Australian News Commentary
Weekly round-up June 28, 1998
Have the media unfairly influenced Queensland results?
The week was characterised by the media increasing the intensity of its war of disinformation against Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party, no doubt to coincide with the deliberations of Independent M.P., Peter Wellington as to whether he would support Labor or the Coalition in forming government in Queensland.
The Australian
The Weekend edition, June 20-21, 1998, editorial set the tone for the week. The editorial thundered that "Mr Howard and the Coalition must fight One Nation as vigorously as they would any opposition party which threatens to blight the vision of a prosperous and tolerant Australia." This was interpreted by the various commentators and journalists to dig the dirt on Pauline Hanson.
And dig the dirt they did.
The edition overflowed with anti-Hanson diatribe. A particularly nasty and bitchy piece by columnist, Shelley Gare, starts by attempting to spread rumours about Pauline Hanson's sex life. Some of her virulent comments include "Hanson arouses in me the same revulsion as a particularly loathsome outback goanna". This is an incredibly personal and scurrilous attack on a federal Member of Parliament. What happened to the journalists code of ethics?
The Oz kept up the attack during the week with the usual snide articles and by publishing mostly anti-Hanson letters to the editor.
Jonathon Este takes nearly a full column in the June 26 edition to disclose the riveting news that One Nation adviser, David Oldfield, made more than 30 phone calls to a dating agency - amazing journalism.
SBS television.
Many people have been saying that SBS is little more than the propaganda machine of the multicultural industry. There seemed to be some justification for those claims this week. The boss of SBS television, Nigel Milan, revealed that he had urged his staff to counter Pauline Hanson's "racist policies". The Perth Sunday Times reported that Mr Milan told staff in an internal newsletter that he saw SBS as a counterforce in the One Nation debate.
This is not the last word on SBS. Following our investigations, we will bring you more information on this taxpayer-funded renegade outfit.
Was it any surprise that towards the end of the week, Peter Wellington decided to support Labor in forming the new government in Queensland?
