No room for the facts on ABC’s Lateline

Mark Henderson writes-

Two of the biggest criticisms of the ABC and its cohorts in the Canberra press gallery are that they are consumed by group think, and that they will only take up the cudgels on behalf of one side of an argument – the “liberal” or “progressive” viewpoint.

Think climate change, think war in Iraq.

There was a good example of this on “Lateline” on Friday night on the issue of boat people.

Host Leigh Sales took up where The 7.30 Report’s Chris Uhlmann had left off and put forward this argument:

“…given how far Kevin Rudd is ahead in the polls, as I said earlier, could he not afford to expend some political capital by speaking in a more measured fashion regarding asylum seekers rather than creating a competition about who’s the toughest?”

Sales then took up the issue of Wilson Tuckey’s comments that terrorists could be using the boats to smuggle their way into Australia. She suggested to Labor’s Jason Clare that Tuckey was “reflecting a concern that many Australians might hold?”

Sales did not bother to present an argument that, far from representing just “concerns” of Australians, Tuckey might, in fact, be presenting a reality.

Here is what a Sri Lankan Tamil community leader told ABC news this morning:

“…it stands to reason there will be some former guerrillas among those seeking asylum.”

Let’s remember that Australia proscribed the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organisation. Therefore, a “guerrilla” would actually be defined as a “terrorist”.

And there is a parallel case in Canada. According to the National Post:

“Cargo ship passenger wanted in Sri Lanka for terrorism”.

Sales puts the proposition that this issue is all about unreasonable “ramping up” of fear about boat people, rather than putting the proposition that Australia’s border security and legitimacy of immigration policy is being threatened by Kevin Rudd’s winding back of the laws after 2007.

Sales did not ask Labor’s Jason Clare one hard question. She did not put the proposition that their winding back of border protection created this problem.

She did not challenge the notion that so-called “push” factors are to blame. She did not put forward any of the evidence that weakening of border protection has caused boat people to believe they can get into Australia easily.

The spokesman for the Sri Lankan boat people who calls himself “Alex” told 2GB’s Chris Smith that one reason they chose Australia was because they had heard Rudd had gone soft (no link available).

Another unnamed people smuggler said much the same thing to Michael Usher on Channel Nine on “Sixty Minutes” last night:

“He told me it’s easy to get to Australia, and that we’re soft on refugees.”

But, hey, never let a fact stand in the way of a good story.

Just as it is with the debate over global warming, ABC programs like “Lateline” are not remotely interested in a full, open and honest debate involving both sides of the story. They have made up their mind and what we are getting is advocacy, not journalism.

And worse still, some sections of the media —Mike Carlton, for example—believe that they are arbiters of what is acceptable and unacceptable political opinion and comment and anything and anyone they disagree with will be mocked and vilified. Witness the treatment of Wilson Tuckey.

When it comes to issues like global warming and asylum seekers we do indeed stand at a “tipping point” – the survival of free speech and freedom of opinion.

The views represented in articles republished on the this site reflect the views of the original author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Protectionist Party.

Comments

  1. Dave Tierney says

    Let us not forget that Whitlam and Grasby in the 70s decided that Australia needed to be Asianised and opened the floodgates to immigration policies that discriminated against Europeans in favour of Asians. Keating further expanded on this policy to include the Lebanese who were marginalised following their civil war. One only has to look at Some sydney suburbs to see what a mistake this was. We can forget Fraser's contribution to our immigration policy. Howard attempted to bring some rationalistation to Australia's immigration rules but was condemned as being racist by the do-gooders and bleeding hearts. Where does that lead us? Down the same path as the Poms where any attempt to preserve their culture is considered racist. When are we going to fight for 'OUR 'culture? Is there any politician out there who is willing to strut the world stage to support us?

  2. You might like to find an Aboriginal lawyer who could be sympathetic to this cause, and point out to him/her its not in their best interest for Rudd to change the face of Australia as the immigrants don't care much for Aborginies and the feeling is recipercated.
    I'm quite sure that if the United Nations law regarding colonization (again) is strictly forbidden then both Labour and Liberals could be up for massive legal fights as they have clearly broken the law!!
    (Ironically as it was the far left who instigated this law in the first place!) oh how i'd love to see their faces if this could be pulled off! Imagine the tidal wave across Europe if this came to court and make international news!

  3. Nicholas Folkes says

    ATTENTION ALL AUSSIE PATRIOTS:

    We need you to attend a APP rally against Rudd and his soft stance on border protection. These boat people are not 'genuine refugees' but illegal criminals who have paid other criminals to gain illegal entry into Australia. DEPORT RUDD!

    WHEN: 12.30 – MONDAY, 16TH NOVEMBER 09

    WHERE: CENOTAPH, MARTIN PLACE, SYDNEY

    NOTE: BRING YOUR AUSSIE FLAGS. WE WILL HAVE PLACARDS AND LEAFLETS ON HAND.

    We need to get out onto the streets and reclaim this great country. Come and join us in the resistance against evil PM Rudd.
    Report

    • Wish you all the best

      • Nicholas Folkes says

        Thanks Mike. We all work in different ways for the Nationalist movement. I totally understand some citizens can't make it due to work or family commitments. Plus we live in an environment of fear and intimidation for merely holding an alternative opinion. The APP plans to hold rallies monthly beginning from the New Year.

    • True Aussie says

      Great to hear!

      Is this an official APP rally?

      • Nicholas Folkes says

        Hi True Aussie, it's an official APP raly. We will have placards and leaflets on hand. Come down, bring your mates and get politically activated. We not going to give up without a good fight, we will never surrender!

  4. Jasmine, I hardly think good ol' Gough was a Nazi. Left, yes, right, no. Whitlam was in fact our last nationalist leader. After him it has been all down hill.

    • Nicholas Folkes says

      Black Knight, I have to disgaree with you. Gough ushered in the welfare state and multiculturalism and gave the world Al Grasby. Gough was not a Nationalist but a traitor. He didn't even understand simple exonomics and thought Kashoggi would lend him $8 billion to pay off the foreign debt. He also abolished the last vestiges of the White Australia policy, gave independence to PNG and turned his back when the Indonesians invaded east Timor.

      • True Aussie says

        "Gough was not a nationalist but a traitor".

        Agreed

      • Nicholas. I thought my statement about Gough might raise a few eyebrows here. I suppose the point I was making was that, at the time, he took a nationalist position as PM and that since multiculturalism became official government policy under Fraser every PM since Gough has been compromised by that policy. Of course, there is still the issue of Al Grassby and his multiculturalism and that's a black mark against Whitlam.

        As for these other issues you mentioned: 1) What's wrong with the welfare state? 2) Borrowing money for infrastructure and resources (the Khemlani Loans Affair) which Australia would own was a good idea. 3) PNG had to be given its independence one day. 4) Whitlam wasn't PM when Indonesia invaded East Timor. Fraser was.

  5. Black Knight says

    Mike, you are absolutely right. Us Australians only have ourselves to blame for the quality of our politicians. But speaking personally I have resolved never to vote for the major parties as they don’t represent my views and so don’t deserve my vote. Instead I find some minor party to vote for. This takes money and support away from the Lib/Labs. This is the least I can do in the battle to reclaim Australia.

    • True Aussie says

      If only more Australians decided to do this instead of just voting for which major party they dislike the least.

      We need to present the APP as a viable alternative that is prepared to listen to the Australian people and do what it takes to preserve our precious nation.

      Get involved, join the APP

  6. Jasmine Reading says

    Kerry O'Brien was the press secretary for the Far Leftie Nazi Wicked Whitlam.
    Maxine McKew another Far Leftie Nazi. She is known as Miss Smarty Pants
    the way she pushed poor Pauline Hanson around on the 7.30 Report.
    Tony Jones is another one, why do think they now control the ABC.

    One ABC journalist did say, that he was more frighten of the one's that were
    trying to stop freedom-of-speech. There is obviously a power play going on
    at the ABC. I complain all the time by phone. Isn't that Leigh Sales a nasty
    Far Lefite, she certainly is not impartial, always pushing her agenda.

  7. Kevin Rudd may be soft on illegal immigrants but then so is Turnbull's Liberal Party. The Libs allowed Labor to get rid of TPVs without raising any objections and now we've got the boats coming to our doorstep. We shouldn't expect much from Turnbull as he is the man who helped a British agent breach his obligations to his country. Selling out Australia shouldn't ruffle his conscience much at all.

  8. We shouldn't be too surprised that there is a left-wing bias at the ABC as many of them seem to have connections to the Labor Party. I understand that both Kerry O'Brian and Barry Cassidy have both worked for the Labor Party. Could they be card-carrying members now? And let's not forget Mike Bailey and Maxine McKew who both left good secure ABC jobs to run as Labor candidates.

  9. The tangible link cannot be proved, but all positions adopted by ABC and SBS journalists (bearing in mind that as professional journalists their opinions should be invisible), are synonymous with those of the UN and all its agencies.

    This might sound relatively innocuous if it were not for the fact that the UN is entirely a Rothschild/Rockefeller construct. And, of course, these are the bankers who create the wars that spawn refugees.

  10. With the like of Phillip Adams stomping through the halls of the ABC in his little back communist jack boots, 'exposing' all those who disagree with him as 'racist' ectra, why does anyone ever think that the ABC could ever be objective over this genocide that we as a race of people now face?
    Perhaps we have had our day in the sun and now the dark is approaching.
    Holocaust here we come, all thanks to the white far left.

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