In September Crikey predicted that The Australian‘s negative coverage of Labor Senator Kristina Keneally had “all the makings of a new Holy War“. Since then, the Oz has really ramped it up.
Last Thursday, a front page story reported “internal rumblings” within Labor over Keneally’s approach to a national security bill. She was accused (by an anonymously quoted colleague) of “unilaterally breaking bipartisan conventions on national security … exposing Labor to accusations that it had engaged in a political stunt on a critical piece of national security legislation”.
A piece that repeated the allegations — this time, with quotes from Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denying the internal rift — ran the next day, and this Monday we got a new Cut & Paste editorial asking if Keneally “still loves the sound of her own voice”.
Then, on Wednesday, we got a Keneally drive-by in the editorial section condemning the Medivac legislation and another front-page report singling her out:
“Kristina Keneally’s claims of a crisis at Australia’s airports have been exposed, with official figures showing only 10 people suspected of being victims of human trafficking and slavery have claimed protection.”
The story is an “exclusive” look at departmental figures that transparently and unquestioningly advance the government’s talking points. As we’ve pointed out, this is something The Australian frequently does. It would be a great deal easier to to take their hand-wringing about government attacks on the press seriously if they stopped uncritically regurgitating the Coalition’s spin.
“Right To Know At Work”.
A “foreign owned entity meddling in our politics”…….. If this was GetUp!?
I crikey falls for the bullshit about keneally then their dumber or more brainwashed than the avereage redneck voter who votes one nation.
should be they`re, just got a bit excited over the news bullshit crap.
She’s the most effective opponent Dutton has faced and he doesn’t like it one little bit. You can be sure she’ll ramp up the pressure – there’s lots of scope to uncover inefficiency and incompetence in his department and, who knows, maybe a few more au pair favours.
This transparent campaign by News is all about trying to clip the wings of an effective politician.
The Murdoch press hate Kristina because she causes PD Dudd so much hearburn.
Remember the one about the $7,000,000 oversight investigation, that didn’t exist??
Laughing in the aisles, they were, ho ho ho!
Sorry no report, as such, to show for the money says the department and Dudd wonders why she keeps asking him difficult questions.
Simple ones like, why issue a red notice to Interpol on someone Australia has given political asylum to??
Or, why tell him it’s safe to travel to Thailand for a honeymoon, when the kingdom has close ties to the UAE??
Keneally must be doing something right to get the remaining loonies at the Oz so exercised. She should keep it up and some.