The Government’s weekend handout to the free-to-air television networks — $100-odd million this year and $150m next -– has sunk with barely a trace in the media.
Articles by Bernard Keane 
About Bernard Keane
Bernard Keane is Crikey’s Canberra correspondent
Where did Joe’s mojo go?
Joe Hockey has been in a funk since the leadership spill and needs to snap out it for his party’s sake.
The $120m sequel: swine flu II
We’re back to the swine flu scare stories, all looking rather embarrassed in the light of day. But who really benefits from immunisation and are there greater health priorities?
Evans’ silent signal on
immigration
Chris Evans’ skilled migration changes are intended to send the message that the Governments will decide which skilled migrants come to this country, and the circumstances in which they come.
We will decide how our climate changes and the circumstances in which it changes
There’s no compromising with climate denialists because they want the one thing no one can ever give them — control.
Conroy and the lesbian cabal that killed NBN
A Minister bagging their bureaucrats to the press is one of the great Canberra traditions, but rarely has there been a more egregious example than the attack on Conroy’s former secretary, Patricia Scott, in today’s Oz.
How many jobs will Barnaby cost Australia?
Barnaby Joyce’s buffoonery is given a free pass by the media, where other politicians would be skewered. But eventually his antics will start to have real-world consequences.
Abbott to the lunatic fringe: it’s OK, I’m one of you
Tony Abbott’s decision to meet Lord Monckton was contemptible — but smart politics. Abbott is just doing what he has been hired to do: dog-whistle to the extreme right of the party.
Soil carbon: big potential, but maybe not yet?
The Coalition is relying heavily on soil carbon to provide emissions reductions under its new climate change plan. Not so fast, say experts.
Abbott’s very bad day
Tony Abbott’s first Parliamentary day in the big chair was not the greatest of starts: the new leader was left standing at the Dispatch Box gasping a little like a fish out of water.
Abbott heads back to the future on climate action
Tony Abbott has never been John Howard’s heir more clearly than in his Howard-era climate action proposals. Abbott’s climate change policy is excellent. Excellent, that is, for 2000. It’s ten years too late.
web exclusive Abbott’s answer to climate change: ERF
Tony Abbott has announced a confusing and sketchy direct action policy on climate change centring on an unfunded multi-billion dollar “Emissions Reduction Fund”. Just what this debate needs: another acronym.
Filtering the facts: Conroy slips up when hitting back
Bernard Keane hits back at Broadband Minister Senator Stephen Conroy in their ongoing war over the government’s internet filter and “blacklisted” content.
Influential or not? Big political donors show how it’s done
Despite a big drop in political donations in 2008-09, the AEC figures released yesterday still show how influence works — and fails to work — in Canberra. Even if the data isn’t that surprising.
Wayne Swan gets Intergenerational
Treasurer Wayne Swan launched the latest Intergenerational Report at lunchtime. And, like its predecessor, it’s every bit as much about politics as it is about long-term economic trends.
Risk management, $100b and Question Time bingo
The Government faces a tough sell on climate change, especially if Abbott and his media cheerleaders are skillful enough salesmen to convince voters climate change can be crossed off their list of concerns just by throwing some handouts around.
Australian banking goes postal
The re-entry of the Commonwealth Government into personal and business banking should be seriously considered, with an Australia Post-run “AussieBank” now on the cards.
Age shall not weary them: this is the face of climate denialism
If your average climate denialist stopped and thought about what they have to win and lose from climate change action, they might reconsider their hostility.
Scientists, the IPCC wants you
Nomination to the IPCC process is an invitation for public smears, threats and routine attacks on your credibility — not by your peers, but by newspaper columnists, bloggers and conspiracy theorists.
Crikey’s guide to political coverage in 2010: be sceptical
In an election year, all that glistens isn’t gold when it comes to political journalism, so be sceptical of what we in the media are offering. Sometimes in politics, there is much less than meets the eye.
Rudd offers tough policy meat for the Australia Day BBQ
Kevin Rudd’s Australia Day speeches weren’t just a celebration of wonkery. He was laying the groundwork for the Government’s election campaign and its second term.
Abbott buggered by his own baggage
Tony Abbott is being comprehensively done over in the Australian media, but he has only himself (and the Howard Government) to blame.
Obama takes on the banks — what will Rudd and Swan do?
Barack Obama is willing to fight US banks to constrain the sort of risk-taking that led to the GFC. Will Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan do the same?
Why is Kevin Rudd Australian of the Year?
Silly season reached a sort of climax this weekend, when The Australian announced Kevin Rudd was its Australian of the Year “because of the way he dealt with the global financial crisis.”
That was a bit odd, to put it mildly, to put it as blandly as possible. The national broadsheet spent 2009 attacking the Government’s […]
The ABC of independent news
The ABC’s recently announced 24/7 news channel is bad news for SKY, but good news for Australia: we can only rely on non-commercial media to provide genuinely independent news coverage.
