Tuesday 24 December 2013
A cry for help from the north Queensland coast
Members of the coalition government joining the queue outside the office of Christopher Pyne, Education Minister and Leader of the House, to seek remedial lessons are advised to take a ticket to ensure they maintain their place in the queue.
Another MP joining the queue is George Christensen (Liberal National), the Member for Dawson.
Other government MPs in the queue include Teresa Gambaro, Kelly O'Dwyer and Mal Brough.
Evidence of Mr Christensen's need for help is provided in his entry, dated 19 November 2013, in the register of members' interests.
A Christmas Memo to the Far Right
Journalists becoming a dwindling band
Australian Newspaper History Group December 2013 Newsletter:
The number of journalists and other writers in Australia fell by 16 per cent in the year to August as traditional media organisations slashed staff numbers, according to the latest jobs report by consultancy Economic and Market Development Advisors (Australian, 4 November 2013). Staff numbers in public relations also fell “as this sub-sector experienced a fairly dismal year”, the report said. The media and marketing sector employed 291,000 people in the year, including about 23,500 journalists and writers, 19,300 public relations people, 131,000 sales and marketing managers and another 51,000 sales and marketing professionals. “This sector is one that is most responsive to the state of the economy and as the economy and business confidence improves, jobs growth is anticipated to return,” the report said. The number of journalists and writers was still historically high, having risen 19 per cent over the past 15 years, said EMDA director Michael Emerson.
Over the same period, the number of PR operatives had grown 79 per cent. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance estimated that in the past 18 months 1500 journalist jobs had been cut by major media outlets and over the past six years the number of newsroom staff had halved. It estimated there were now fewer than 9000 working journalists in Australia. The union estimated that “well over” 500 jobs were cut at News Corp Australia in calendar 2012, although the company refused to comment on that figure, as well as about 400 at Fairfax Media and 100 at Ten Network.
Defending The ABC: the more things change the more things stay the same
If Liberal-Nationals wingnuts would stop baying for ABC blood long enough to think, they might realize that this email (below) clearly demonstrates that no government of the day is immune from paranoia about our national broadcaster and its journalists and that political parties across the spectrum are capable of reacting badly to perceived public criticism.
So they need stop blaming the national broadcaster for their own collective inability to face legitimate questioning concerning political decisions.
Quote of the Year 2013
Monday 23 December 2013
A cry for help from Queensland's Sunshine Coast
Mal Brough (Liberal), the Member for Fisher, is another member of the coalition government who's in need of remedial lessons. Brough will have to get in the queue outside the office of his colleague Christopher Pyne, Education Minister and Leader of the House, and seek help.
Evidence of Mr Brough's need for help is provided in his entry, dated 26 November 2013, in the register of members' interests.
As Abbott Government members prepare for Christmas Day's good food and wine, sitting atop their fat weekly salary and entitlement packages, they won't be remembering the disasters they've caused in the last three months
The Abbott Government may be able to shrug off any thought of the growing number of problems their wingnut approach to governing has caused. Many thousands of ordinary Australians won’t have that luxury.
So out of touch is his government that apparently Prime Minister Abbott believes he has done Australia a favour by hastening GM Holden out the door.
Stock Journal 13 December 2013: