The Same But Different . . .

Guest Author Uncategorized

Today’s Guest Author is Victoria Rollinson, with a splendid piece first published at The AIM Network. Thank you, Victoria! And hat tip to Puffy and Leone for their recommendations.

(Image Credit: Angus Mordant; Fairfax)

When Turnbull ‘knifed’ Abbott a week ago after publically shaming Abbott’s terrible government on national television while announcing his intent-to-knife, I wondered how the mainstream media would treat this story. I couldn’t help but worry this would be yet another example of a Liberal story being treated with a completely different narrative to the same Labor story. A sitting PM is replaced by a member of their own cabinet. A late night coup. A first term Prime Minister. Abbott lasted a shorter time than Rudd and had already been challenged 6 months earlier. By my reasoning, the white-anting, destabilising activities of Turnbull and his supporters over the last 6 months was far more bloody and underhanded than Gillard taking the opportunity to lead the Labor government when it was offered to her within hours of her colleagues’ decision that Rudd’s chaotic leadership was not going to improve, second chances or not. However you argue it, overall a fair observer would see great similarities in the two situations. But these similarities are clearly ignored by the media and it turns out my worry was well founded. Low and behold, the Turnbull/Abbott story is being treated completely differently to Gillard/Rudd. Of course everyone in the mainstream media is very busy mansplaining to little-old-us the voters why the two situations are apparently completely different. But I don’t need this situation explained for me, because I can see with my own eyes that Turnbull just did to Abbott the same, if not worse, thing Gillard did to Rudd.

If you haven’t already noticed for yourself the differing tone of the stories about new-PM-Gillard with new-PM-Turnbull, take a look at this apple-with-apples comparison.

Here is a transcript of Gillard’s ABC 730 interview with Kerry O’Brien the evening she became PM on 24 June 2010 and Turnbull’s ABC 730 PR campaign interview with Leigh Sales a week after he became PM.

If you can’t be bothered reading these transcripts, take it from me that Gillard was interrogated about her ‘knifing’ of Rudd for the entire interview, and framed as the ‘villain’ who couldn’t be trusted, a tone which continued throughout her time as PM. Gillard was also hectored about what she would do about the mining tax policy, not forgetting she had become PM that day. Turnbull, on the other hand, was treated like a ‘hero’ and provided with the invaluable opportunity to outline his vision for the country on an unchallenged soap box where he was allowed to sell his government’s refreshed credentials. He wasn’t even tested when he claimed Direct Action was working to reduce emissions when there was no evidence backing this claim. Two interviews in similar political circumstances, yet chalk and cheese in their treatment and tone.

A simple word count showed Gillard spoke for 65% of her interview with O’Brien. Turnbull spoke for 77% of his interview with Sales. Sales even apologised for asking a question Turnbull might ‘find offensive’ and then again said sorry for cutting him off. Soft doesn’t even come close to describing this cringe-worthy excuse for journalism. But it gets worse. Check out the word clouds of both interviews and see if you notice the same thing I did.

Here is Gillard’s interview, where the most used words were obviously Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. So the main topic of the interview were Gillard’s villainous replacement of Rudd.

Now here is Turnbull’s interview.

Can you see what is missing amongst all the positive words? Yep, that’s right. The word Abbott. You can do a Where’s Wally search for it if you like, but I’ll save you the trouble and tell you it appeared twice in the interview. Hardly there at all. Abbott’s already gone and the media aren’t dwelling on the part Turnbull played in his demise. Unlike Gillard, who had to put up with the media’s obsession with the Rudd leadership spill throughout her entire tenure as Prime Minister, even after she went straight to an election to prove her legitimacy in the role. Yet Abbott has been erased and shiny-Turnbull-with-a-sly-grin has got off scot-free. See what I mean about same story but very different treatment? How do you even begin to explain this other than to say Labor is always bashed by the media, and the Liberals always excused? Sadly this is the only explanation that makes sense.

322 thoughts on “The Same But Different . . .”

  1. I am happy to hear you are on the mend, BK.

    I am off to the dentist tomorrow per a toothache. To compare with other states, I contacted the state gov’t service, SA Dental,showed my pension card and answered some questions about my toothache. they did not have any appointments so they gave me a letter to get emergency treatment at a private dentist, (capped amount of course). My co-payment is $55.

  2. Thanks Anny. NBN is a really complicated subject to keep tabs on. I go to Kenneth Tsang’s blog (http://blog.jxeeno.com/) for info, also Steve Jenkins, also Sortius is a geek,(google for them), also Renai LeMay at Delimiter, Whirlpool forums etc. I did a website a year or so back (savethenbn.com), but things have moved on since then, mostly in the wrong direction, alas.

    It’s far from cut and dry, but the consensus is that Turnbull’s NBN is a crock compared to Labor’s original full fibre model. Most reputable sources will tell you that.

    Some extremely influential telco experts like Alan Jones and Joe Hockey claim that 4g wireless is superior to fixed line fibre but that’s another story better left to the satirists.

  3. dedalus

    Alan Jones and Joe Hockey are also titans in the world of physics having overturned so many long held notions about the capacity of light vs radio waves for data transmission.

  5. Josh Frydenberg says $5 billion northern Australia fund could be used to finance coal

    Australia’s freshly minted Resources and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has signalled the government’s intention to use taxpayer funds to help the coal mining industry establish new projects.
    In an interview with Fairfax Media publication the Australian Financial Review, Mr Frydenberg, who is also the Minister for Northern Australia, said a $5 billion infrastructure fund announced in the May budget could contribute to infrastructure for mining projects in the Galilee Basin.
    Former treasurer Joe Hockey hinted last month that Indian company Adani, which plans to build Australia’s largest coal mine, might receive taxpayer money from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to help build a rail line from its Carmichael mine in Central Queensland to coal terminals at Abbot Point

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/josh-frydenberg-says-5-billion-northern-australia-fund-could-be-used-to-finance-coal-20150922-gjstnp.html

  6. kafeeklatscher:

    Titans! Total titans! Why, Hockey’s breadth of understanding is greater than the circumference of his stomach. Admittedly his expertise is in the economics sphere. He’s on the cover of the new seven dollar note you know. They don’t put you on a banknote if you’re a dill. But Jonesy. I’m so glad you brought him up, K. There’s a scientific mind for you. I have it on talkback authority that he’s on the shortlist for a Nobel in Physics. Quantum mechanical theory in carbon dioxide apparently. Fart breaking stuff. The Bolter’s even in awe. Imagine Jonesy on the steamtubes arguing with that other fine philosopher Lord Monckton. My god, the eyeballs in that man’s head. Sheer thought bursting through! The mind boggles. And Jonesy’s face more purple even than usual. If that was possible. God spare us.

  7. Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani tells of the horrors of Manus Island: out of sight, out of mind

    The men detained on Manus Island have not been convicted of any crime. Yet they are imprisoned. Isolated. Kept out of sight and out of mind. Those who have been found to be refugees remain in the Lorangau transit centre. They have not been resettled. The men know they are the fall guys, punished as a means of deterring other would-be asylum seekers, as are the men, women and children detained on Nauru. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have been palmed off, abandoned and all but forgotten. They are being driven mad

    http://www.theage.com.au/comment/iranian-journalist-behrouz-boochani-tells-of-the-horrors-of-manus-island-out-of-sight-out-of-mind-20150921-gjrdi8.html

  8. http://insidestory.org.au/the-grilling-season worth reading

    http://www.afr.com/business/energy/resources-minister-frydenberg-to-fight-coals-battles-20150922-gjsciv try opening from the tweet first

    http://insidestory.org.au/we-are-diverse-theres-no-doubt-about-that-its-one-of-the-great-strengths-but-also-great-challenges-of-the-liberal-party

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/turnbull-government-could-dump-uni-regulation-plan/6797262

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/jericho-inequality-will-cast-a-shadow-over-hockeys-legacy/6797136

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/22/eu-governments-divisive-quotas-deal-share-120000-refugees

    http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/2015/09/22/australia-china-free-trade-agreement-raw-deal/

    http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/hundreds-of-homes-and-businesses-to-be-bulldozed-for-melbourne-metro-rail-project/story-fnii5sms-1227538865635

    http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/commuters-to-be-squeezed-out-of-the-loop-as-rail-overcrowding-crisis-looms-20150922-gjsank

  10. Aguirre

    I find it interesting that you think the media are starting to see through Turnoff. I haven’t come across anything that says that, except of course the RWNJ’s crying over losing their hero.

    I must say Credlin having a bit of a ‘poor me, I’ve been hard done by’ is absurd when she was at the forefront with her dirt file against Julia.

  11. Hmmmm – this can’t be good news.

    Malcolm Turnbull junks tax white paper in major ‘reset’

    The biggest review of taxation ever undertaken in this country is now dead in the water

    In one of his first acts after become prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull last week secretly suspended all work on Abbott government’s white paper on taxation, just weeks before it was due to deliver its first preliminary report.

    Stunned bureaucrats at the Federal Treasury, the Tax White Paper Task Force and the Board of Taxation, were last week told all work on the white paper – instigated by former Treasurer Joe Hockey in 2014 – would come to a complete halt.
    ………………………..
    The first green paper from the process was due to be released in just seven weeks time.
    “We will not be releasing that paper until next year,” Fairfax Media was told.
    The move to halt the white paper process was made by Mr Turnbull before he appointed Scott Morrison as Australia’s new Treasurer

    http://www.smh.com.au/business/malcolm-turnbull-junks-tax-white-paper-in-major-reset-20150923-gjstsm?stb=twt

    Will all our worst nightmares come true? Increased GST, GST on everything, tax cuts for the rich?

  12. Is St Malcolm telling porkies? He used Facebook to deny the tax white paper story. So either Fairfax, Treasury Secretary John Fraser and a whole lot of public servants are lying, or the Sainted One is lying.

  14. Leone

    As I said, different faces, different words but exactly the same policies, oh and lies. Turnoff is a master at it, look how he lied about Labor’s NBN, and is lying about his efforts and how badly he has handled it.

  15. Morrison seems interested only on people who want to ‘work, save & invest’.

    So .. he’s not interested in people who want to spend then?
    That’ll be good for the economy, won’t it.

  17. Border Force – the new paramilitary force that can’t recruit enough staff to man its shiny new patrol boats.

    Share the boats. The Australian Border Force received the last of eight Cape Class patrol boats at the start of this month, on time, and seemingly on budget, with not a whiff of a press release, no minister or PM photo opportunity. Why the silence in a government that reportedly wanted weekly national security announceables up until the election? A tipster told us that the delivery, while announced by ship builder Austal, was kept on the down low because the Australian Border Force was transferring two of the eight boats to the navy, because they couldn’t recruit staff to run them. The Cape Class patrol boats require more crew than the existing Bay Class patrol boats, with 18 instead of 10 crew members, and a National Audit Office report in December last year noted that the department has already experienced issues with crewing the Bay Class patrol boats in recent years.

    The ANAO report recommended that Border Force improve its workforce planning, and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service “develops an appropriate strategic workforce plan to address future workforce requirements”. We asked the Border Force if boats had been transferred to the navy and why, but didn’t receive an official response by deadline. With Border Force and the navy sharing resources like patrol boats, it’s just one further sign that the new agency is a paramilitary force that should be on your radar

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2015/09/23/tips-and-rumours-1461/

    Will Dutton have to use press gangs to get the crews he needs?

  19. More than 700,000 women and girls are being held in prisons around the world, a report suggests.
    The number has risen 50% since 2000, outstripping the growth among men, the study from the London-based Institute for Criminal Policy Research said.
    Just three countries – the US, China and Russia – make up around half the total female prison population.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34332757

  20. Turnbull is not good at policy change and policy development. You might think someone who was so eager to be PM would have had a few plans for policy changes, but no. Nothing really.

    So far we have been given nothing but waffle on two big issues.

    Domestic violence – ‘Watch this space’ on funding and meaningless guff like ‘real men don’t hit women’. It all boils down to ‘someone has to do something but don’t look at us’.
    http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/09/21/08/56/malcom-turnbull-says-real-men-dont-hit-women

    Asylum seekers – more waffle about ‘paying close attention’, but again, no plans for change.
    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/23/malcolm-turnbull-close-attention-manus-nauru-asylum-seekers

  22. Victoria Rollison sums it up perfectly.
    The other night I described Sales as a journalistic slut (note the word journalistic at the beginning)
    some didnt like that term, well to those people I respectfully say too bad.
    What we saw on Monday night was beyond atrocious and unless we start calling this unprofessional and biased behaviour out it will only get worse.
    Sales works for the ABC not newscorp and is required to conduct herself professionally and in an even handed way.
    If she takes the big bucks and dishes up rubbish like the other night then IMO calling her a journalistic slut, whore or prostitute is totally warranted because the only difference between her and a real hooker is that its us who pay her high class rate and not the clients like Turnbull or Abbott she services with interviews more akin to a blow job and while both Sales and Turnbull walk away feeling satisfied and relieved its us who are left feeling like we’ve just been fucked.
    Her next interview with Shorten will be interesting to see as I have no doubt this sell out will resume to the usual haranguing, interrupting and snide demeanor we see when she isn’t fellating a liberal mate who she is known to take out for dinner immediately after an interview.
    I have far more respect for a junkie street whore than Sales because at least the hooker has some sense of shame and doesn’t perform her tawdry act on national tv for us all to blush at.

  23. stonyhabbott

    I wasn’t offended by your use of the word ‘slut’ for ms Sales. I absolutely agree.

  25. Turnbull is either going to “crash through” the right-wing of the Libs, or he is going to “crash” in the process…I suspect the latter unless he gets smear-doch on side..and with the internal civil war they are having, it could go anywhere from here!

  32. I note Turnbull had a go at a Shorten ‘zinger’ in QT last week. He probably thought he was on a good thing there, scoring a cheap laugh. But this is going to get interesting. ‘Zingers’ don’t fare all that well against repetitive slogans as they sound a bit abstract in comparison. But now they’ll be up against Turnbull, who considers a three-minute dissertation on the topic “Conrovian” complete with tortured metaphors to be pithy and apt. They’re going to look a lot zingier from here on.

  36. Bill Shorten spoke very plainly on Q&A.

    When Waffles turns up on Q&A, as he will some enchanted evening, it’ll be a waffleonathon.

  37. (Who’s John Fraser?)

  41. “Stuart Robert reveals details of ‘blue’ with Peta Credlin”

    “Listen, Sunshine!”

  49. “Mr Morrison, how do you reconcile what you have done and are doing in government with the religious beliefs you profess to hold so strongly?

    On Judgement Day will it be a case of Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, a phrase you are very familiar with?”

    No, Leigh? I didn’t think so.

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