threads” - merely saying that it’s very convenient for the Liberals that this “leak” occurred and that it further positions Mr. Abbott as more Pro-family than Gillard. I perceive this to be one of the damaging things about this leak. Whether other people see it that way or not, I don’t profess to know.
Neither this, nor my stating that Gillard questioned the costings of the schemes means completing a “job” for another contributor.
I do totally agree with you that the “rubbish” Oakes is spouting needs to be investigated.
Wayne Swan on 730Report has just inferred he hasnt spoken to Rudd since the election was called and probably since he was executed. Julia Gillard said the same today Kerry said.
Hardly cohesive.
Rudd should have retired from politics and should have not sit on the back bench on execution day
Swan is twisting in his seat on the 7.30 Report trying to avoid admitting that he has been in recent contact with Rudd and pretending that he doesn’t have a view on the source of the various leaks.
Perhaps the next interview on the subject of Rudd and leaks ought to be with Latham.
Yes Socratease,
Lots of rats in the Labor ranks, they are imploding.
Will be capped off tomorrow when Belinda Neal announces she will stand as an independent in Robertson (most marginal labor seat).
Will Della Bosca have to leave Labor as well.
Very interesting
@ Socratease
“Here’s a new slogan for election 2010: “If it’s mud, the source is Rudd”.
My money is on Rudd’s main advisor the young bloke whatever his name was.
Labor is well used to rats in the ranks, and my guess is they would have written off Robinson along with Neal.
And who cares about Della Bosca? The whole rotten mess of NSW Labor is on death row anyway.
@Astro,
He may be the conduit, but the motivating source is pretty clear.
The thing about political executions is that they have to be fatal. The only thing worse than Baquo’s ghost would have been Banquo himself hanging around.
^^ Make that Robertson.
Next they will have ASIO tapping Laurie Oakes’ mobile phone to find the source.
The attacks on the Prime Minister are at the point of being counter productive. There is certainly a view that the personality stuff is just nasty and pointless as it all seems to focus on Julia Gillard, including horrid observations about her personal appearance which in fact has been beyond question every time I have seen her on TV. The nasty comments about her living arrangements have shown that there are many Liberals/Family First supporters who are quite unenlightened and prejudiced. I support families but recognise that not everyone who has one is a good and decent person, just as there are many good and decent people who have no children of their own. Tony Abbott’s concentration on gender has been low - forever repeating the mantra that it is not an issue only shows how much of an issue it is for him.
Laurie Oakes review of the televised debate where he gave the debate to Tony Abbott without question was something of a revelation to me and so the tripe he has leaked in regard to cabinet discussions was far less surprising. It allowed the PM to show how capable she is of dealing with the not so good stuff and what she said made absolute sense.
@Tom Jones
Couldn’t agree more!
Just when you thought the leaks couldn’t get any bigger, I bring you…
Oz election new leak EXCLUSIVE!!!
at http://sydwalker.info/blog/leak
@Astro,
If they tapped Oakes’ phone, they might be interested to hear how he allegedly spends his free time and with whom.
@LAURA…hi my comments re twisting threads were not directed at yourself but at one JJames an acknowledged twisted person…my apologies if you took it as at you
Im willing to put my mortgage on it, RUDD WILL NEVER GET A CABINET POST. He is stuffed, kaput, finished…Im almost, only almost prepared to agree with that piece of journalistic sewer Akerman, Rudd has a plenty to hide and is a fake. What a dilemma agree with Akerman nooooooooooooooooo
@David
LauraJ here (with new profile name), thanks for your apology, no offence taken.
Cheers Laura
Yes Rudd is toxic. They need to keep him there for the moment or risk upsetting the people who are upset he was dumped
I wonder if he will wirthdraw his nomination for Griffith tomorrow!!! to have the last turn of the knife
Rudd has already signalled his interest in a UN post. His claim about part-time is crap IMO, he’s covering all of his bases.
I would not put it past Rudd to force a by-election soon after the Federal election if things don’t go his way.
We really have to wonder why so much attention gets paid to alleged out of context he said she said trivia when matters of policy and credibility are relegated to nothingness.
If it is so important to endlessly masticate the claims of Oakes why is it not the case that the demolition job he did on Shadow Treasurer Hockey on Sunrise a few days ago, where Hockey displayed monumental ignorance and incompetence of matters financial and economic, is not the lead item on several TV News shows, front page in the papers and, heaven forbid, a continuing saga here at Crikey.
One ‘issue’, the one currently under discussion, has no real import as to the governance of our nation, the other issue, the level of credibility, ability and integrity of the would be Treasurer is of far greater significance but is receiving virtually nil exposure.
Strange.
@Fredex,
It’s simple: We all know that Hockey is an economic dunce; that’s not news. What is news is Cabinet leaks.
I’ve said it before: Oakes is no better than Ben Fordham - both are grubs. Ms Gillard was opposed - it went to a vote, she lost, she got on with it. That’s politics. Mr Abbott tells the party they’re in a winnable position: that’s the job of an Opposition Leader. Fine. Let’s get out of the gutter, and into policy.
Sack Oakes.
Whatever was discussed in cabinet is of no consequence because both the pension rise and the parental scheme are realities. What was said or not said is hearsay unless someone can produce minutes of the discussion. Rats in the ranks ? Well are staffers true Labor or just that , staff ? Abbotts parental plan I learn tonight on Lateline is still not finalised. Apparently Hockey will have something to add or deduct on the scheme in a few days. Robb wouldn,t or couldn,t say what that was about. First it was the primary wage earner that would apply but now its not although as late as last week it was. The tax to pay for it is not a tax but a levy. Well that makes as much sense as Costello stating the federal GST was a state tax. To think the coalition wanted the GST on fresh food as well. A tax is a tax no matter what you dress it up as.
Don’t sack Oakes before he’s made to do one push-up on national television.
I dunno socratease I thought the media meme, reflected in the polls, was that the COALition were the economic experts.
So this continued fascination with Oakes trivia whilst ignoring the reality of Hockey’s incompetence is feeding into the preferred narrative for the COALition.
And incompetence on the part of the would be alternative Treasurer and governing party should be news, big news, front page stuff, lead item announced breathlessly and the Libs forced into ‘damage control’ [which is how O’Brien described the ALP as he introduced the show tonight].
Its important and people need to know if they are to make an informed decision.
But the comparative silence is deafening.
Well, Channel 9 news leads with Oakes each night lately, so he’s had the opportunity to slam Hockey or any other shadow minister during that.
Like most hacks, he’s more interested in so-called scoops.
Was it Walter Conkrite, when asked his opinion of the Australian media, opined “Great country, too many journalists, not enough news” ? do they have to prove so often and so emphatically!!
Passenger in my cab last night, a journalist it seems, with some part in covering tidbit tales of the election…
Began a phone conversation saying something like - “Give me something fresh so I don’t have to kill another Liberal tomorrow” - then went fishing for some sort of confirmation of Liberal Party polling results about Gillard’s hair colour.
Conversation over, I asked the journo - “Why do you need an excuse to kill a Liberal?”
We chatted a little about how the election is so dull, despite the combatants being pretty vivid characters, or maybe because of that, and the restraint they are both showing, so as not to frighten any horses that might vote with their hooves.
Oh look I was there at the time, well I could have been, well I heard from someone who mentioned to someone else who told a mate of mine, well not a mate, but there’s the goss on this leak. It seems Laurie oakes was having quite a big chuckle over the interest in Ms Gillard’s ear lobes that he passed wind for a rather lengthy period and someone nearby thought he mumbled something about Mssssssss Gillaaaaaard oppossssssing paaaaaaid parrrrrrental leaveeeeeeee. But it was just all wind.
That’s how TV news can get it wrong.
Back to basics. Would you give Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce and the Bishop sisters access to your bank accounts? Do you think climate change is ‘crap’? Can you see Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop represent Australia on the world stage? If not, why vote for them.
Why hasn’t TA been scrutinised and made to respond to Glen Milne’s allegations of spending of public monies to promote his book Battlelines by the MSM?
Similarly, where are the fiberal’s costings on their thought bubble policies now only a few weeks out from an election.
Orwell’s 1984 assumed that it would be government big brother who would control the dissemination of information to the people, not a few media moguls who now have the power to choose those governments world wide for their own self interests.
With such a powerful control of media interests by the vested few, is it any wonder career journalists (especially at the ABC) are forced to lose their journalistic ethics and kow tow to these interests if they wish to progress their careers?
@gocomsys
I would happily give them access. You can’t be serious giving access to Gillard, Rudd, Swan, Ferguson, Albanese, Garratt, Cameron etc with the BILLIONS they have wasted in the last 2 years.
Yes, BILLIONS
I agree who would want to be a politician, with all the scrutiny and the fact you are at the mercy of your colleagues.
But the Labor Lot are useless and collectively have never run any business, small, medium or large, and you cant include unions as a business.
Wayne Swan on global stage - massively out of his depth.
I think neither Gillard and Abbott are ideal PM. Gillard is all show for the election, and will change her spots when she wins. Abbott has flaws as well.
Neither party has good leadership, hope we get new talent on both sides this election.
Please stop the personal attacks on Laurie Oakes. He is only doing what any journalist would do, given his information.
And at Aldi’s you can get 2 leeks for $1.98
@astro
You need to be informed if you want to comment and not look like a dickhead.
Watch and learn. The only waste around here is the waste of space you and the present COAlition are.
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/730report/video/podcast/r608545_4005628.wmv
And like our pollies, except for Bob Brown, their leaks are green on the outside and pale within.
Oh Troy poor baby, everyone being nasty about your Laurie, congratulations at being the only member of his cheer squad didums…he is a toffee nosed, big noting, good for nothing slob
David, please stop the personal attacks.
Troy if you can’t stand the heat son………..
David, I’m more than happy to engage with you in an argument based on substance. Resorting to personal abuse only goes to show that you’ve lost the substantial argument, doesn’t it?
If Oakes wishes to set himself up as the agent of anon faceless leaks in the hope of influencing the outcome of an election and bringing down a PM then he asks for all he gets. Your defence of him is without substance. Dont whimper Troy get on with it.
David, what are the substantial arguments against reporting the leaks, pray tell?
Oakes must think he’s working for FoxNews or does he want to work in the US
@ Astro (8.06am)
You obviously did not see Kerry O’Brien’s interview with Nobel Laureate economist (and former chief economist of the World Bank), Joseph Stiglitz, on Monday evening. He lauded the Rudd government’s response to the 2007 financial crisis, describing it as amongst the best in the world.
He also made the point that, although there were criticisms of waste, if the response had been delayed there would have been more waste as a result of a slowed-down economy, unemployment etc. Stiglitz said it was a choice of which type of waste was worse and the Rudd government made the correct choice.
You can find the Stiglitz transcript on the 7.30 Report website, it’s worth reading before you give your bank account details to the Coalition.
Troy…What leaks? You know there was a leak? You have proof there was a leak? Oakes says so and Troy immediately laps it up as gospel. When Oakes has the guts to come up with a name and a face then he has grounds to be taken seriously. At this stage he is a cross between a dreamer and a liar.
@Zut Alors
Rudd, Gillard, Swan and the rest of them spend billions and billions without a care. The reason Australia weathered the GFC is because we had a huge surplus.
Even Lindsay Tanner admitted it, “we didn’t dot the i’s and cross the t’s” we were more focussed on stimulating the economy quickly.
Yes stimulas was needed, they just wasted billions.
Criminal abuse of taxpayers money.
David, are you accusing Oakes of fabricating these leaks? Do you believe he is capable of such dishonesty? If he were dodgy, as you allege, don’t you think the political class would have figured that out by now, given he’s been around for years and years and years? A man does not act with integrity for decades and then one day wake up and start inventing everything. As far as I’m aware, his integrity has never been questioned in this way before. If you believe he is lying, why don’t you just say so?
What I don’t understand is why journos don’t stand for good journalism. Is the tired old Oakes off limits for some reason, is he the Don of bullshit? Is journalism so bereft of good principles these days, are all journos just jelly fish. Here’s a story of substance for a principled journo looking to lift the standards of this used car lot. Gossip mongers for the race to the gutter. Laurie hit the front.
And where, exactly, are the furious rebuttals from MP’s? Why has it not been denied? By Gillard? By Swan? David, your slurs and attacks on Oakes, the messenger, are simply extraordinary.
Oakes is not a messenger; he’s the source at this point in time and until he proves over wise. Come on Laurie prove you’re not the toad you resemble.
The above posters who are calling for Laurie Oakes to reveal his source are being extremely naive. A journalist’s sources are their lifeblood. Once confidentiality is breached so is Oakes’ career.
And that goes for any journalist therefore can we please stop this nonsensical discussion about Oakes spilling the beans on what he knows about the leak.
Phil, does the same apply to Peter Hartcher? Is he being a “toad” too? Should Hartcher reveal his source, as well?
Troy you seem to have an unhealthy obssession with the said Oakes!!!!!
Read all my previous posts again, I tire of repeating myself. And if it makes you happy yes until he otherwise shows reason he is a liar. That unwritten law a journalist doesn’t reveal their source ,doesn’t wash. Its a convenient excuse to stirup trouble. WATERGATE this is not. Although Oakes may like to think so.
I reckon Tim’s the leak. You know how hairdressers gossip.
My money is on Rudds fromer chief of staff or one of Rudds advisors.
I am sure the media will be drip fed.
@TROY C - I agree with David. If journalists want to use this privilege re sources, they shouldn’t abuse it like Laurie Oakes has done on this occasion. This is not Watergate as David stated. It was grotty and childisn and beneath someone who asserts pride in his profession - he has prostituted any semblance of journalistic principles. Quite disturbing in my view!
If only they used the same or similar ‘talents’ when Howard was in, or when coalition members carry on in an ugly and obscene manner! God knows, there’s been plenty of them! Iraq? AWB? Children Overboard; Cornelia Rau; Shayan Badraie; Vivien Solon and the (at least)200 others who suffered under Howard’s Pacific Solution; Ministers using their former positions in their future jobs; Peter Reith and that telephone - the list goes on and on!
I don’t bother with the news or current affairs programs on commercial channels. I find that they’re only interested in the ‘froth & bubble’ and sensationalism, and don’t give a damn who they hurt doing it! Rich crooks get off, so-called small ones(people who omit their incomes to centrelink etc - often innocently) get crucified. Sick of it! It’s garbage!
I love it!
When Shadow Cabinet is at variance and leaking as it was in previous years then Bernard wrote great big long diatribes on how it was all indicative of how completely hopeless Brendan Nelson, Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition in general were but when its a Labor Cabinet then it’s all no problemo.
That’s right according to Bernard dissent and leaks in a Labor Cabinet is only an issue merely “because it allows journalists to portray governments as racked with division when they are simply doing what you’d think they should do — aggressively debate policy proposals”.
I have to pinch myself to prove that this not all just an entertaining daydream…..
Nope!………….. Just deliciously entertaining hypocrisy laid bare.
Liz45, how has either Laurie Oakes or Peter Hartcher “abused” anything? Please elaborate. They were given information — which, by the way, both the PM and Deputy PM have effectively accepted as the correct version of events — which they duly reported. Oakes and Hartcher are not in the business of journalism to be helpful to anyone.
David, is Peter Hartcher also a “liar”?
It’s this stuff that keeps grounded, check it out. We need the rightards to make this funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U4Ha9HQvMo
The guilty party, apart from Laurie Oakes himself, is probably someone who hates Gillard as much as he hates Kevin Rudd.
If it was Rudd he would have had to be certifiable, because to get found out would render him unemployable, any where, any time.
Venise, Is Peter Hartcher the “guilty party”, too?
Venise,
Thanks to Latham, Rudd already has the reputation of a serial leaker and that doesn’t seem to have hindered him as yet.
@TROY C - When journalists go from reporting news to deliberately participating in printing stories that the person at the centre of allegations has no recourse, then they abuse their power/s. They’re morally bankrupt! It’s devious and should be beneath a person of Laurie Oakes’ experience and position. It’s typical of the representatives of corporate power in this country. I recall reading, where the quality of journalism in this country is about 65 out of 100 - doesn’t surprise me at all!
The aim of a fair dinkum journalist is to print the truth, but to not rely on rumours and vicious ‘pay back’ assertions of people, when they refuse to tell the person on the wrong end who said it - that’s not journalism - that’s gutter politics at its worst. I’ve written on these sites that I object to the editorialising of Juanita Phillips and others on the ABC - their job is to report the facts, not sex it up with clever little tit-bits - that’s crap! If they wish to have an opinion, let it be clearly stated, that it is an opinon! I don’t recall Richard Morecroft or Martin Royal or Andrew Ollie engaging in this type of nonsense!
I don’t expect much different from msm, particularly those from ch 9 or the Murdoch stable/s!
@VENISE - I’m not convinced that it’s not a public servant - someone who was either present or overheard something or read something! I suppose there’s Minutes of these meetings? And it’s quite possible that Julia Gillard was deliberately misquoted, or didn’t even say what she’s accused of! Wouldn’t be the first time, would it? Corporate media don’t want Labor govts in power - full stop! They’re getting scared that Labor will win, and the word is - gloves off!
Oh, you are all such hypocrites. So much venom directed at Oakes. So much love for Hartcher. Do you have a thing for fat guys?
@TROY C - They were given information — which, by the way, both the PM and Deputy PM have effectively accepted as the correct version of events ,
The accusation was that Julia Gillard spoke against paid maternity leave and pension increases in Cabinet, and said that ‘penioners aren’t Labor voters anyway’? Both the PM and Deputy PM disagree. Julia Gillard said she scrutinized every aspect of both pieces of Legislation, and denied that she said that about pensioner’s voting patterns. I don’t know where you heard them agree, because I didn’t! In fact the ACTU spokewoman came out confirming JG support of paid maternity leave over many yrs, and Wayne Swan stated that she also supported a decent income for pensioners. Any person in her position would scrutinize all aspects of proposed Legislation, particularly when the cost is $50 billion and probably increasing! Or perhaps that’s for a set period - 4-5 yrs or something!
In short, your assertions are incorrect! Please show where they agreed with Oakes’ claims!
TROY C: I’m sorry; Do I know you?
When it comes to having a leak, I suppose both parties are at times busting for it. On reflection though I would rather have a leak against the Libs anytime.
The general message I get from instant mashed potato lips Andrew Robb and frilley neck lizard Abbott is a hatred and contempt for those less capable or willing in joining the mob of terminal materialists.
They both need quarantining and a 5/1 vaccination including worming.
@LIZ: Yes, you could well be correct. Remember Godwin Grech? This is the sort of stunt he would be up for.
I’ve always thought that JAMESK is a good bell-whether for the Liberal Party. His recent posts have been loaded with fear. If his posts start to become complacent you will know what’s going on.
Yes JamesK, I love you too.
@SOCRATEASE: I know about Kevin Rudd’s leaking as habit. But I thought he would think he would have to be mental to have a charge like that laid against his name when he really wants that UN job (isn’t it?). He would be unemployable by this level of strata anywhere on planet Earth.
This was my reason for thinking he may not have been guilty.
Venise, all sides of politics have their leakers and the UN is probably full of them, too.
@Liz
What like the scrutiny of the BER, Insulation, Green Loans where BILLIONS were wasted.
As Lindsay Tanner confessed, the programs were rushed out so fast they did not have time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Gross mismanagement and incompetence of BILLIONS in public funds
Looks at the $500 million NSW Labor has wasted on Sydney Metro. There are BILLIONS in NSW as well.
Just not good enough.
@VENISE….hasn’t been much said about Archbishop Hickey’s comments re Julia Gillards non religious bent.
Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey said Ms Gillard’s atheism could influence Christian voters not to vote Labor at the election on August 21.
“While there is no indication that the present Prime Minister will undermine the special privileges that churches enjoy, some wonder what the future will bring,” Archbishop Hickey told The West Australian.
After having second thoughts, probably after getting a phone call from Abbott he said today ….on ABC Radio in Perth,
“It mightn’t have been expressed as well as I would have liked but I wasn’t attacking Julia,” he said.
“I think she’s declared herself, she’s honest, she said she would respect religious beliefs and I think that’s all good.”
But Archbishop Hickey said he did have a problem with a secularist view that was growing in Europe and pushing religious views aside.
“Long term I am concerned about a secularist viewpoint.”
Archbishop Hickey said it was not his intention to influence voters to vote one way or another……
So there is the rub, he doesn’t intend to influence voters but he has already influenced them, by his original influencing statement……I did say at the start of this campaign, wait for Abbotts confessor Pell to issue his secular letter to all catholic parishes to be read the Sunday before the election, at all masses, sort of a catholic how to vote card.
Hickey has got in first, and will say 5 decades of the rosary as penance for jumping the gun.
We haven’t seen anything yet and ask yourself this, how many jurnos that are employed by News Ltd are catholics?
All points to ponder.
@Astro,
So we learn today that Neal isn’t standing as an independent and Della Bosca is quitting politics.
Two non-events on the same day.
@ Sacratease
Yes, Good Riddens
@DAVID: For Archbishop Hickey to be bringing up anyone else’s moral behaviour, is akin to Savanarola getting a good housekeeping certificate of approval for a tidy bookshelf.
After all his own boss has yet to accept guilt for the centuries of child molestation by: Guess who? Precisely. All those lovely old Catholic priests with an infinite joy of buggery, against a lone female Oz politician who is an atheist.
Ah the courage, the grace, the wit and the honesty, the vision, the honour. The triumph of banal mediocrity over a lone individual who aspires to be re-elected. The egalitarianism of the Catholic church is zilch. Their morals are non-existent and their Christianity is a joke.
Hopefully this is one Hickey that doesn’t prove to be a hickey in the Oz electoral system.
If there really was a God all those wretched catholic priests would have been wiped off the planet in one vast Sodom and Gomorrah.
@VENISE….all those wretched catholic priests would have been wiped off the planet in one vast Sodom and Gomorrah……does that mean it was a happy release?
And today, at last, Laura Norder made her traditional appearance in both campaigns.
@ASTRO - Just imagine if your lot had been in govt when capitalism fell over - they’d have made it worse. History will note the difference that those pink batts have made, and as for the BER, there’s only a very small number of ‘blow outs’ when you consider the total number of new buildings that are or soon will be in operation.
If Howard/Costello hadn’t wasted taxpayers money for almost 12 yrs, infrastructure would not be so badly needed around the country now! You conveniently omit to mention the tax breaks, middle income welfare, not to mention how they ‘helped’ themselves to hefty pensions for life, and allowed big business to pay little tax, and in some cases none! You may also recall the removal of the superannuation surcharge on those on incomes of $100,000 or more that removed $2.3 BILLION from the budget; millionaires receiving family benefits and wealthy schools receiving millions while some state schools had leaky toilets and/or no library or assembly hall!
You also forgot the re-stocking of the wine cellar at Kirribilli and The Lodge, not to mention the wine buff who was employed to do same. The renovating of the PM’s plane, only to realise that those extra fuel tanks were necessary, and so another renovation took place to return it to its original appearance (the big bed had to go????). Staying at the most expensive hotel in London ($1000 - $2000 per night?) and using the plane to take his kids to the Cricket Test in Melbourne. Then there was the extra cost via Howard’s insistence that he wasn’t staying at The Lodge as his home - all those extra flights and car excursions? How much extra did they cost?
The new carpet in the PM’s dining room, and the chairs at $1000 or was it closer to $2000 each!
Oh! I almost forgot! there was the revelation, that fighting aboriginal people in Court re land rights claims came out of the budget FOR aboriginal essentials, such as health and education. The $5.5 million that the damages case against the govt cost due to the horrific, cruel and damaging manner in which Shayan Badarie, a 5-6 yr old little boy suffered while in 2 detention centres! He received $400,000 - the rest was court costs, in which the Judge ordered the govt to pay! There’s the $1.5 billion spent on the first few yrs in Iraq; how much to date in Afghanistan; the millions the Royal Commission into the AWB scandal cost .. the list goes on! It’s not over yet!
Howard extended the govt and it was larger than any other federal govt- ever. (go to Lindsay Tanner’s address to the National Press Club prior to ‘07 election).Senator Ron Boswell ‘employed’ 9 new people prior to the 2007 Election - he wasn’t even a Minister!
There was the $300,000 spent on the Queen’s golden jubilee gift?
Howard neglected infrastructure for almost 12 yrs, and the large surpluses were a result of not spending taxpayers money on essentials - like providing for disabled people, hospitals, education, not to mention the disgraceful plight of aboriginal people!
I liken this to parents having money in the bank, but having kids with malnutrition. Are the parents good managers? Not bloody likely!
@Socratease
Well that’s what was interesting.
It’s not been traditional in federal election campaigns.
SOCRATEASE: Love your Laura Norder.
DAVID: I hadn’t thought of Sodom and Gomorrah, Catholic priests, and joy all in the one casing. You do have a point!
