Glen Milne: Rubbish Journalist

alex white — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:41:21 -0700

Glen Milne writes in the Sunday Telegraph:

Within Opposition ranks it has firmed the opinion that Rudd is intent on going to an election at the end of next year. The evidence, apart from Gartrell's enthusiasm for getting on with the job, is compelling. First, there's history: every initially victorious Prime Minister in the modern era from Hawke (subsequent election 1984) and Howard (1998) sought to cement their incumbency by going to the polls within two years. Second, economic uncertainty. Given the external pressures of the rolling subprime crisis, who knows what will happen electorally or economically? For Gartrell and Rudd, and Labor generally, the message has to be, while you're ahead, go now. Third, there's WorkChoices. The obvious potency of this issue at the last election says go early while the electorate's hurt and resentment towards the Coalition is still red raw. Fourth: Opposition leadership. The dynamics of the Liberals' internal leadership tensions are likely to be at their fruit-bearing peak at the end of 2009. To get to the bottom of all this, I could call Julie Collins and ask what Tim Gartrell said last Monday. But I haven't bothered.

Amazing - Glen Milne could have inquired with Labor about the committee meeting - you know, to get his facts straight, or at least do that "getting both sides of the story" thing that journalists are supposed to do. But he didn't bother. He also wrote in a separate article:

THE powerful Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) is poised to flex its industrial muscle after a successful meeting with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at The Lodge in Canberra on Australia Day. A leaked union strategy document marked "confidential" reveals the MUA believes it has "strong support" from Mr Rudd and plans to push for new industrial relations arrangements that will drive up inflation. The union wants a return to "pattern bargaining", a technique to negotiate increased wages and conditions. However, opponents of pattern bargaining say it would also increase inflation and interest rates.

Amazing. Glen passed off as fact that the MUA's industrial relations arrangements will drive up inflation, but we find out in the next paragraph that opponents of the MUA's industrial policies are the ones that believe that. What happened to the neutral point of view that journalists were supposed to have? Oh... that's right. We're talking about Glen Milne.

Australian Labor Party

Glen Milne: Rubbish Journalist