Roger Corbett on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd:
“I think it’s quite sad that the Labor government made the decision to go with Kevin so late in the period. I think if they come undone in these elections it would have been much better that they come undone with Julia Gillard leading them than Kevin Rudd. In my view Kevin Rudd is a leader that has been really discredited by his own conduct.”
On Opposition Leader Tony Abbott:
“I think he will probably be a pretty good PM because he’s a very sincere, nice type of human being and I think he will be very dedicated, focused in the job and we certainly need in the economic times we’re about to go into some really clear and good leadership.”
On the Coalition’s paid parental leave scheme
“I think the parental scheme is a good one because you don’t expect … to go on holidays at half your rate of pay and you don’t expect to take your long service leave at half your rate of pay.”
On the release of Coalition costings:
“Providing they do it in the next day or two and there is adequate time, a few days for the electorate to be able to understand that and for a debate to occur, I think that’s quite reasonable.”
Never mind that Corbett, the former boss of Woolworths, is a member of the supposedly independent Reserve Bank board. The company he currently chairs — Fairfax — is proudly spruiking its “Independent. Always.” status on the mastheads of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times and The Age.
How is Corbett’s partisan screed, via an interview on Lateline last night, any different to News Corp tsar Rupert Murdoch’s public campaigning for Abbott?
Fairfax’s share price is the best example that Corbett has little idea how to run a media company. His outrageous intervention into an election campaign is just another example of how the credibility (and independence) of a great media institution can be compromised by ignorance.
According to Stephen Spencer on twitter, Corbett is also a paid up member of the Liberal party (Abbott’s branch no less.)
Pretty disgraceful that Lateline didn’t mention that.
So who better for Emma Alberici and the producers to have on the show, to let have their head, to run off at the mouth on their favourite political subject?
[Catch the Tony Jones promo earlier in the night, going on about what “responsible journalists” should do?]
‘Outrageous’, quite possibly. But ‘intervention’? Did he demand to be interviewed by Lateline? Does he have no right to respond with his honest opinion if he’s asked a question?
Paddy’s right – there should have been disclosure. I did not know he has a member of the LP, and was valuing his opinion as a businessman and RB board member. Where is the balance?
What was outrageous was the many mentions and replayed recordings of soundbites played on RN this morning. His quotes weren’t news they were his opinion reporting them without analysis was propaganda.