What is going on at The Australian’s news desk?
Thursday’s front page sook story about a rich Rose Bay woman’s battle
with rising interest rates wins the prize for the worst taste story of
the week.

“IT might be only 0.25 per cent, but yesterday’s
interest rate rise may just be the extra expense that stretches
divorced mother of two Judy Porter’s budget to breaking point,” writes
the Oz’s breathless hackette Elizabeth Gosch.

Surrounded by
her pampered poodles and preppy kids, sprawled around the loungeroom of
her home spilling over Rose Bay, our desperate housewive declares her
despair at being mortgaged to the hilt in her persuit of luxuries.

“I
won’t be able to shop in Rose Bay for food because it is a very
expensive area,” she said. “I’ll have to drive to Maroubra or somewhere
like that where you can buy food cheaper.”

Gosh. Poor
rich girl. Tell that to Howard’s battlers who didn’t get tax cuts in
Costello’s last Budget – and who will truly wear the brunt of this and
any forthcoming rates rise.

Check out The Australian’s tearjerker here.