A 'Bah, Humbug!' for Telstra from one irate customer

Hanging up on Telstra is still on the cards on the NSW North Coast if this 20 December 2010 featured letter to The Daily Examiner editor is any indication:

Click on image to enlarge

Telstra gives out 23,500 silent number details to perfect strangers - says Oopps!

Telstra advising customers of mail-out issue

Media Release 27 October 2010

Telstra will today start contacting customers affected by a recent mail-merge error involving a letter explaining upcoming fixed line price changes.

An error in a mailing list has meant around 220,000 letters with incorrect addresses were mailed out, including 23,500 letters involving customers with silent lines.

As soon as the error was identified, the mail out was stopped.

The letters, which were delivered to the wrong address, went to consumer customers and some business customers and contained the customer name, their telephone plan, phone number and, if applicable, reference to their Telstra Pensioner Discount.

No billing or call record information is contained within these letters.

The error concerns nearly 10% of more than 2.3 million letters sent to customers in the past week.

Telstra is taking this issue very seriously. An urgent and thorough investigation is underway to examine how this occurred and to stop it happening again.

The company is directly contacting affected customers to apologise for the error.

Customers who have received multiple letters are requested to securely destroy them or return to sender.

The Privacy Commissioner, regulatory authorities and consumer groups are being provided with information to assist customers who may call them and Telstra will cooperate fully with these bodies on this matter.

Any concerned customer should call Telstra on 1800 307 987.

Around the traps in the last few days.....

A bit of free promotion APN didn't need?
With the euthanasia debate heating up, I was amused to see that APN Outdoor received a bit of free promotion on the nightly news last week after one of its outdoor billboards advertising in Yagoona ran a large advert promoting the pro-choice position. Probably won't please the bishops.

Fine print on the back of that NBN envelope?
NATIONAL Broadband Network users will not be able to use their telephones in a power failure unless they pay for a back-up system.
Telstra copper lines will be replaced by NBN fibre as part of the $11 billion deal with the federal government.
NBN Co has a hands-off approach to ensuring lines will be available at all times.
Customers will rely on the fibre network for broadband and fixed telephone services. Each home and business will need a network termination unit for power.
The unit needs a standard 240 volt, 10 amp power outlet and without that it cannot work.
If the unit loses power, telephone lines will not work unless NBN users have a back-up battery system, an optional item under NBN Co guidelines.
The peak electrical body says NBN Co and the government must ensure service providers guarantee basic telephone services or people's lives could be in danger in emergencies.
The company says it will not supply, install or maintain the battery back-up. That means network users will have to purchase a back-up unit and battery, and ensure the unit is next to a power outlet.
Users must buy the back-up unit from their NBN service provider. The 12V 7.2Ah sealed lead acid battery for the back-up costs about $50. {The Australian 22nd October 2010}

NSW water raiders using #agchatoz to tweet their displeasure....
nswirrigators: 464 pages of Volume Two of #basinplan just released online. Saving the environment by ruining a forest? http://tinyurl.com/3x4umuw #agchatoz
nswirrigators: 3.30pm on the day #basinplan volume two was meant to be released and nothing yet. These people do not learn... #agchatoz #abcrural

A victim of friendly fire
"This is a debate that Australians need to have about the future of banking, and the banks now are clearly ignoring the government," Mr Hockey has said. "The Australian people need to know where the banking system is going."....
Liberal MP Don Randall launched into a withering attack on Mr Hockey's suggestion, labelling a "typical lunatic fringe idea" from the Greens - until it was pointed out that it came from the Coalition's top money man. "It's really going to have a negative effect on our economy ... it's really a worry". {news.com.au 21st October 2010}

Ad astra takes on Tony
Take the attack on the Government by Tony Abbott over the contemporary court martial of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. In a particularly contemptible assault he accused the Government of ‘stabbing the soldiers in the back’ and not giving them the support they deserved, of abandoning these men fighting as they are for their country. It was a powerful and aggressive strike. Yet what did the mild-mannered Stephen Smith say? He said Abbott’s words were ‘unfortunate’. Too right they were, but in the hurly burley of politics, words hardly like to make headlines, hardly likely to effectively rebut the Abbott charges.
I would have preferred him to say to Abbott: “How dare you have the temerity to make such outrageous accusations. It was the Howard Government, in which you were a minister that created the process for such trials of servicemen thought to be in contravention of the rules of engagement, and it had bipartisan support from Labor. You know perfectly well that in this process Government has no part to play, nor have politicians or politics. You know that this Government wants the process YOU established to bring about a considered outcome and that it wishes to play no part in it. Yet you come along with this completely illegitimate accusation which you know is dishonest, in order to score political points. And you were only too willing to enlist Alan Jones to promulgate this deception, something he was only too ready to do. Worse still, you allowed him, without contradiction, to denigrate the female prosecutor for laying the charges, even although you knew that she was acting completely in accordance with the process the Howard Government established. How dare you behave in this disgracefully disingenuous way, cast aspersions on those involved, and the Government too, although it is NOT involved. This is worse even that the usual low standards of political discourse which you employ. You are a disgrace.” {The Political Sword 22nd October 2010}

Too much fiction in Pollieville, U.K.?
A BRITISH MP enraged her constituents and her party after letting slip that her blog, which tells people how hard she works, is "70 per cent fiction".
Nadine Dorries, a Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire in southern England, made the admission to investigators during a sleaze inquiry that cleared her of abusing the Government's expenses system but found that she misled voters. {news.com.au 22nd October 2010}

Public relations Telstra-style falls flat with customer

A NSW North Coast reader sent this letter on to me with a wry observation about "a caring and compassionate Telstra".

I am astounded at what can only be described as the arrogance of this national telecommunications giant asserting in the letter that "we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs" - when around 180 local people will be looking for work in a region where unemployment runs well above the national and state average and an individual is likely to be out of work for at least a year before finding regular employment (usually on a casual or part-time basis).

This is a recent Keep Australia Working Regional Employment Plan assessment of prospects in the Richmond-Tweed and Clarence Valley:

In April 2010, the unemployment rate for the priority employment area was 8.1 per cent, higher than the April seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent. Moreover, the youth unemployment rate for the same period was 12.7 per cent, compared with the national average of 11.7 per cent.
The participation rate in the region has decreased to 51.1 per cent as of April 2010, well below the national average of 65.4 per cent.
The average unemployment duration for job seekers in this region is longer than the national average (43 weeks compared with 34 weeks nationally). This represents a significant barrier to employment given factors such as loss of skills and motivation. The region is also characterised by well‐below‐average levels of educational attainment.

Transcript of the TELSTRA letter:

7th October 2010

Telstra Country Wide
North Coast NSW

[Name and address redacted for privacy reasons]

Thank you for your letter regarding Telstra's call centre consolidation and the potential impacts in Grafton and the Clarence Valley. I appreciate your concern for our staff and the community.

There is never a good time for such decisions and they are never easy. Please be assured that Telstra has taken into consideration feedback from affected employees and acknowledges the representations made by the community.

Like any organisation, Telstra must continue to make changes to remain competitive in a fast-changing market. Nonetheless, Telstra will continue to maintain a local presence in Grafton and the wider North Coast region in Telstra Country Wide, through our field workforce, and in our business and retail stores.

Over coming weeks, we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs. We will also support our people throughout the process with access to our employee assistance program and relocation assistance. Redundancy packages are also available and are among the most generous offered in Australia.

I hope that this explanation will go some way to reassuring you that we have explored every option in looking to continue our business call centre presence in Grafton before making a final decision.

Sincerely,

Michael Sharpe

General Manager

Telstra Country Wide

Michael.Sharpe@team.telstra.com

TELSTA CORPORATION LIMITED (ABN 33 OSI 775 556) I P.O. Box 1123 Lismore NSW 2480 P 1800 687 8291

Telstra tries to close the gate behind those bolting brumbies

In the Clarence Valley on the NSW North Coast Telstra customer satisfaction is probably at an all time low and, in a clear case of karmic retribution, some customers are telling me that they will be abandoning their home and business accounts as soon as current contracts expire because this national telecommunications company is not supporting the community and local economy.

So it was with some amusement that I read the following in The Herald-Sun on Thursday 30 September 2010:

AFTER years of appalling service Telstra has finally conceded the customer is always right.
In a major turnaround, Telstra chief David Thodey yesterday pledged to lift rock-bottom customer satisfaction levels.
Under a $1 billion plan already under way, Telstra intends to drastically reduce complaints and resolve problems on a first-call basis.
In recent months Telstra has scrapped a $2.20 "administration fee" and shelved charges for calls to Telstra's help desk for service and support from home and mobile phones.
Some "nuisance fees" will also become a thing of the past, with Big Pond customers no longer having to pay for extra email addresses.
And in another break with the past, Mr Thodey declared there would be no flashy advertising campaigns, instead spending the money to change staff attitudes.
"What we will be focused on is changing the culture of this company, changing the way we interact with customers and giving a different experience," Mr Thodey said.
Staff are already being sat down to watch a short film that Telstra marketing chief Kate McKenzie says will teach them to stop "lecturing to the crowd" - "Something we've been guilty of in the past," the film's narrator says.
Ms McKenzie adds: "We don't want to shout at our customers, we want to have a dialogue with them."

The day before the newspaper article I received a copy of this email:

From: [redacted]
Sent:Wednesday, 29 September 2010 8:53 AM
To: 'nswtcw@team.telstra.com'; Telstra - Susan.Passmore (susan.passmore@team.telstra.com)
Cc: [redacted]
Subject: Attention Ms Sue Passmore
Importance: High

Ms Passmore

I am totally dismayed (no, disgusted!) by Telstra's decision to close its Grafton call centre.

It seems loyalty counts for nothing – only the almighty dollar counts!

Hence, I now hold serious doubts about remaining as a Telstra customer.

Please forward to me at my postal address (below) the relevant information, papers, forms, etc associated with closing my account for all Telstra services associated with my phone number and address.

[Name and address redacted for privacy reasons]

UPDATE:

TELSTRA shares crashed to a new low yesterday as the telco tried to calm staff concerns over speculation thousands of jobs would be cut.
It is believed to be part of a three-year plan to simplify the business and strip costs to bolster dwindling earnings.
Shares in Telstra fell 6c to $2.62 as David Thodey's strategy to revitalise its lumbering business failed to win over investors and as speculation on massive job cuts permeated the market.
In an internal memo, Telstra staff were told to expect more job cuts but to remain focused on improving the business.
[The Australian on 1 October 2010, as Telstra share price continues to reach record lows]

Telstra continues down the path to irrelevance as Thodey tries to woo MPs with canapés & cocktails

Historical share price table from Telstra website

Market share not what it used to be, share price in a downward spiral since 1999 and reaching a record low recently, dividends not as golden as they used to be, profit margins getting slimmer, a company profile which is often a public relations nightmare - and now national telecommunications 'giant' Telstra has added insult to injury by trying to lobby a federal MP who just happens to have seen Thodey's razor gang at work in her own electorate.

This is the Member for Page's response to David 'let them eat cake' Thodey in a media release on 28 September 2010:

Saffin condemns Telstra decision to close Call Centre

Page MP Janelle Saffin said Telstra Business has today shown its contempt for its employees and for Regional Australia with its decision to close the Grafton Call Centre on November 23.

Ms Saffin said with this move Telstra missed an opportunity to turn around public opinion and show it can be a good corporate citizen.

"By ignoring the unprecedented local campaign to save the local Telstra jobs, Telstra has made it pretty clear how much it values us here in the regions.

"The organisation has chosen to ignore its employees, the union, the Mayor, and State and Federal representatives and about 6000 local people who signed a petition asking to keep the centre open.

"Telstra will now find it has very poor standing in the local community and faces the loss of a lot of local business.

"This decision shows a total lack of imagination. Telstra couldn't see that expanding their operations in this region could have been a cost saving.

"I note that CEO David Thodey regularly talks about Telstra's new push to improve customer service, but the Corporation somehow believes that the best way to improve customer service is to cut jobs.

"Today in Parliament all MPs received an invitation to cocktails with Mr Thodey in Canberra next month.

"I have answered that along with more than 6000 people in the Clarence Valley, I want the 108 jobs in Grafton and not the canapés and cocktails.

"Today I have lodged a Notice of Motion in the Parliament calling for the condemnation of this appalling decision.

Truth is the first casualty in Senator Nash's media releases

When Janelle Saffin was first elected as the Federal Member for Page in November 2007 she hit the ground running. Very early on she began to actively lobby on behalf of residents in her wide and diverse electorate.

In January 2008 Ms. Saffin was lobbying the Communications Minister to delay shutting down the CDMA network because of residents' complaints concerning bad reception from Telstra's newly introduced Next G and, in 2009 she and the Member for Braddon were instrumental in making Telstra backdown over its introduction of yet another service charge - this time for paying accounts over-the-counter or by post.

So my mouth quite literally fell open when I came across this 15 September 2010 media release from Fiona Nash. A Nationals senator who obviously has political doublespeak down pat as she reverses the order of events and attempts to write Ms. Saffin out of the very campaign she started in partnership with Clarence Valley residents and local media.

Follow Cansdell's Telstra lead, Nash urges Saffin

Telstra's decision to axe 108 business call centre jobs from Grafton is short-sighted and wrong, the NSW Nationals Senator, Fiona Nash, said.

Senator Nash, who's the Nationals' Duty Senator for Page, added she'd be joining Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell's campaign to have the decision reversed and wants to see Page MP Janelle Saffin follow the Nationals' lead.

"As Steve has shown time and time again, the job of a local MP is not about rubber stamping city decisions by your party bosses but fighting for better outcomes for your local community," she said.

"I have today written to Telstra management, asking them to consult with the local community and suggesting a proper review would likely find it is in the best interests of the company to expand rather than axe its operations in the Clarence.

"This is a very bad look for Telstra and a very bad look for Labor at a time when both are media-spinning their supposed commitment to regional Australia.

"I am a frequent visitor to Grafton so I know it is a high-unemployment area bursting with talent and begging to grow, given a fair chance.

"Steve Cansdell is right on the mark when he says a better decision would be to move call centre jobs from Brisbane and Melbourne to Grafton rather than the other way around."

Nash's advisors and staff need to have a quiet word with her, because she is fast making herself a laughing stock on the NSW North Coast.

How many government requests for data has Google Australia received so far this year?

How's Australia running in the government spying & censorship stakes out on the Google digital race track?
Google Transparency Report's latest 2010 numbers crunch to show only the USA, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have more government requests for info on digital citizens than Oz.
Unlike the second half of last year, an Oz guvmint hasn't yet requested the disappearing of a blog.

Australia January to June 2010:

200 data requests

14 removal requests, for a total of 639 items

92.9% of removal requests fully or partially complied with

• Geo (except Street View)
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed


• Web Search
• 7 court orders to remove content
• 316 items requested to be removed


• YouTube
• 2 court orders to remove content
• 2 non-court order requests to remove content
• 7 items requested to be removed


• Groups
• 1 court orders to remove content
• 314 items requested to be removed


• Gmail
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed

Google's Australian traffic from 1st January to 20th September 2010:

Do your thing with the mouse to make graph grow

Telstra says it's time to move on......

In good ol' Granny Herald last Wednesday:
"TELSTRA boss David Thodey says the telecommunications company is becoming impatient with delays in finalising its deal with the national broadband network.
Mr Thodey said 18 months after the NBN project was unveiled, it was important for the country, and for Telstra, to finish the regulatory work and pass implementing legislation.
''We need to move on,'' he told reporters in Hobart yesterday."
Well young Dave knows quite a bit about moving on - just ask the 180 people in the Clarence Valley who will be losing their jobs when he closes down Telstra's call centre in Grafton.
I've stuck with Telstra through thick and thin - through numerous name changes, decreased services, increased billing charges, partial privatization and Teh Three Amigos.
But taking away that many jobs in one hit in one NSW North Coast town? It'll be Telstra which will be moving on from my house.
Any one got the Optus number handy?

Telstra caught out in a big fat lie

Click on image to enlarge

On 21 September The Daily Examiner informed Telstra that "We have been lied to. It's bad enough that we could lose 180 jobs, but to be lied to about the reasons is incredibly galling."

To be told that the national telecommunications company is pulling a customer service facility out of the Clarence Valley because there isn't a big enough workforce in the area to consolidate it here and then be told that Telstra had not even advertised locally, exposed the lie for what is was - an attempt to pass the blame back onto the community.

One has to wonder why this national telecommunications company decided to be less than straightforward with the Clarence Valley community and whether it now regrets the very vocal local fallout from this lack of honesty.

For those interested in signing the community petition asking Telstra to reconsider its intention to close the Grafton Call Centre, it can be found at a stand located within Grafton Shopping World until the end of the week.

To express your opinion directly to Telstra's CEO email David.Thodey@team.telstra.com.

• Previous NCV post Live or work in the Clarence Valley? Hang up on Telstra!
• DEX article Valley ‘should dump Telstra'

Hartsuyker shuffled into yet another minor shadow ministry

No matter which way you look at it the Nationals Luke Hartsuyker has lost out in the gravitas stakes in Tony Abbott's shadow ministry reshuffle - leaving him tagging yet another minor ministry.
He's still chasing the snake's tail as Shadow Minister for Sport and Youth with Spokesperson for Regional Communications tacked on, which follows on from the minor Shadow Consumer Affairs, Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law position he previously held.
Obviously Luke doesn't yet have the full confidence of his leaders outside of the one area in which he sometimes excels - creating havoc on the floor of the House as Deputy to 'Poodle' Pyne's Manager of Opposition Business.
I predict that Malcolm Turnbull is going to find his colleague something of an embarrassment whenever he opens his mouth on regional communications.

Conroy remains one of the reasons why Labor continues to offend the nose

In Teh Granny Herald last Friday:
"The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, is ploughing ahead with his internet filter policy despite there being virtually no chance any enabling legislation will pass either house of Parliament.
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, the Opposition and the Greens have all come out against the policy, leaving it effectively dead in the water.
The Greens communications spokesman, Scott Ludlam, has called on the government to end the facade and drop the internet censorship scheme once and for all, as it was wasting time and taxpayers' money.
University of Sydney Associate Professor Bjorn Landfeldt said, given the catastrophic election result after only one term in government, it was "remarkable" the government was "pushing the very issues that undermined their credibility, rather than focusing their energy on important societal issues"....."

Coalition frenzy peaks on Twitter with QLDYoungLNP

As decision time draws nearer for the three still un-aligned Independents, the Coalition frenzy at the thought of a Gillard federal minority government has reached new heights on Twitter.

QLDYoungLNP (Matthew Quinlan) appeared on the horizon on 1 September 2010 and the venom spewed forth in an almost inexhaustible stream until last night this particular tweeter was apparently advised to cool it by his political colleagues; For now, I have been instructed to make my tweets private, may change in future, stay tuned REAL conservatives, others.. no. #ausvotes 24 minutes ago via web

However, he is still getting well-deserved grief from the Twitterverse concerning his 'reconditioned' account:

Click on snapshot to enlarge

OhCrap's Archive has captured details of this strange twist on how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people and, there are 176 tweet highlights collected on Jame's Blog and downloadable in PDF form:

Do we trust the evil ALP who gave us $180000000000 debt or Coalition who has given us surplus and paid back the debt?

#ausvotes #auswaits 11:29 PM Sep 1st via web

I wonder what remains in the Left's bag of anti-democratic tricks.. surely their disdain for democracy is not at an end #ausvotes #auswaits 2:45 PM Sep 2nd via web

ALP & Greens discourage Gen Y from rocking the socialist boat, they're encouraged to be slothful leeches. #auswaits #ausvotes 3:00 PM Sep 2nd via web

Under the ALP & Greens, all the drive to succeed is sucked out of a person, replaced by success-hating and welfare dependence #ausvotes Thu Sep 02 2010 15:10:05 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web

Do we want prosperity under the Coalition or risk the ALP & Greens = poor, unaccomplished drunks and losers who hate success? #ausvotes Thu Sep 02 2010 15:13:15 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web

Under Coalition, OZ is a place that fosters excellence, not soft cowards and drunks on welfare like under the ALP. #ausvotes #auswaits Thu Sep 02 2010 15:19:56 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web

You should consider @QLDYoungLibs a no spin zone so if you're a sacred cow of the liberal left who is easily offended, leave now #ausvotes Thu Sep 02 2010 16:01:39 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web

@externallylaws from what I've seen there has been a fair bit of premeditated provocation by those of you on the left. Thu Sep 02 2010 17:14:54 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web in reply to externallylaws

@_Laverne this Twitter account is the official conduit for QLD Young LNP. Thu Sep 02 2010 17:23:51 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web in reply to _Laverne

ALP stands for one thing: spending money we don't have to win votes from the bottomfeeders of society. #ausvotes #auswaits Thu Sep 02 2010 20:25:34 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via mobile web

Reminder 140 characters could cost you a smack in the mouth if you're not careful, plenty of deserving personal attacks from Left #ausvotes about 21 hours ago via web

I consider myself to be open minded on a lot of things however I will NOT tolerate a Communist OZ Gov't #ausvotes #auswaits about 21 hours ago via web

@ByronStafford unfortunately I am gifted with a little thing called personal responsibility, you lefties oughta try it some time #ausvotes about 22 hours ago via web in reply to ByronStafford

@MStrudwicke once again the debaucherous left displays their total lack of class! #ausvotes about 22 hours ago via web in reply to MStrudwicke

Do we want Gov led by those who want to strip OZ of its identity and heritage by turning it into Africa & the Middle East? NO NO #ausvotes Fri Sep 03 2010 20:33:57 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via web

If you don't support the coalition, you are by extension supporting

communism. #ausvotes #auswaits Fri Sep 03 2010 14:41:59 (AUS Eastern Standard Time) via mobile web

@TheFacelessSpin thanks for the support, battling the tide of intellectually inferior lefties is bloody tough work on a Saturday! about 4 hours ago via web in reply to TheFacelessSpin

As Tony 'People Person' Abbott tries to be first in forming minority government.....

He is one Australian politician who is definitely eliciting passion out there in cyberspace:

anniepapas‎: if Tony Abbott wins this election, I will be first in line to assassinate him. #ausvotes Twitter

The Audreys Don't fret friends, @boy_named_Joe is going to assassinate Tony Abbott. We'll visit you in jail :) via Twitter for iPhone

Boy_named_Joe Anyone have a preference as to method of assassination? I'm currently leaning toward ninja death squad and/or acid bath. Or mauled by bears. via Twitter for iPhone

asphodel_4: @lcpdragonslayer jokes, maybe I would come see you. That way I could assassinate Abbott... via web

seanjhross: i'd offer to assassinate Abbott, but that'd make Bishop PM #ausvotes via web

OFFICIAL_Hitler drunk with @passionpopgirl. kill tony abbott. australi is shit. kill everyone

OFFICIAL_Hitler I hate you Tony Abbott. I hate you so much via Twitter for iPhone

ScaryElfLady: If it's a hung parliament, can we hang abbott first? via Mobile Web

Where the word things are And those who read my twitter are subjected to a near-daily litany of 'I AM GOING TO KILL TONY ABBOTT' and variations thereof, so.

Blog.Shqiperia.Com @sharpest_rose. If I had a squillion dollars I would dress in fashions from the early 60s at all times. Also, I would hire someone to kill Tony Abbott.

Learn more about Left And Right In Global Politics I hate Tony Abbott with a passion....

Ellen's book of muchness I HATE tony abbott with a passion (his name doesn't even deserve capital letters); how the hell can Australia even VOTE for him?! And so many people too! ...

Tweeting political opinion: who go there?

The image posted here is from NMG (Newel Media Group) on Twitter. It lists its website as http://www.newellmediagroup.com/.
It has tweeted 1,646 times, is located in Sydney Australia, has 36 'friends', including LiberalAus which is an authorised account held by the Liberal Party of Australia, can be found on YouTube as newellgirl from the United States and on Flickr as a bit of a fan of the Sydney to Surf in 2010.
As one can easily see, the tone is unrelentingly hostile to the Gillard Government, the Labor Party and The Greens. The U.S. President is on the hot list as well.
All of which made me wonder if ithis Twitter account had a particular axe to grind......

So who exactly is NMG (Newel Media Group) and is it acting at the behest of the Liberals during this federal election campaign? Or is it simply a female member of the Newell family venting?

Personally I'm leaning towards it being the former media officer to former Liberal MP Peter King, the sitting member who lost Wentworth pre-selection to Malcolm Turnbull in 2003-2004. Who do you think it is?

Australia Votes is currently tracking election sentiment on Twitter. Over 200,000 tweets have been sent concerning candidates, policies and issues.

2010 Election Campaign Day 10 - Into the Twilight Zone

It all started on the second day of the Federal Election campaign. I woke to find the world bathed in a strange half light and eerie music playing tinnily in my ear.

Then those emails started:

"Caller Lorraine says Julia Gillard was featured in the Launceston weekend paper doing a Nazi salute and that this is not the first time she has done this". {Quote from Crikey news email on 19th July 2010}

"She's a secret NAZI. When she thinks nobody will notice she heils." {Chain email 18th July 2010}

{Picture of Julia

supposedly 'saluting'

doing the email rounds

on 18th July 2010}

2010 Election Campaign Day 6 - All atwitter

It's immediate, it's busy - it's #ausvotes!

Phoney_Tony

@latikambourke Sorry about being stuck in Cbr, still researching powered flight. To think last week we thought the earth was flat! #ausvotes via web

latikambourke
@Phoney_Tony I seriously worry about whomever you are. :) #ausvotes via TweetDeck in reply to Phoney_Tony

hellharpy: it's going to be very hard to teach a pol sci course and be non-partisan during the next few weeks #ausvotes via web

silver_bodgie: RT @wayneswan: @JuliaGillard We need to take this campaign up a notch. We're calling in the producers of Ladette to Lady - NOW!! #ausvotes

CatherineDeveny: Tony Abbott is crazy for embryos but not so keen when they turn into brown people on boats #ausvotes


GreenJ: O oh. Tony Abbott just turned back the Pacific Princess. #ausvotes via TweetDeck


_struct: Tony Abbott has said Workchoices is "dead, buried, cremated", but let's not forget this man believes Jesus rose from the dead. #ausvotes


DR_KANGAROO: @juliagillard this is social media dear, not an avenue for 140 character press releases! When will you talk WITH us? #AusVotes via web