It took a full fortnight for John Howard to announce his ministry. Kevin Rudd’s was out in four days. The incoming government is also moving quickly on the ministerial staff front, too. Advertisements are due to appear in the weekend papers and this memo has already been distributed to Labor staff…
Media briefs and TV ratings
John and Pete: ratings poison? … Jeff Browne removed from Sky News board … Last night’s TV ratings.
Tips and rumours
Electoral office employees have had their pay cut. Electoral polling assistants at all the booths around the nation have been dudded by about $50 dollars. The rate in NSW for a full day’s work and more - sometimes from 7.30am till way after 10pm - was previously the princely sum of $350 for the entire […]
Ickiness and ethics in the Overington affair
The editor of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, has acknowledged that Caroline Overington was wrong to send the latest exchange of e-mails that have come to light. But will Mitchell talk to her, or discipline her? No he won’t, writes Margaret Simons.
Campaign lite
All things to all people … School sux for politicians … A horse of course … the nutritional benefits of ear wax.
Hamilton stumbles, Raikkonen pounces
Talented rookie Lewis Hamiton fell just short of taking out this year’s Formula One drivers’ championship, much to the chagrin of British sporting press, writes Andrew Maitland.
Citizen Crikey flips open the campaign mailbox
One week down, five to go, and the Crikey community has risen to the challenge. Here are some recent highlights from Citizen Crikey and the Campaign Mailbox.
Xenophon sets the cats amongst the pigeons
The emergence of anti-pokies campaigner Nick Xenophon as a South Australian Senate candidate is the most exciting development in the struggle for upper house control that we’ve seen all year, writes Stephen Mayne.
Flint: Potential for vote fraud remains
Recent measures have reduced the scope for fraudulent enrolment but the potential for multiple voting remains, writes David Flint.
Bernanke turns to some colourful Wall St advisors
US Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, reportedly met with Wall Street players, Lewis Ranieri and Raymond Dalio, before cutting rates last month — interesting choices for advisors, writes Adam Schwab.
Tips and rumours
I laughed out loud at your report about the Courier Mail journos at the Queens Arms Hotel, but hear that the hotel manager was very unprofessional. A number of the journalists in question are hoping to get something about it in paper.
Following SP Telemedia’s recent poor result and the sale of its television company, I’ve […]
Tips and rumours
Spotted outside the ABC this morning — veteran investigative journalist John Pilger stepping into a fancy black, chauffeur-driven limousine. Pilger even let the chauffeur (who was decked out in the full uniform including natty hat) open the door for him…
Apparently the government spending on advertising for NetAlert is scheduled to end 9 October. What date does that […]
Tips and rumours
While NAB is rumored to be circling the carcass of Northern Rock its highly rewarded mortgage managers at Homeside have been given instructions to dump any troubled or difficult clients. Reports of widespread termination of facility notices have been received by financial counsellors, particularly where the mum and dad borrowers have been talked into signing […]
Your vote returned to sender?
Many Australians will be denied their vote this year – and that’s not just under-eighteens, foreigners, prisoners and pets – and a number of those will only find out when they front up to a booth on election day to flex their democratic muscle, writes GetUp!’s Ed Coper.
The Middle Eastern Gerard Henderson
Imagine writing a monograph on Islam in Australia: Democratic bipartisanship in action without interviewing a single Muslim, and launching the monograph in … of all places … the United Kingdom!
The Economy: Defence skills improving, but can we do better?
If the ALP get into office, their choice of Defence Minister will be every bit as important as Treasurer and Industrial Relations. As one famous exchange in US Senate estimates goes, a billion dollars here and a billion dollars there - pretty soon you are talking about real money.
Tips and rumours
An elusive happy snap. In the early 80s Alexander Downer was part of a delegation from Australia that visited the USA during a congressional elections. While in New Orleans he visited a night spot where his behaviour left much to be desired. Two of the party decided that a photograph of him with two of […]
Turnbull and the curse of Wentworth
Can Malcolm Turnbull defy the Curse of Wentworth? It’s a blue ribbon Liberal seat, but the last member who had anything like a successful career was Bob Ellicott, Malcolm Fraser’s first attorney-general, who retired back in 1981, writes Christian Kerr.
Geoffrey Cousins, all is forgiven
For a supposedly close mate of the Prime Minister, Telstra director Geoffrey Cousins appears to have joined his colleagues in going native although in his case the issue is Malcolm Turnbull’s approval of the Gunns pulp mill, writes Stephen Mayne.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Crikey Says – 21 August, 2007
Overnight Fairfax sacked their star, Walkley-winning blogger Jack Marx for suggesting that Kevin Rudd might be capable of maintaining an er-ction. Whether this assertion may have provided a long-awaited point of difference with John Howard is moot, the issue is rather one of editorial timidity.
So this is where Fairfax draws the line on its blogs
So this is where Fairfax draws the line on its blogs. Not with blurring the line between sponsorship and commissioning. Not with spoofs suggesting that the entire population of Israel be moved to Tasmania. No, the line in the sand is spoofs on Kevin Rudd getting excited in a strip joint, writes Margaret Simons.
State of the Planet
Pollution causing 40 per cent of deaths? … Protestors camp out for climate change … Blogger gets hot and bothered bout NASA … Studying the rabbit proof fence … Qld dam damned?
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Crikey Says – 17 August, 2007
Candidates debate 07: I’ll have what he’s having
Howard might still be the real thing
The Man in Black, Ian Kortlang, turned up on ABC Radio in Sydney yesterday discussing the Crosby/Textor leak. He classified leaks in four ways, writes Christian Kerr.
Nigel Dempster was not a nice person
I first encountered Nigel ‘Dumpster’ Dempster in 1985 when I was touring England during the launch of my unofficial biography of Princess Michael of Kent, writes Barry Everingham.
