Is much of the media coverage of Prime Minister Abbott during the October 2013 bushfires accurate, misleading or downright false?

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was apparently ‘discovered’ almost by accident as he anonymously went about fighting NSW bushfires over the last six days:

Pictures circulating on social media show Mr Abbott riding in the fire truck and giving the thumbs up to onlookers before he posed for photos with fellow volunteers.

However, it appears that it was not just an onlooker or ordinary volunteer who snapped Abbott – it appears to have been the former Senior Studio Director at Skynews whose efforts were first tweeted via a Canberra-based political reporter at Sky News.

Here is one of the three tweeted pictures – all apparently originating in Sky News on 20 October 2013:

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsAust

Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited Network was not content with republishing these images allegedly snapped at around 8am on 20 October – it also used additional images in some of its reporting. Unfortunately those images can only be described as false reporting.

According to The Australian on 21 October 2013:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/bushfires/tony-abbott-puts-himself-in-line-of-fire/story-fngw0i02-1226743492769

According to Newzzly post two weeks and six days before that, this image actually belonged to the period covering the fire on Barrenjoey headland:

http://www.newzzly.com/en_au/n/milder-conditions-help-fire-fight/142252

This was The Daily Telegraph on 16 October 2013:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/tony-abbott-always-set-to-come-out-fighting-fires-that-is/story-fni0cx12-1226740600883

And this is what a peek at The Daily Telegraph’s 16 October photograph properties revealed:

I am now wondering if any of the Abbott as fire fighter images, being published in mainstream and social media reports on NSW bushfires this month, are in fact genuine.

UPDATE

Found on Twitter:

Lucy J Evans is a young woman who has been active on Facebook since January-February 2012.

On 19 October 2013 The Hawkesbury Gazette published this photograph (photographer unknown) of Tony Abbott at Bilpin on its Facebook page:

This is Sally Oelerich and her views are "very much" her own

This is Sally’s Twitter account

These are two of her tweets which have been predominantly pro-mining since she began tweeting

This is the curriculum vitae she supplied to Linkin

With this job description included

And this summary

You be the judge as to whether Ms. Oelerich is being an honest tweeter or merely a paid voice for the petroleum and gas industries

And whether or not she is well-mannered or something else entirely......

1984 Newspeak lives in 21st Century Australia! There is no such thing as "coal seam gas" in the lexicon of the NSW O'Farrell Government

This move by the NSW Coalition Government would be laughable if not for the deceit behind it.

The Sydney Morning Herald 16 September 2013:

The phrase "coal seam gas" is set to be wiped from official documents in NSW and possibly across Australia as governments come under increasing pressure over the contentious energy policy area.

A leaked briefing note prepared for NSW energy and resources minister Chris Hartcher recommends the phrase and its acronym CSG be replaced with the standard term "natural gas from coal seams".

The document says the move is designed to "improve clarity and consistency of the terms used to describe coal seam gas in departmental correspondence, communication and content".

It says the change is a recommendation of the federal Standing Council on Energy and Resources, whose members include ministers from each state and territory and the commonwealth.

In May the council published a National Harmonised Regulatory Framework for Natural Gas from Coal Seams which is designed to ensure "regulatory regimes are robust, consistent and transparent across all Australian jurisdictions".

"This is part of a national harmonisation initiative adopted by all governments," the NSW briefing note says.

The note recommends that references to "coal seam gas" and "CSG" be removed "where possible" in sentences on websites and in marketing material and standard responses to letters.

In internal briefing notes "natural gas from coal seams" should be used in the first reference, it advises.

However, CSG and coal seam gas are condoned on social media to track the national debate.

"Social media relies on CSG or coal seam gas references and hashtags (ie: #CSG)," the note says.

"In order to participate and track conversations it is therefore acceptable to use CSG or coal seam gas on Twitter and Facebook. CSG is also a recognised online search term and is a relevant key work for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This will assist the public in finding government information on the issue".

A handwritten addition to the note says the government "will need to ensure same approach" is followed within two independent agencies, the Land and Water Commissioner and the Office of the Chief Scientist.

Thanks Rupert Murdoch, but Australians can choose their own government

http://youtu.be/grqp-JQMFuM

Australian Press Council Update 28 August 2013:

On Friday 23 August the Chair of the Council, Prof Julian Disney, wrote to major newspaper editors reminding them of the Council's longstanding guideline on election coverage. A copy of the message is below.

Dear editor,

In response to concerns expressed by members of the general community as well as within the media industry, I am writing to the editor of each metropolitan daily newspaper to emphasise the importance of the advisory guideline on election reporting. It was issued by the Press Council in 2009 and continues in operation.

In particular, I draw your attention to the 2009 opening section of the guideline which reads as follows:

“The Council upholds the right of a newspaper to have its own political position; to accept certain beliefs and policies and to reject others; and to favour the election of one party and to oppose the election of another.  However, the Council has emphasised strongly that newspapers that profess to inform the community about its political and social affairs are under an obligation to present to the public a reasonably comprehensive and accurate account of public issues. As a result, the Council believes that it is essential that a clear distinction be drawn between reporting the facts and stating opinion. A paper’s editorial viewpoints and its advocacy of them must be kept separate from its news columns.”

We seek your cooperation in observing this guideline during the current Federal election campaign. The full text is available at http://www.presscouncil.org.au/document-search/guideline-reporting-elections/

Yours sincerely,

Prof Julian Disney AO
Chair
Australian Press Council
23 August 2013

CSG industry begins to spend "multi-millions of dollars" to drown out Northern Rivers and other communities across Australia

Ad News 30 July 2013:

The peak body representing Australia's oil and natural gas producers has launched a multimillion-dollar public awareness campaign to warn of the dangers to the economy of a slowdown in the industry.

The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, which represents more than 80 full member companies and 250 associate member companies, kicked off the 'Our Natural Advantage' campaign last night.

A spokesperson for APPEA declined to comment on the exact amount but said the spend was "significant" and "in the multi-millions of dollars". The TV ads will be supported by print and radio……

Apparently Northern Rivers communities and residents who do not support the likes of Metgasco and ERM Power are unpatriotic and uncaring because we will not allow director-shareholders to fill their bank accounts at the expense of our own existing regional economies, amenity, lifestyle and an environmentally sustainable future for local families....

http://youtu.be/Bzm0cyJDbjU

Metgasco joins in the blamefest with an email round robin delivering this message from CEO Peter Henderson:

Metgasco Limited statement July 2013

Unfortunately for APPEA and Metgasco the Australian media is not always obliging:

Australian Financial Review Editorial & Opinion, 30 July 2013

Hartsuyker jumps on Murdoch misinformation bandwagon and rest of mainstream media fall in line behind him

This was Denis Shanahan and Jared Owens writing an ‘exclusive in The Australian on 17 July 2013:

In a rush to spend as much money as possible in marginal seats, the Rudd government has given surf lifesaving clubs 72 hours to apply for funds for "shovel-ready" projects to be announced before the election campaign…….

This was the Federal Nationals MP for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, hopping on the bandwagon at ABC Regional News 17 July 2013:

The Nationals member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker said the surf club grants are blatant pork-barrelling.

"The real issue here whether this is an appropriate use of tax payers money or whether this is actually corrupt conduct," he said.

This was Luke Hartsuyker again making sure his electorate got the news on Page 5 of The Daily Examiner 18 July 2013:

Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker came out swinging after he heard lifesaving clubs would only have three days to lodge funding applications.

"Funding for surf lifesaving clubs should be provided on the basis of need, not on the basis of getting Kevin Rudd re-elected," Mr Hartsuyker said.

"Now we have Kevin Rudd saying he will provide funds to surf lifesaving clubs on the basis of a club's location, without any consideration to a club's need or its capacity to service the local community.

"A 72-hour timeframe for all funding applications to be lodged is not the way to govern Australia."

There is one small problem with this story – it was incorrect and Surf Life Saving Australia informed the media of this at 4.27pm on 17 July 2013.

Something The Australian had to admit the next day on 18 July 2013:

SLSA released a statement confirming chief executive Greg Nance spearheaded the push "of his own initiative". "SLSA is not aware of any official federal government grant programs other than those already in the public domain," the statement said.

Mr Nance was unavailable to be interviewed.

SLSA spokesman Guy Britt declined to explain what federal funding was being sought, why the deadline was so short or whether the submissions were transmitted last night as indicated.

UPDATE:

Of course it is possible that the Member For Cowper is assigning to the Rudd Labor Government the very same motives which drove the former Howard Coalition Government (of which he was a member) in the lead up to the 9 October 2004 and 24 November 2007 federal elections.

The Sydney Morning Herald 16 November 2007:

THE Coalition used a controversial grants program to make a flurry of election-eve handouts and has funnelled millions of dollars into projects in marginal seats against departmental advice, an audit has found.

A scathing report on the Regional Partnerships Program by the Australian National Audit Office outlines a litany of grants made without proper paperwork or explanation, including many that were fast-tracked just before the last election. It found:

■ The 10 electorates that received the most funding were all held by the Coalition.

■ 55 per cent of 2004 election commitments went to marginal electorates.

■ Of 43 projects that were approved despite the department not recommending to proceed, 38 were in Coalition seats.

■ In a 51-minute spending spree in the hours before the government went into caretaker mode in 2004, the parliamentary secretary responsible for the program, De-Anne Kelly, approved 16 grants worth $3.349 million.

A long-serving official in the auditor's office told the Herald yesterday: "This is the worst thing I have ever seen."

The audit found the three ministers overseeing the program were more likely to approve grants that were not recommended by the Department of Transport and Regional Services if they went to projects in Coalition seats. Projects that were recommended by the department were more likely to be knocked back if they were in Labor seats.

Hilarious quote from the North Coast's very own right-wing 'political fibber extraordinaire'

“Bruce, there is one thing I am very particular about and that is making sure I get my facts right.” {Fred Perring in a Daily Examiner letter to the editor on 24^th June 2013}

U.S. citizen and media mogul Rupert Murdoch takes his push for Australian regime change on to Twitter

Fracking PsyOps. Yesterday America, today New South Wales?

For all those NSW Northern Rivers 'insurgents' out there.........

http://youtu.be/vJwAXTxPIXo

DRIVING FORWARD A UNITED INDUSTRY FRONT TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, ENGAGE NGOs AND LEVERAGE MASS MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA AND GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY TO OVERCOME PUBLIC CONCERN OVER HYDRAULIC FRACTURING, Houston, Texas USA 2011

CNBC 8 November 2011:

CNBC has obtained audiotapes of the event, on which one presenter can be heard recommending that his colleagues download a copy of the Army and Marine Corps counterinsurgency manual. That’s because, he said, the opposition facing the industry is an “insurgency.”....

Another told attendees that his company has several former military psychological operations, or “psy ops” specialists on staff, applying their skills in Pennsylvania....

In a session entitled “Designing a Media Relations Strategy To Overcome Concerns Surrounding Hydraulic Fracturing,” Range Resources communications director Matt Pitzarella spoke about “overcoming stakeholder concerns” about the fracking process.

“We have several former psy ops folks that work for us at Range because they’re very comfortable in dealing with localized issues and local governments,” Pitzarella said. “Really all they do is spend most of their time helping folks develop local ordinances and things like that. But very much having that understanding of psy ops in the Army and in the Middle East has applied very helpfully here for us in Pennsylvania.”

At another session, Matt Carmichael, the manager of external affairs for Anadarko Petroleum , spoke on the topic of “Understanding How Unconventional Oil & Gas Operators are Developing a Comprehensive Media Relations Strategy to Engage Stakeholders and Educate the Public.”

He said he had several recommendations for the oil industry media professionals at the event, one of which, he said, involved the military.

“Download the U.S. Army-slash-Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Manual, because we are dealing with an insurgency,” Carmichael said. “There’s a lot of good lessons in there and coming from a military background, I found the insight in that extremely remarkable.”

Audio here.

Approximately 472 page U.S. Army -Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual (December 2006) here.

Excerpt from U.S. Army - Marine Corp Counterinsurgency Field Manual: Afghanistan Edition here.

O'Farrell Government to launch CSG propaganda website in mid-April 2013

Should readers find misleading/inaccurate information concerning coal seam gas or broken links etc. on this new O’Farrell Government website www.csg.nsw.gov.au, coming online sometime in April 2013, then you can complain to the following:

Hon. Andrew Stoner MP

Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment

Level 30 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Phone (02) 9228 5209

Fax (02) 9228 5970

Email office@deputypremier.nsw.gov.au

Mr Mark Paterson AO 

Director General

Department of Trade and Investment

MLC Centre
Level 47, 19 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 9338 6600

Fax: (02) 9338 6950

Malcolm Rofe Digital Project Manager at NSW Trade & Investment

Phone: (02) 9338 6600
Fax: (02) 9338 6950

John Pavey Strategic Communications at Department of Premier and Cabinet
Phone: (02) 9228 3437
Email: domainadmin@dpc.nsw.gov.au

Andrew Callahan Digital Services

Phone: +61.0402849352

andrew.callaghan@business.nsw.gov.au

Whois Record

Domain Name: csg.nsw.gov.au
Last Modified: 24-Jan-2013 02:39:00 UTC
Registrar ID: Finance
Registrar Name: Department of Finance and Deregulation
Status: ok

Registrant: NSW Trade and Investment (DTIRIS)
Eligibility Type: Other
Registrant Contact ID: GOVAU-PAJO1213
Registrant Contact Name: Malcolm Rofe
Registrant Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs
Tech Contact ID: GOVAU-PAJO1211
Tech Contact Name: Andrew Callaghan
Tech Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs
Tech Contact ID: GOVAU-PAJO1212
Tech Contact Name: John Pavey
Tech Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs
Name Server: maitproddns.dpi.nsw.gov.au
Name Server IP: 203.11.159.13
Name Server: oranproddns.dpi.nsw.gov.au
Name Server IP: 148.145.48.70

How the Murdoch media spins its web

Crikey 27 March 2013:

The Tele's article invoked some heavyweights to back up its case, including Saul Eslake, who told Crikey he'd been taken a little out of context in the piece. According to Eslake, Rolfe had contacted him to ask if Australia faced a debt crisis. Eslake's reply was that Australia didn't, and he compared us with Canada, which will not return to surplus for some years and will likely have a debt approaching 30% of GDP, compared with 11.5% for Australia. Over time, Eslake suggested, Australia might develop a problem due to the actions of a number of governments, including the John Howard government. This prompted Rolfe to ask how soon it would become a crisis, which Eslake answered by noting a debt crisis can come on very quickly — "the lights don't turn amber, they turn red". This, said Eslake, was portrayed as him saying a debt crisis was around the corner and it was entirely the fault of this government.

Metgasco's desperation out there for all to see

 

In the middle of an Australian Stock Exchange bull-run Megasco Limited shares appear to have hit what looked like an all-time low on 12-13 February 2013 when trading closed at 0.135.

 

Rather predictably the coal seam gas exploration and want-to-be production company sent forth a spinmeister which resulted in this headline in The Northern Star; Future bright for Metgasco.

 

As one has come to expect of Metgasco, there was apparently no declaration by the resources analyst whose opinion was canvassed as to whether he may have had a potential conflict of interest which might affect the weight readers would give to his pronouncements.

 

Being employed by the stockbroking firm paid by Metgasco to produce its Broker Reports does appear to be such a conflict and, only the mining company’s desperation for a ‘good news’ headline must have led it to suppose that no-one would notice this lack of transparency.

 

A lack of transparency which is obviously a deliberate, as the ABC News online article Metgasco share price weakens but outlook positive also failed to mention the mining company’s business relationship with Mr. Prendergast’s employer.

Mr. Prendergast also does not seem to have mentioned that the attractive value Metgasco shares he is busy promoting in the media are classified in ‘his’ 31 October 2012 broker’s report as high risk.

By close of trade yesterday Metgasco shares had only risen to 0.140 - a long way from the $1+ per share in those brief heady days when the market was inclined to believe this mining company's unconventional gas fairy tale.


ASX chart of monthly prices over 10 years for security MEL

Truth in advertising and the coal seam gas industry

 

So confident is the coal seam gas industry of widespread political support across all three tiers of government and  so certain of the fickle attention span of the mainstream media, that its spokespeople knowingly utter falsehoods as easily as they breathe in and out.

 

They film an industry employee on land they don't have permission to enter in an effort to mislead the general public into believing that the employee is a farmer standing on his own land extolling the virtues of coal seam gas.

 

They make a blatantly false statement in print that has to be rebutted by CSIRO scientists:

 

CSIRO rejects claims made by APPEA regarding groundwater and coal seam gas

 

CSIRO rejects the claim made in a television commercial aired on Sunday 2 September that ‘CSIRO [and government studies] have shown that groundwater is safe with coal seam gas’.

• 4 September 2012

At no time has CSIRO made such a statement, and nor do the results of CSIRO research support such a statement.

CSIRO continues to undertake research to better understand the impacts of coal seam gas extraction on groundwater quality and quantity.

CSIRO has stated on the public record that coal seam gas extraction is likely to pose a ‘low risk’ to groundwater quality through contamination. CSIRO has also indicated that groundwater levels will fall as a consequence of coal seam gas extraction. In some places this could see aquifer levels subside by tens of metres for tens of years; in others it is likely to reduce aquifer levels by several metres for several hundred years.

CSIRO continues to undertake research to better understand the impacts of coal seam gas extraction on groundwater quality and quantity.

CSIRO became aware of the advertisement produced by Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) via a scan of social media on Friday 31 August and requested for the commercial to not be aired.

 

Because of this whatever-it-takes business culture which is loose with the truth, one has to question copies of print advertising the industry has displayed on one of its websites www.wewantcsg.com.au.

 

Who is this woman pictured below? Does she really come from Casino on the NSW North Coast? Is she a genuine school teacher or is she an industry employee or even a paid advertsing model? Is she related to someone who works for a mining company? Is she on the staff of a politician who is pro-coal seam gas?
Does she really want CSG?

Perhaps an NCV reader can answer these questions.

 

Liberal Party Lies: What is wrong with this graph?

 

This rather crude graph can be found in the Liberal Party’s Our Plan Real Solutions for all Australians: The direction, values and policy priorities of the next Coalition Government recently released by Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott.

 

I draw your attention to the fact that the left hand sidebar indicates the rankings are out of one hundred.

 

 

However, the World Economic Forum’s The Global Competitiveness Report 2012–2013 clearly shows that the ranking is out of one hundred and forty-four (up from one hundred and forty-two in 2011-12 and one hundred and thirty-four in 2007-2008):

 

Australia’s national economy ranks 20^th out of 144 countries, with the third lowest ratio among advance economies of Public debt to Gross Domestic Product.

Australia ranks 48^th out of 144 countries when it comes to Wastefulness of government spending.

While the nation ranks 96^th out of the same 144 countries in the category of Transparency of government policymaking.

Finally, when a ranking for Pay and productivity is calculated Australia is 80^th of 144 countries.

 

No reputable statistician would eliminate 44 countries and still keep the same ranking as does this graph. Nor would they try to merge two separate financial year ranking results in the same graph without adjusting for the 10 country difference.

 

Therefore this graph may be nothing more than a sly attempt to skew the electorate’s perception of how the country is faring in the lead up to the September 2013 federal election.

The Northern Star hosting an ardent coal seam gas supporter or an industry plant?

 

Online mainstream media is perhaps one of the most immediate ways Northern Rivers residents have of voicing an opinion on local or regional issues.

 

However, this individual raises a question.

 

After 93 pro-CSG mining comments in 20 days under The Northern Star articles concerning Metgasco – is three_0 an unusually enthusiastic member of the public or a mining industry plant?

 

In a comment on a 19 January article three_0 appears to admit to being employed in CSG mining, but it is unclear in what capacity he/she is employed.

 

This individual is also very supportive of Metgasco Limited generally and of its CEO, Peter Henderson:

 

* This as a lawful Australian company, employing Australians, supporting local contractors/companies and contributing to the local economy.

 

* You never see a CEO at such grass roots level personally providing factual information about the industry to interested locals. My hat goes off to you Pete.

 

Surely even Metgasgo wouldn’t be so manipulative as to encourage it own company directors/management/staff to protect its interests online without having them also declare a specific pecuniary interest in the debate?

 

Here is three_0’s history between 5-24 January 2013 found at http://www.northernstar.com.au/profile/three_o/.

 

Smoke and mirrors didn't give Abbott the bounce he was probably expecting

 

The Essential Report for 14 January does not appear to show Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott receiving any bounce in this poll from his much publicized time on the containment line of one NSW bushfire this month.

 

Abbott only fared marginally better in the first Newspoll survey for this year - his satisfaction rating rose one point to 29 per cent while his dissatisfaction rating fell one point to 58 per cent for a net satisfaction rating of minus 29. An almost insignificant change since early December 2012.

Kingston vs The Australian propaganda sheet

 

News Limited's The Australian newspaper gets caught distorting known facts – again.

 

The Australian 8 January 2013:

 

 

Margot Kingston 8 January 2013:

 

Just to keep the record straight in the face of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's claim that these new allegations reflect on Australian Prime Minister Gillard's judgement (but apparently not on his own judgement or that of former Prime Minister Howard), herewith timeline information taken from the Parliament of Australia biography of the Hon. Peter Neil Slipper:

Elected to the House of Representatives for Fisher, Queensland, 1984 for the National Party of Australia. Defeated 1987.

Re-elected for the Liberal Party of Australia 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.

Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government Whip from 11.7.97 to 18.10.98.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration (Coalition Ministers John Fahey & Nick Minchin) from 21.10.98 to 26.10.04.

Acting Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister John Howard from 14.3.02 to 7.10.03.

Member, Liberal Party 1989-2008; Member, Liberal National Party of Queensland 2008-11.

Alternate Representative, Liberal Party State Executive (Qld) 1990-92.

Vice-Chairman, Liberal Party Sunshine Coast Zone 1990-92.

Membership Development Officer, Liberal Party Sunshine Coast Zone 1990-92.

Branch Vice-Chairman, Liberal Party 1991-92.

Delegate, Liberal Party and Liberal National Party State Conventions (Qld) 1990-2011.

Became an Independent MP from 24.11.2011.

On 7 January 2013 the Australian Federal Police served the legal representative of Mr Peter Slipper MP with a summons in relation to three offences of Dishonestly Causing a Risk of a Loss to the Commonwealth pursuant to section 135.1(5) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

The same day The Sydney Morning Herald reported:

 

It is understood they relate to three Comcar trips in 2010, in which Mr Slipper - who was then a Coalition MP - travelled beyond the allowed Canberra region. The trips are understood amount to about $900.