#45 - But Labor's no better

The Focus Group asks, who want’s to privatise the ABC? And where the hell is Australia now?

• Conflating Immigrants and Refugees

Stop the Press delves into the political beliefs of journos and their bosses.

• Andrew Bolt starts his own Media Watch
• Miranda talks about aliens

LOLBolt explains why LNP lies are the ALP’s fault.

Dave wants to know if there’s an expectation that Government welfare should help people to avoid hard choices instead of meeting needs

• Labor’s Tax Aversion
• Wages are too low and too high
• Everything is a tax slug

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#44 - Workchoices in space

Federal Budget 2013

• News Limited is astonished what we spend money on
• Ross Gittins says the budget is “good”, does that make him a leftist?
• Winners and Losers
• The Daily Tele’s front page
• The Hun
• The ABC playing a not so straight bat

Stop The Press looks at a new entrant in our media landscape.

• Something Wonky discusses fact checking websites - Episode #19
• PolitiFact’s “Truth-o-meter”
• Politifact responds to some early criticism

LOLBolt keeps crusading, but seems to live a joyless life.

• Another ‘Leftist ABC’ whine
• Why does Andrew hate science?

The Inbox of Doom uncovers some very old secrets, allegedly.

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#43 - Hope. Reward. Chastity

Stop the Press thinks that journos are crap, and so do they.

• Geoffrey Barker notices that some journalists are shit; focuses on the “pert-breasted” ones.
• Shit journos can only present changes carbon price compensation in the asinine “broken promise” narrative
• But hope for the future - actual journalism from future Guardian employee Greg Jericho, correcting the “taxing us higher than ever” deception.

The Focus Group dives deep into the nation’s psyche.

• The power of the “Gillard has rooned the country” fantasy.
• Clive Palmer wonders who would take on the billionaire’s burden.
• Tony Abbott wants more kids for “Women of calibre”

Dave learns words.

LOLBolt Andrew vs “the Left”

• Andrew wants to save the ABC from not agreeing with him on so many things. MediaWatch accuses him of putting everyone who disagrees with him in the “leftist” box, and Andrew says “DO NOT!”
• And Jonathan Green wonders why Media Watch should be hosted by any polemicist
• Meanwhile, Andrew resents being told he’s gone soft on Gina basically seeking to crush journalists’ ability to hold the powerful to account by protecting sources
• Elsewhere Andrew wonders when the Left will criticise the ALP for jailing refugee kids, which begs the question - does Andrew actually know any Leftists?

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#42 - Small beyond anyone's belief

Stop The Press is full of inconsistencies.

• How do you decide what $12 Billion spending looks like
• Preston Towers - Twits, not tweeps
• Andrew Elder - Playing the Clown
• Nick Minchin wants to raise the GST
• 4 Corners - No Advantage

The Focus Group comes to terms with a small tax increase to help people with disabilities

Dave learns words - this week “elites”

Mr Denmore tells us what’s stuck in his craw.

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#41 - The Austerity of Hope

The Focus Group cannot find a cohesive thread from this week in politics, but has a lot to say.

• Grad student punctures enormous hole in austerity theory
• Abbott demotes staffer over throat cut comment
• Tony and the boat billboard
• NSW signs onto the Federal Government’s ‘Gonski’ reforms

Stop The Press looks at the fallout of the Boston bombing manhunt.

• Why is Boston ‘terrorism’ but not Aurora, Sandy Hook, Tucson and Columbine?
• Reflections on the Recent Boston Crisis: Reddit

LOLbolt

• is at war with Gerard
• And proudly nails his colours to the slippery mast

#41 The Austerity of Hope