The profound ignorance of Malcolm Roberts
It is sometimes difficult to remember that the idiotic member of Pauline Hanson’s One Notion Party, Malcolm Roberts is still in the Australian Senate.
Articles from THE BLOT REPORT
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Morrison’s budgetary hypocrisy
On the final pages of the 2020-2021 budget papers is a table showing that, in real terms, the Whitlam government’s net debt peaked at a little over $1000 for every Australian, the Rudd-Gillard government’s after the global financial crisis peaked at $8500 per person, while the Morrison government’s legacy is projected to exceed $28,000 per person1.
Red carpet treatment
Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently visited Williamtown Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base, about 26km north of Newcastle, and a photo was put up on his Instagram account showing him walking from the aircraft on a red carpet with an honour guard of six RAAF personnel on each side of the carpet holding flags and rifles1.
Journalistic toddlers
I have often railed against the overall poor quality of journalism in Australia1-4. However, when I refer to journalists, I of course exclude most of those who work for Murdoch’s News Corp, because calling them journalists is an insult to real journalists5-6.
My wine story
When I was in Tasmania in the late 1970s, a mate’s father died and left him a case of 1976 Penfolds Grange Hermitage. At about the same time, Grange won some prize at a wine show, which I seem to remember was in Paris. Almost overnight, the price of the wine shot up on the strength of that prize. Apparently, the 1976 vintage is considered “one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange”, and is a blend of 89% shiraz and 11% cabernet sauvignon grapes1.
A deficit of truth
About a decade ago then leader of the opposition, the incomparably inept Tony Abbott pointed at the Labor government’s budget deficits in dealing with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), and the consequent increase in net and gross government debt and claimed that it was a “debt and deficit disaster”. The GFC response by the Rudd government was huge, with stimulus packages totalling well over $50 billion1.
Keep it to yourself
On the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) hour-long current affairs panel show, The Drum, a discussion commenced at 48.05 which talked about research that indicated some 40% of “Australians of faith feel that they need to hide their religious beliefs in some way” and were “anxious that they might be judged or misunderstood”. This result was said to be based on a survey of only 1000 people1, so it is difficult to be certain how accurate it is.