Transcript
Take a look at the transcript of Kerry O'Brien's interview with Howard from Monday night. The ABC have the best journalists in the country, and probably the world. Here's one section...
KERRY O'BRIEN: What does it say about openness in government that you would brief business groups for an hour yesterday [on the IR reforms] but give the media, whose job it is to report the changes to the rest of the country, literally two or three minutes to absorb a 68-page package of change before walking into a press conference and exposing yourself to questions?
JOHN HOWARD: The media has plenty of opportunity to analyse this document.
KERRY O'BRIEN: But why wouldn't you give it to them at the same time as you gave it to your business leaders?
JOHN HOWARD: Yes, well, Kerry, the media is normally provided with statements of this kind when news conferences take place, unless they are part of the lock-up.
KERRY O'BRIEN: And that would be I assume so they've got little time to prepare the tough questions?
JOHN HOWARD: Kerry, I think you've had plenty of time to prepare the tough questions for tonight, so I think we're wasting the viewers' time. It's a rather circular...
KERRY O'BRIEN: Alright. Let's go for it.
Read the entire transcript at http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1479023.htm
KERRY O'BRIEN: What does it say about openness in government that you would brief business groups for an hour yesterday [on the IR reforms] but give the media, whose job it is to report the changes to the rest of the country, literally two or three minutes to absorb a 68-page package of change before walking into a press conference and exposing yourself to questions?
JOHN HOWARD: The media has plenty of opportunity to analyse this document.
KERRY O'BRIEN: But why wouldn't you give it to them at the same time as you gave it to your business leaders?
JOHN HOWARD: Yes, well, Kerry, the media is normally provided with statements of this kind when news conferences take place, unless they are part of the lock-up.
KERRY O'BRIEN: And that would be I assume so they've got little time to prepare the tough questions?
JOHN HOWARD: Kerry, I think you've had plenty of time to prepare the tough questions for tonight, so I think we're wasting the viewers' time. It's a rather circular...
KERRY O'BRIEN: Alright. Let's go for it.
Read the entire transcript at http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1479023.htm
posted by Anthony Stoddart @ 6:06 AM
6 Comments:
At Wed Oct 12, 04:51:00 PM,
Lisa said…
Hayden, perhaps the media have to say this because this is one case where the Howard government would prefer simply to inform the public but have as little discussion about it as possible. And if so, why does the government feel compelled to behave this way? Perhaps under proper public scrutiny nobody would consider defending these changes.
At Fri Oct 14, 05:10:00 PM,
Anthony Stoddart said…
What I find unfortunate is that this government, and society in general, have altered the nation to a point where all anyone is supposed to be concerned about is the economy. Of course I acknowledge its importance. Of course I understand that without a good economy, people suffer, and I wouldn't get as much Centrelink money.
But everything these days is justified by "it will benefit the economy". What about social issues? What about actually protecting people, rather than sacrificing them for this supposed 'greater good'?
The fact the Howard Government just wants to run this through without proper national debate is appalling. I mean, this practice of releasing documents to the media two minutes before a press conference has become the normal routine... And nothing gets done about it.
Without Kerry or Maxine, our leaders would never be asked real questions... Which, of course, they have become experts at dodging anyway...
At Fri Oct 14, 09:00:00 PM,
Anthony Stoddart said…
And doesn't "Billy" represent a significant portion of the population?
At Sat Oct 15, 10:17:00 AM,
Anthony Stoddart said…
Quote from George Negus in today's Weekend Australian Magazine:
"I get sick to death of people telling me that ideology doesn't exist. Unfortunately the economy has taken over from politics. You're considered a wimp if you talk about social issues. Economic rationality takes the human factor out of life."
At Sat Oct 15, 01:46:00 PM,
Anthony Stoddart said…
Letter-to-the-Editor in The Weekend Australian (15/10/05):
"There is one question that I would like the Prime Minister to answer. If it is true that at the moment Australia is experiencing record growth, low unemployment and low inflation, then why these changes to industrial relations? I further question the need for the proposed changes when the good economic climate we enjoy has been achieved under the current IR system. It is further perplexing when one considers the fact that Australia has recorded low levels of industrial disputes. So where is the threat to our future economic growth coming from? What was it that you said, John, during the republican debate? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
- Theodora Cherry
Parkside, SA
At Sun Oct 23, 06:48:00 PM,
Sarah said…
Hayden- shouldn't you be saying the media HAVE to create something from nothing, rather than 'like to' create something from nothing? After all, the whole point of Kerry O'Brien's line of questioning was to ask why the media were not given sufficient time to read and understand the material they were supposed to formulate their questions from. If you were a journalist tasked with putting together some pertinent questions for the PM on this topic and you had only been handed the 68 pages of details just minutes beforehand, what would you have done?
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