This morning, Resources and Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan gave a lesson in how not to hold a completely different conversation to the one your interlocutor is having. The ABC’s Kim Landers attempted to ask Canavan about the Adani coal mine — something that is actually in his portfolio — to no avail:
KIM LANDERS: Were you aware of this investigation into the Adani Group?
MATT CANAVAN: Well before I get to that question Kim, can I just thank you for having me on your program because I have been very disappointed in the ABC’s coverage of this issue in the past week.
Your reports have been nothing but fake news.
KIM LANDERS: Let me put some of these specific points to you then. Were you aware of this investigation by the intelligence arm of the Indian Finance Ministry into the Adani group?
MATT CANAVAN: Well as I said before I get to that — in all of your reports this week, you’ve had no views from people in North Queensland, so it’s very good to be joining you as a Minister for Resources but it’s even better to be joining you as a proud resident of North Queensland.
I’m looking out at the Great Barrier Reef right now, I’m lucky enough to have a view from my house –
KIM LANDERS: – it sounds lovely. So if I can direct you to back to my question then –
MATT CANAVAN: – one of those days Kim, one of those days Kim it makes you thank God that you were born in Queensland. But up here people need jobs. Later today I’ll go to work and the biggest issue will be jobs. The biggest issue will be how do we get jobs and Adani and this project will create jobs. But none of your listeners or viewers, this week on the ABC would get that point of view.
Landers managed to get another few questions with vaguely on topic answers before Canavan said:
“It’s unfortunate that the ABC had an unhappy milestone recently with more than 50% of your staff are based in Sydney, maybe that does colour your reporting on issues like this? I’m currently trying to fight you taking another video journalist out of Rockhampton. In fact there will be no video journalists from Maroochydore to Townsville. It’ll be flyover country for the ABC.”
In answer to that, ABC journo at Toowomba Isobel Roe tweeted: “There’s actually at least 7. Me included.”
Turnbull flays the “elite” media, now Canavan alleges “fake news”. They hear a buzzword and think that simply by using it they assume some coolness; in reality this sort of stupid mimickry just makes it clear how venal and shallow they are. Canavan has been a blow-in-the-wind character all his professional life and just further undermines his infinitesimal credibility with this sort of thing.
Allegations of “fake news” shouldn’t be let through to the keeper. “Fake news” is not the same as”bias “, which is a vaguer allegation and harder to disprove.
Conservatives have been dropping “fake news” out of context so much of late that it is obviously on some talking points as a methodology for getting out of answering awkward questions.
Agreed. Wish the journo had challenged that by asking for which bit of coverage was false.
Heard that interview, the bloke was a complete moron who doesn’t seem to realise that this adani mine is a terrible idea; talks of jobs are even false, which he should know.
Cunning move from Canavan to be jockeying for position in the 2017 Crikey Arsehat awards so early in the run-up, I think he’s got it in him to maintain this early pace …
back him now at juicy odds !
Canavan? Learned all his politricks as Cousin Jethro’s “Sheaf of Chaff”?
That is, “The same Cousin Jethro who :-
a) went to India (with Bishop and Gambaro) as a shell on Gina’s “political wampum belt” – to impress prospective partners of her “pulling power” – who then slugged us tax-payers with the cost of he and his wife’s return fare?
b) wrote off a $90,ooo Toyota Landcruiser Commcar, fording a flooded crossing on his way to his property in NSW, while a “Senator for QLD” – ie while using it for “personal use”?
c) attended parties and weddings – claiming them as ‘work’, so he could bill us tax-payers for his ‘expenses to attend’?
d) who thinks nothing of spending 25,000,000 of our $tax to uproot workers at APVMA – to move them to his electorate in New England”?
Now if we could only return our fake politicians.