People serious about their politics clearly click on to The Australian. The website of the national daily tops the rankings in the Crikey survey of Politically Interested Readers compiled from data in the last seven of Crikey’s Daily Reality Check., writes Richard Farmer.
Smh
Rusty sacks Firepower, Force still take their coin
First Russel Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court want to flick poker machines from the Souths Leagues Club. Now they’ve sacked Firepower as the Rabbitohs main sponsor, turning down $1 million a year from the mysterious magic petrol pill mob.
BHP stuffed? Who’s right, Kloppers or Costello?
Monday’s glittering tax cuts overshadowed any number of interesting figures and forecasts tucked away in the Treasury’s mid-year economic and fiscal outlook - things like the prediction that BHP is going to be stuffed in three years’ time, writes Michael Pascoe.
Costello takes his eye off the ball, and leaves big business guessing
While Peter Costello was busy working on his $34 billion tax cut package last week, he allowed a seemingly innocuous change to capital gains tax for business to threaten tens of billions of dollars in takeovers and mergers, writes Glenn Dyer.
Message to NSW councils: Close down illegal brothels or go to ICAC
New Brothel laws designed to close down the grubby illegal brothel industry in NSW came into force on 1 October 2007. To coincide with the introduction of the new laws I registered a new business name called “Brothel Busters” which contracts to councils and the legal brothel industry, writes Chris Seage
Errington: Too little, too late, Mr Howard
As was the case with the government’s intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities, the good intentions in John Howard’s speech last night have been met with justified cynicism in many parts of the community, writes Howard biographer Wayne Errington.
State of the planet
Fashion warms to reality of climate change … Will climate change battle win peace prize? … Back to nature: £12m plan to let sea flood reclaimed land and recreate lost habitats … Aussies offered ‘green’ car insurance … Is wine greener from a box or a bottle?
ISS strikes, Murdoch editors fail independence test
After building and controlling News Corporation for 55 years, Rupert Murdoch is now facing a serious longer term challenge to his dynastic ambitions courtesy of the position proxy advisory powerhouse ISS has taken backing a proposal to give all shareholders the vote, writes Stephen Mayne.
Who’s the tycoon behind the not-so-very secret divorce?
The Sydney Morning Herald’s CBD column sails close to the wind today with an article on proceedings in the Family Court, writes Jonathan Green.
Why has Gyngell returned now?
PBL Media boss, Ian Law was out spinning furiously in various papers today about the return of David Gyngell… the message that unlike his last time at the network, Gyngell would “control Nine”. But why has he returned to the network now?
Collins witchhunt is journalism at its most cynical
What the SMH and The Bulletin have done in publishing the most serious of allegations of sexual abuse against former Labor Senator Bob Collins when he cannot defend himself because he is dead is grossly unfair, writes Greg Barns.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
Even if you disagree with Bulletin journo Paul Toohey’s use of blunt language to justify his Bob Collins story this week it’s hard to argue with the principles behind his expose.
Media briefs and TV ratings
Not watching Matildas … Summer Heights slip-up … Last night’s TV ratings.
What’s a pseudo-ersatz?
There’s something weird happening when John Howard accuses Kevin Rudd of holding a “pseudo-American, pseudo-ersatz” campaign launch – and it’s not because of the bizarre tautology “pseudo-ersatz”, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Get grandma off the couch and back to work
The average Australian worker is certainly putting in the hours, but there’s one section of the community that’s not pulling its weight: its latest bulletin, the RBA points a sharp stick at the 55+ age group as workforce bludgers on an international scale.
How the media fell for a fishy yarn
Children should be eating more fish and more omega-3 fatty acids - or so we’ve been told in the past 24 hours by some of Australia’s most prominent media outlets, writes Melissa Sweet.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
Senator Conroy on Labor’s broadband proposal … Crikey, where’s the balance? … wheat losses compounding losses … a non-core backbencher … fact or opinion on Iraq … defining journalism …
Intervention lies fall on deaf Aboriginal ears
Tony Abbott’s office claims that 6,500 Aboriginal kids have so far been examined as part of the federal “intervention” in the Northern Territory. Simply not true.
Week in words, week in numbers
We’ve taken the “most viewed” stories from The Age and The SMH websites from the last week and crunched them into this week’s tag cloud. It was all about Sydney, with a bit of the Andrew Johns drug scandal thrown in and to make up for all the inexplicable talk of church, lots of s-x.
Why is Nick Whitlam selling his pub?
The NRMA has just succeeded in finally terminating Nick Whitlam’s yearning for more NRMA members’ cash in the form of legal costs indemnities. This decision means that shareholders can relax knowing that Directors do have some responsibilities in the area.
Week in words, week in numbers
We’ve taken the ‘most viewed’ stories from The Age and The SMH websites from the last week and crunched them into this tag cloud. Note that killers rate highly, as does the moon. Ditto Aussies. No dwarves this week though, more’s the pity…
Andrews defends the indefensible on 457s – so nothing new really
Fresh from failing as employment and workplace relations minister and botching his Haneef case, Kevin Andrews has made a goose of himself defending the way he runs the 457 guest worker racket.
Economy and IR are most concerning: Morgan Poll
The economy and industrial relations are the issues most concerning Australian voters, according to new Morgan polling.
S-x in politics: we don’t really give a rat’s
In France they kiss on main street, Joni Mitchell sang - or so say the liner notes. Anyway, it will serve as a working summary of French politics, which has been transfixed this past week by contemplation of Nicholas “Sarko” Sarkozy.
A tale of two 457s – and 100,000 this year looks conservative
The 457 visa story continues to unfold today, with news of workpalces deaths arrivign alongside new figures on Australian immigration levels. Michael Pascoe report.
