ABC trails Coalition on its Road to Nowhere

The Coalition's ongoing disinformation campaign is increasingly being echoed and amplified by the national broadcaster, writes managing editor Michelle Pini.

LOOKING for balanced information on the issues besetting our nation?

Well, chances are you’re not going to find it on the national broadcaster. But you will discover, seemingly at every turn, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, assorted lesser 1960s-era-Batman villains AKA Coalition MPs, stalwarts of the IPA or all of these, magically on hand to discuss inflation, migration (of course) and renewable energy, among a host of trumped up crises.

“Newly discovered” genuine inequities that have plagued us for over a decade, however, such as urgent housing shortages and cost of living pressures, are only now considered newsworthy — though their interminable roots to the past government are unlikely to be mentioned.

So saturated in spin and misinformation is the national broadcaster, you might be tempted to check whether you accidentally tuned in to Sky After Dark.

In recent days, the ABC has subjected us to, among other things, Bridget McKenzie’s Jetstar divestiture brainwave, Barnaby Joyce’s thoughts on the morality of social media bans for children and“where we’re headed politically”, and former Coalition Minister for Housing and definitely-not-branch-stacking Michael Sukkar’s thoughts on the housing crisis.

Now, apart from the fact that the views of Opposition MPs regularly feature more prominently than government ministers on all matters – with a host of segments commencing with "Mr Dutton said" – this particular spate of opinions may have been reasonable, had each of these parliamentarians been suitably chastised for their lies, picked up on their misinformation or just been reminded of their part in creating these crises.

Of course, none of these things happened.

Before appearing on ABC News Breakfast to further embarrass herself, Bridget McKenzie, ever the beacon of moral example, shared her thoughts on aviation policy in AFR, including labelling the Labor Government’s relationship with Qantas as a 'protection racket'.

Sports rorts, anyone?

Bridget, whose "in-depth" article was headlined, ‘Is it time to force Qantas to break up with Jetstar?’ belittled the Labor Government’s aviation policy before asserting that:

‘… the Coalition is now calling for the competition review to include divestiture powers.’

Unfortunately for Bridget, Nationals Leader David Littleproud knocked her brilliant idea on its not-so-well-coiffed head with:

“It is not Coalition policy because we haven’t got the evidence.”

Details, details!

Then we had regular commentator, Barnaby – whose hobbies include cavorting with staffers and planter boxes – opining on Labor’s proposed social media reforms for children.

According to Barnaby:

"Peter Dutton has indicated support for this right from the start. I think one of the issues that we believe is that we should have started this earlier..."

Not a murmur about the fact that the Coalition had almost ten years – during which he was usually Deputy PM – to “start earlier”.

The rule of law and holding ministers to account

It seems unlikely that Ministers Hunt, Tudge and Sukkar will be held to account for their blatant contempt for the rule of law.

And the pièce de résistance this week, was Michael “Well-I-was-Housing-Minister-between-2019-and-2022” Sukkar on Q&A answering a question about negative gearing by prattling on about “high taxes” on housing for first home buyers

So it’s very galling on one hand, when you have any politician saying, 'Well, we want more affordable housing', yet they’re taxing housing to death, and that’s what’s happening. So you abolish negative gearing for housing. And let’s remember, no one’s talking about abolishing negative gearing for people who are speculating on the share market or in other assets...

Did host Karvelas pick Sukkar up on the fact that his government refused to cut negative gearing or that as Housing Minister, he consistently voted against it?

Er, no.

Rather, according to Karvelas:

'In 2019, Australia wasn't ready to talk about tax and housing. Is now finally the time to talk about negative gearing?'

Well, clearly, since in 2019 we had a Coalition Government, whereas now there's a Labor Government, so the media cartel (now sadly including the ABC) has decided there may be merits to changing negative gearing laws after all.

Another interesting alternative fact from Sukkar, who was positively brimming with them, is this one:

“The Coalition does not want our housing stock owned by foreign corporates.”

That's what the Coalition keeps telling us, so, you know, let's not question these claims or look at the data — which indicates foreign ownership of housing stock, as well as farmland and water rights, consistently increased during the Coalition Government’s term — including while Sukkar was Housing Minister.

All in all, a cringeworthy week in which the Coalition's merry path of disinformation ;was again platformed ;by the ABC.

Is it any wonder viewers and listeners are deserting the national broadcaster in their droves?

#ShadySukkar ‘proudly opposes housing bills’. #LNPToxicNastyParty and their bedfellows the Greens oppose #housing bills and delay progress.

Sukkar created the housing mess. He wants people to use their ‘Super’ instead.

Dumbass. #QandA #qanda #auspol pic.twitter.com/EJr4qAK3jW
— Anthony Norman (@stormin68) September 9, 2024