The Prime Minister reverses her position on Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper because “a line has been crossed”, and gets angry at journalists when they ask why. We half expected a Nixonian line about former statements being “inoperative”.
Tony Abbott gives a media conference at which he demands the government “disown” the vote of Craig Thomson. Of the assembled journalists, none bother asking him about his double standard, given he has readily accepted the votes of Coalition figures charged with civil and criminal wrongdoing.
And Clive Palmer, a man who long ago earned so much money he no longer needed to care what anyone thought of his eccentricities, today declared he was rebuilding the Titanic, this time with the “sinking” issue addressed, and challenging Wayne Swan at the next election. Perhaps he’ll bring his new boat to Lake Burley Griffin when he arrives in Canberra.
Federal politics has become, if not quite a joke, then something no longer serious. Voters are increasingly regarding politics with contempt. The Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition are profoundly disliked by voters. The commercial media is not trusted. Now the parliament itself is in disrepute. A figure such as Palmer, who openly boasts of how he uses the media, can casually dominate the media cycle.
This is what happens when politicians and the media debase the truth in favour of endless spin — spin from government, spin from the media, spin in which the truth is of only incidental significance, and far less than the self-interested requirements of pursuing a partisan or corporate agenda. Voters get the message: if politicians and the media don’t take politics seriously enough to bother with the truth, why should they take politics seriously? Why not treat it simply as game of egos and tall tales without real significance?
The Prime Minister in fact is correct in declaring that a line has been crossed, but it was one crossed a long time ago. When voters start treating democracy as a joke, we enter a difficult and potentially hazardous period in politics.
I was beginning to despair and then Cl1ve from Qld threw his hat into the ring.
I haven’t stopped laughing and it’s definitely cured that early morning bout of Mondayitis. Somehow a clown gene has embedded itself into Australians with a high profile, especially after they come in contact with Canberra.
So very, very true.
Is it the case that Julia Gillard desperately wants the trashy media stuff like Slipper and Thompson put aside to address real policy issues like the budget.
This government has some real policy successes but it continually falls into this trashy media stuff, that the commercial media thrives on, even people like Michelle Grattan and Peter Harcher are racing to the bottom these days. The comment that Abbott wasn’t about the double standard is pretty true, and common event, but then hit appears that he dines with the mainstream media like Mr. Sheridan of the Australian.
If this is her plan she forgets the race to the bottom by the mainstream commercial media in Australia. We are so poor in this regard compared to the US, the UK and Europe. I glance at the Australian media on the net these days, haven’t bought a paper for two years. Thank god for Crikey.
Great editorial. Not sure whether to be enraged or depressed at the state of affairs.
Unfortunately if the people are stupid enough to elect Howards non entities and rejects it really will be god save us all,to many semi Fascists and Racists lurking around Abbott.
Not to mention people who cant add up and think if we all go back to 1950 things will be OK,one thing I have noticed is the lack of the usual Murdoch suspects on Twitter.
I will be interested to see what happens if NEWS LTD is kicked out of the UK for corruption, and the US moves on them for much the same thing.
It’s been the goal of the wealthy to disable democratic politics for the last 40 years. The requirement of mass parties in an enfranchised state to cater to basic health/education/civil society needs is a bulwark against simply organising everything to benefit the already rich. Now we follow the American route where the major parties are simply owned by corporations and society turns into a giant funnel to push wealth in a few hands.