Never let it be said that Greens leader Bob Brown isn’t good at burying a lede. This week, again, he managed to let a reasonable point get clouded by a cheap quote.
You don’t need to be a spin merchant to know that using terms like “culprits” and “coal barons” in the days after the floods is not a great idea. A sound bite such as that will always end with headlines like “Bob Brown: ‘Coal miners caused floods’“, and a predictable round of faux outrage from commentators and political rivals alike.
It all feeds into that tried and tested media formula — insert crazy Bob Brown quote here.
Brown’s observations about climate change, future extreme weather events and the role of the taxpayer in footing the clean-up bill are points he’s not alone in making. A report on the flood disaster and climate change will be undertaken by Professor Will Steffen, a member of the multi-party climate-change committee set up by Julia Gillard. Similar observations are currently being outlined in re-insurance reports, such as the one released by Munich Re in early January which flagged that the “high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change”.
But instead of inviting a considered discussion about these issues, Brown was bulldozed. This isn’t to excuse predictable media coverage. But that’s just it: it’s predictable. So pre-empt it.
Keith DeLacy, chairman of Macarthur Coal, joined the chorus of protest in the wake of Brown’s statement, branding him “irrelevant to mainstream Australia”.
In fact, set to assume the balance of power, Brown is about to become even more relevant. It’s time he acted that way, and spoke to people beyond the rusted-on base. One way to do that is to raise the level of debate instead of resorting to cheap labels, an accusation regularly levelled at the Greens’ detractors.
Bob’s foot and mouth have a longstanding acquaintance; we expect nothing less. But it’s a pity that all he’s doing is feeding the denialists and MSM with excuses for tirades against sound science and sensible risk management.
And we talk about how poorly Labor sells it’s message?
What the hell is this “lede” that Bob is apparently so good at burying?
Senator Bob Brown is a highly expert politician. He would known that a comment like the one he gave about coal miners and the timing of that comment would have the impact it did. So he must have intended it to be thus.
Yes that is right Mahaut clearly he look into his crystal ball and said, “there is a great sound bite that will get every Rupert media company talking about exactly what I did not say” (Clap….. Clap….. Clap….)
Granted Bob Brown needs to start having more foresight into how these things will potentially play out if he is going to attempt to use the same type of sound bites that Labor and Libs uses however there needs to be greater discussion on the responsibility of how the media reports this and the blatant bias that some are displaying.
I find it quite amusing that the media did not jump all over the Mad Monks comments on dropping the NBA because of the floods as they did Brown for saying that all mining tax from the super profits tax should go into relief funds for future natural disasters.
Bob Brown realises that it does not really matter what he does or does not say the commercial media and their acolyte, the ABC, will report as they wish. So he may as well tell it like it is. I support his comments wholeheartedly, and am one of those who realises that, sustainability, not fossil fuel, is needed to ensure the future of life on this planet. You can like that or not, but I will do all in my power to spread this message. I also remember Keith De Lacy when he used to be Queensland treasurer, selling privatisation as a good idea in the Goss government. He is not the only one who betrayed the objectives of the party he was elected to serve, but he was one of the first, and one of the worst. Wouldn’t it be nice to see some retired Labor MPs staying on to mentor the up and comers instead of selling out to the corporations. I can be quite confident in saying that, in retirement, Bob Brown will not sell himself out to the corporations.