Years ago, the Keating government had a problem with pensioners wasting taxpayers' money on prescriptions. Knowing their elderly patients got their prescriptions free, doctors were happily issuing ones their patients might or might not end up needing and pensioners were taking them to the chemist and getting them filled, just in case. Many of these often very expensive drugs were not used.

So the government decided to impose a nominal fee on pensioner prescriptions of $2 a pop, just to make people think twice about whether they'd be needed. But, anxious though it was to save big money by reducing the waste of taxpayer-subsidised pharmaceuticals, the government had no desire to leave pensioners out of pocket. It worked out the average number of prescriptions pensioners had filled, multiplied it by $2, and increased pensions by that amount.

I dredge up this story because it may help you understand something about Julia Gillard's planned carbon tax that many people find puzzling.

from David Flint, royalist extraordinaire...

Let me say the phone hacking indulged in by the News of the World and possibly other British newspapers is reprehensible.

But why were the latest revelations withheld until News International's bid to take over BSkyB was almost put to bed? Why were they leaked to a left-wing opposition newspaper?

This inspired some weak British politicians suddenly to find sufficient courage to challenge the bid. Now some Australian politicians who've been subject to perfectly legitimate attention in the Murdoch media are jumping on the News of the World bandwagon with demands that Murdoch be investigated here and possibly curtailed or even punished.

Wheeled out to defend the carbon tax, Paul Keating is calling for the immediate enactment of a privacy law. But there is no pattern in Australia of massive intrusion by the Murdoch media into the private lives of public figures. In fact the last significant improper media intrusion that I can recall was that of a Fairfax newspaper into the private life of Richard Pratt, who died in 2009.

I was chairman of the Australian Press Council for 10 years and after that chairman of the ABA for six. I cannot recall one occasion when a journalist alleged they had been directed by Murdoch to do something illegal or unethical. That included journalists who no longer worked for News.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/anti-murdoch-politicians-cant-stand-the-heat/story-e6frg6zo-1226095560219

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I beg to differ, especially with David Flint's conclusion which is not worth repeating here — as that little royalist does not mention — choosingly of course — that the little shit Tony lies far more than any body else, but gets away with it, due to media support...

The point is that it's a matter of proportion in the support of political ideas. The trick has always been, since the days of the Roman emperors, of never being 100 per cent one-sided — unless one uses religion as a weapon...

If the Murdoch press showed varied political views as the royalist would like us to believe, then one would expect a 50 per cent bashing of Tony Abbott. All one gets from the Murdoch dung-beetles is that 80 per cent say that Julia is bad, including the little royalist Flint himself, and 80 per cent say that Tony is good... The rest of the twenty per cent is divided in a 50/50 don't-know-sit-on-the- fence-tear-my-pants-down position, with from time to time a faint glimmer of support for Julia — as long as she gets a reserved bashing as well. 

One of the main argument in regard to phone tapping (hacking) in Australia is that one needs hard proof... There are numerous occasions when "news" at News could not have been garnered except via illicit means or by pre-emption manipulation of event in which News Ltd had "interests"... As chairman of the Australian press Council, Flint did a mediocre job — especially in the cash-for-comment inquiry. One could say a lot more here but one won't.

And by the way, the revelations were not withheld till Murdoch wanted to buy BSkyB... The police and News International have tried to thwart the investigation since 2003 and it's only recently that that bastion — even back in 2003, Brooks admitted to paying the police for information — was breached by constant pushing and shoving by stars, politicians and other members of the public. The timing has nothing to do with the BSkyB deal... Deal or no deal Murdoch would have to take his medicine.

Larry Flynt: Rupert Murdoch went too far

By Larry Flynt, Saturday, July 16, 8:02 AM

One of the few values Rupert Murdoch and I share is the importance of a free press.

I’m sure we would both agree that it is an unimpeachable right, especially in a day and age when few pure freedoms still exist in this country. We recognize that, if we lose free expression in the media, we will have lost everything. And, perhaps most important, we understand that in the quest to protect this freedom, boundaries must be pushed.

The way in which we push those boundaries, however, is where we differ. I test limits by publishing controversial material and paying people who are willing to step forward and expose political hypocrisy. Murdoch’s minions, on the other hand, pushed limits by allegedly engaging in unethical or criminal activity: phone hacking, bribery, coercing criminal behavior and betraying the trust of their readership. If News Corp.’s reported wrongdoings are true, what Murdoch’s company has been up to does not just brush against boundaries — it blows right past them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/larry-flynt-rupert-murdoch-went-too-far/2011/07/13/gIQA9ifnGI_story.html?hpid=z2

see toon at top and story above...

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What are the odds to have "two flynts" on the same day, publishing opposite views about Murdoch — one Flynt, a serious publisher, while the other one, Flint, telling porkies — a former regulator that let a lot of balls go to the keeper, despite nicking the bat. I guess it would be about one to 100,000 to have Fynt and Flint, but I tend to be lucky like that.

Coincidences often happen if you see them while searching. Meanwhile in the piece above about David Flint, I would suggest that his bashing by the Murdoch press was well deserved in 1999, while Julia does not deserve a tenth of what she gets at present. Furthermore when the royal Flint questions the timing of the "release" of the information, he should be aware that the police tried desperately to stop exposure of it by using a Murdoch man as an advisor back then in 2009. Anytime is a bad time...

From Michael Gawenda at Unleashed

Hartigan was forced to do this stuff, but what about the rest of the media? What's the code of conduct for A Current affair and Today Tonight for instance? I am my brother's and sister's keeper - these programs employ journalists and they are my colleagues for better or for worse - but are we operating on the same ethical standards? What about the Fairfax papers? Where's the discussion with their readers of the ethical challenges they face in this time of technological revolution? And this time when journalism is being shamed. 

We journalists ought to recognize that we indeed live in glass houses and a bit of cleaning of the glass is necessary so that our readers and viewers and listeners can better understand why we do the things we do. They may not accept these standards, they may want to argue with us. They may remain disgusted with some of the things we do, but that's their right. Convincing them we can be trusted is challenging to say the least. But hubris and triumphalism at a time like this is suicidal.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2796200.html

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Dear Michael...

May I point out here there is more sadness rather than triumphalism and definitely no hubris in this affair from us here. It's not the first time that we've pointed out the failings of some journalists, including them being the mouthpieces for liars like Tony Blair and help him — and the other two liars — go to war illegally. We could revisit the influence of the Murdoch press in pushing for war on Iraq — a FAR MORE SERIOUS offence than hacking the phone of a dead girl... But we've explored Murdoch's part in this war, many times before and at length. That his trousers be pulled down on a "technicality" — well so be it.

And Michael, I know quite many journalists who don't live in glasshouses and do their job well, without having to do anything dubious or illegal... nor even having to throw a foot in the door. And they get good stuff...  Back in April 2005, we pointed out the failures of journalism and pointed it out in other media before 2002 and during the war on Iraq.

Presently, the rabid attack of the pseudo-journalists from the Murdoch press on Julia and letting Tony "get way with murder" is a case in point as explained in my comments above. See toon at top.

Michael Gawenda piece here is trying to defend the indefensible. It's navel-gazing hubris...

"She said: 'James and Rebekah fucked the company.' " Wolff said Elisabeth made the remark on Sunday at a book launch for the political analyst Philip Gould, hosted by her husband, Matthew Freud, and the editor of the Times, James Harding.

News Corp insiders questioned the truth of the claims, pointing out that Wolff has long been a critic of James Murdoch and has written about him disparagingly many times. But Elisabeth is known to have been dismayed by what is happening to her father's empire and it is understood there are tensions within the family.

Wolff, who stood by his claims on Saturday, said: "What we are seeing is an enormous amount of frustration. James absolutely cannot survive. Whether or not he is legally culpable, he certainly mishandled this entire situation and has done for a long period of time."

Wolff suggested the world was witnessing the end of the Murdochs' dynastic ambitions. "The Murdochs will be moved out of this company. James will go into some form of exile and Rupert will be put out to pasture and an outsider not named Murdoch will be put in charge."

Reliable sources have told the Observer the family have been having quarterly "summits" to discuss News Corp's long-term future. "The family have been getting together every quarter to discuss News Corp's legacy and what it stands for; the last meeting they had was held in Australia," said the source. "The fascinating thing now is that whatever the brand stood for earlier this year has been shot to pieces. News Corp is a world-class company in terms of how it is run and who it employs – it employs the brightest and the best throughout. Now it could be all over, if they find any evidence of hacking of 9/11 victims."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/16/elisabeth-james-murdoch-family-crisis

Yep... News Corp employs the brightest hacks of hubris and the cleverest of dung-beetles... Most of these brightest ans best use their skills to make water run uphill and make common sense run last... They are clever spruikers that way...

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has lashed out at Sydney's Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph newspaper, accusing it of being intent on bringing down the Government.

Senator Conroy, who has previously accused Rupert Murdoch's News Limited papers of mounting a "regime change" campaign in Australia, said the anti-Labor policy had been adopted after a recent meeting of News Limited executives at Mr Murdoch's US property at Carmel in California.

Speaking to Radio National this morning, he accused the Daily Telegraph of trying to force an early election.

"It is just running a campaign on regime change," he said.

"As John Hartigan [News Limited Australia CEO] admitted in the papers on the weekend, arising from the conference they had in Carmel, they decided to do more issues-based campaigning.

"I think the Daily Telegraph is probably the worst of the examples at the moment where it is running a campaign."

Senator Conroy said Labor voters should continue to read the Daily Telegraph - but for its football coverage, not politics.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-18/conroy-hits-out-at-daily-tele/2798528

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Hey Stephen... Football? Even that paper can't get THIS correct... One has to remember for example the way News Ltd treated South Sydney in the Daily Telegraph... When there was 80,000 people protesting in the street — about News Ltd and the NRL treatment of the Rabbitohs — the paper placed a 2 inch column on page 44 when it was the NEWS OF THE DAY ON ALL OTHER MEDIA...

And sure the Daily Telegraph and Alan Jones are hell-bent on bringing the Labor government down... and there is plenty more crap and lies coming from them. They even don't make any attempt to hide their agenda... and to push their little lying shit Abbott forward.

And from now on, I replace the word "right" with "correct"... as the rabid ratbag "right"wing has highjacked the word to the detriment of truth. Thus from now on Labor is CORRECT and the right (liberal-conservatives of Australia — a contradiction in terms) is WRONG.

see toon at top...

Annabel Crabb — Unleashed

...

It's not spying or phone-hacking that is getting the Greens and the Government's undies in a bunch about News Limited - nothing like it. It's bias. And that's a different matter.

Government ministers at present have an almost superstitious fear and loathing of the News Limited stable. They believe News, through its aggressive reporting of the BER scheme and the National Broadband Network (in The Australian) and the tabloids' campaign for a fresh election, is trying to destroy the Gillard Government.

There is an ancillary thread of paranoia about Kevin Rudd, who has - it is understood - mended relations with The Australian's influential editor in chief Chris Mitchell. Could this have anything to do with the recent decision to strip Mr Rudd of the authority to award the Australia Network tender, contested between the ABC and the News-backed Sky?

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Did you notice anything?... Any biased bullshit from the dung beetles at News Ltd?...

What Alex Huber (Letters, July 21) failed to mention was the right-wing bias that protected John Howard every day of his political life. Murdoch media controls 70 per cent of newspapers read in this country, every city with a radio station has a right-wing shock jock, and commercial TV stations by and large supported John Howard. As for the Herald's bias, it's hard to believe that Ross Cameron, Gerard Henderson, Peter Costello and Paul Sheehan have ever leaned to the left even to break wind.

Fred Strassberg Belrose