Morrison's Govt awash in corruption, but what does Murdoch put on page 1? Surprise, surprise. Another character assassination attempt based on selective, twisted accounts of me seeking fairer coverage for Labor 15yrs ago. Anything to avoid the substance of #MurdochRoyalCommission
The Murdoch media were bad in 2007, but after 2010 they became an extreme far-right operation. Ask the many professional journos who’ve since quit News Corp. Ask Rupert's son, James, who spectacularly resigned over the "hidden agendas", "disinformation" and climate change denial.
As I've already stated publicly, I make no apology for seeing Murdoch and his editors to lessen their anti-Labor bias in 2007. I can only assume we'll get his other editors to do their own "tell all" stories of meetings with me. Do your worst, Rupert.
As for Penberthy's account, it's wholly one-sided. How seems to have forgotten his drunken, and remarkably frank, observations about what it's really like working as one of Rupert Murdoch's editors. A bit of memory loss, David?
I asked Penberthy that night why his paper launched such vicious personal attacks on people. His swaggeringly arrogant answer: "Because we CAN". I've never forgotten it. Murdoch's power rests in maintaining culture of fear - one of the reasons why we need #MurdochRoyalCommission.
I'm sure the Australian's editor Chris Dore, the most grovelling editor in Murdoch's service, will continue these personal smears laced with inaccuracies. Yet he's never run a straight news story outlining the biggest e-petition in history - and why 500,000+ Australians signed it
In a year when Murdoch has closed 100+ newspapers and sacked 200+ writers and photographers, you'd reckon they would welcome a royal commission to put their industry on a stable footing. No, they'd rather be the only shark in a shrinking pond than risk giving up their monopoly.
This campaign for a Royal Commission isn't about individuals. It's about ensuring Australians can rely on diverse sources of accurate news and information rather than being misled. Despite the smears, I will not be intimidated by Murdoch's bullying one bit MurdochRoyalCommission.com
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
As Chair of the IPI Board for the last two years, the Board is unanimous that all questions about the IPI's integrity should be asked and thoroughly answered. These matters are serious and they deserve scrutiny. My full statement to the media is here: kevinrudd.com/wp-content/upl…
I've now done six broadcast interviews today about events at IPI and the recommendations I'm taking to the Board to obtain answers to the remaining questions about the institution’s fundraising. These build on the steps the Board has taken over the last year.
As for Murdoch's page-one "exclusive", it wasn't exclusive at all. The donations in question were reported last year. IPI also posted to its official website making public the Board's commitment to donate an equal sum to support victims of sexual violence: ipinst.org/wp-content/upl…
So I see we’re having a debate about future economic directions… Here are a few points for #ScottyFromMarketing to reflect on… Thread
Early this year Cormann, Morrison’s Finance Minister, attacked our govt's stimulus package in the GFC, stating "We will not be pursuing a cash splash in the reckless Rudd-Gillard fashion, no,". Now they’ve adopted this same "reckless" strategy.
Remember our govt’s debt during the GFC was supposed to be "unsustainable", but under Morrison, it's five times the size of ours. #MorrisonsGiantDebtCon
A case study of the Murdoch method: How lies are used to manipulate the truth. Remember this racist, sexist cartoon from the @australian that derided US Vice-Presidential candidate @KamalaHarris as a "little brown girl"? THREAD
Amid global outrage at this cartoon, Murdoch editor Chris (I'm not a racist) Dore demanded his staff step up to defend his appalling decision to publish it. So who stepped up? None other than Murdoch "journalist" Chris (veteran Liberal Party staffer) Kenny! 2/8
The central premise of Kenny's argument is simply untrue. He says Joe Biden "openly and proudly imposed criteria that his vice-presidential running mate would be a woman of colour" and selected Harris on "publicly stated race and gender criteria". Lies. 3/8
What a bullshit allegation by Murdoch’s #CourierFail. They claim @jackietrad personally overruled “all the expert advice” to approve the new @CrossRiverRail station at Boggo Road. This claim is wrong on every level. THREAD
First, they claimed @jackietrad personally “ignored” advice and “forged ahead”. Wrong. It was a cabinet committee. Now the conspiracy theory is that Trad “dictated” to others in her “thrall”. What a joke. Cabinet ministers are no shrinking violets. They made a collective decision
Next they say cabinet defied “all the expert advice”. But ministers regularly receive competing advice: engineers building individual stations can disagree with transport experts looking at the whole system. Cabinet has to weigh the evidence and make a final decision.
Given the collapse in job vacancies and appalling news from @Qantas, it’s time for Morrison & Frydenberg to come clean with the Australian people on our economy’s future given a rapidly approaching cliff – that is, the scheduled wind-back of JobKeeper & JobSeeker. 1/4
It’s time for Phase 2 of the economic recovery - an infrastructure strategy to plug the economic gap and invest in Australia’s future. This is what we did during the GFC when we invested almost $50 billion. It's time to recommence that build, Scotty, in the national interest. 2/4
We already know what work needs to be done. Our govt created Infrastructure Australia to recommend a series of essential economic projects, subjected to rigorous economic analysis (not just letting the National Party pick their pet projects). 3/4
Right on cue, and as predicted, the Murdoch Mafia mobilises its protection racket to distract from questions about their reckless abuse of Western intelligence agencies to help get Trump re-elected. All because I dared to ask these 5 questions… THREAD theguardian.com/media/2020/may…
ONE: Was this an “intelligence” product involving actual confidential sources, or just public info dressed up as a secret dossier? The Iraq War experience suggests media should be very careful accepting dodgy dossiers claiming to be “intelligence” to advance a political case.
TWO: Is it actually a Five Eyes product as claimed by Murdoch’s Australian, FoxNews & Paul Murray (a notorious, public Trump sycophant)? Or is it from the Trump Admin's political wing? Other Murdoch reports cite “concerned western governments” as source, whatever that means…