Michelle Guthrie’s tardy defense of the ABC was welcomed by some readers yesterday, while others are yet to be convinced of her ability to lead the broadcaster through the dark times ahead. Meanwhile, Bernard Keane writing on David Murray inspired debate about the value of insurance in Australia (while technically not being about the insurance industry) as well as good ol’ fashioned calls for nationalisation.
On Michelle Guthrie’s defense
On David Murray’s scare campaigns
Yclept writes: Murray isn’t the solution. Murray started the problem when he privatised the CBA so that his salary would be lifted to the level of the other leaners. Get him out of it, and nationalise the CBA, or expand the RBA to to be a retail player to keep the bastards honest.
Simon Mansfield writes: How is Bernard Keane in any way qualified to dismiss life insurance as something families with a mortgage don’t need? It’s no different to home and car insurance. An annoying cost of being a responsible adult. The broader issue of how much insurance products costs is a perfectly reasonable issue of debate. But not having life or proper car insurance can leave oneself, families and others destitute.
Dog’s Breakfast writes: Yep, the finance, insurance and real estate sectors are the great vampire squids of Australia’s economy. David Murray is the very definition of a dinosaur. Pretty sure he is one of the biggest business advocates of climate change denialism as well. The cumulative damage this guy has done to the economy will reverberate for decades. He shouldn’t be given a pulpit ever again. His views are dangerous ignorance writ large.
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Andrea writes: I think its a step forward. Guthrie is not all of a sudden going to get her commie boots on, at least now she’s asserting Auntie’s value in terms that can be widely appreciated.
Arky writes: Guthrie has a long, long way to go to convince most of us that she’s anything but a Murdoch stooge at the helm of the ABC. A token public comment is not sufficient.
Wallywonga writes: Well, at least it was something positive for ardent ABC supporters. Shorten’s rather weak, “we’ll reverse the $83 million cuts”, was not particularly affirmative or convincing. The right are currently using bully tactics, which sadly are winning. And all we’re getting is cringy, defensive responses from the opposition, and the ABC itself. If there is one area where neoliberal privatisation has truly failed us it is in media services and telcos, and the future of both is obviously going to be further integration. A future with our politics delivered by The Australian, and sport by Optus — surely time to go for the jugular on this, Mr Shorten?