University demonstrators have given plenty of great images to TV news producers over the past seven days. Unsurprisingly, this has pushed the changes to the structure of student fees past some broader issues like Medicare and Newstart changes that were the focus of most punter anger in the immediate aftermath of the budget. In broadcast news the squeakiest wheel gets the grease. No one has tried former PM Paul Keating’s retort just yet, but honesty like that has not been a feature of public political discourse for a couple of decades now.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne leapt into the top four and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison was close behind after admitting “regret” for security failures on Manus Island. Health Minister Peter Dutton was also doing a bit more of the media heavy lifting on Medicare changes, which look in deep trouble in the Senate with PUP Leader Clive Palmer and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon laying the boot into that and several other budget measures.
Meanwhile the press gallery were loving the highly sophisticated and relevant parliamentary battle between Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke and Speaker Bronwyn Bishop over who should apologise to whom for what and when. We’re guessing the care factor among 22.99 million of Australia’s 23 million or so population would not be astronomically high — that is those of us who don’t understand what a “gross calumny” it all is. Do they also come in a six-pack?
Crikey Political Index: May 22-28
More calls for Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week than last, but plenty more defenders of the “tough but needed” budget measures, calls now around evenly split for and against.”
Talkback top five:
Tony Abbott cracked the 100,000 mark on social media this week, the infamous wink helping him over the top to more than three times the mentions for Treasurer Joe Hockey.
Social media top five:
Many would argue Pope Francis is undoubtedly a political figure and it is a highly political gesture for which he has made the news this week, but he seems to be winning a few new fans to an institution that has been on the back foot for a long time.
Comparison of media mentions:
Of course the calls to radio stations regarding the budget appear “evenly split”. That is because most radio stations only allow the calls they approve of to go through on-air. In any discussion of the federal budget they know that to be credible some adverse comments must be put to air, but my guess is that all calls are closely monitored to advantage the government (including the ABC!).
If this is NOT happening, then please explain the disastrous polls released in the press over the past couple of weeks. Either they, or your radio calls, MUST be wrong.
I’ll stick with the polls, because they are all saying the same thing – and getting worse!!