In Canberra the Sofronoff Inquiry is attempting to sort through the can of worms that is the legal and bureaucratic processes that led to ex-political staffer Bruce Lehrmann being charged with rape of another ex-staff Brittany Higgins – a charge that has never been proved nor tested as his trial collapsed and a retrial was abandoned.
Now The Bug has no idea where the truth lies or whether the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Public Prosecutor’s office did or didn’t do the right things along the way. That’s for Mr Sofronoff to determine.
But any reasonable person would conclude that there has been a distinct ongoing effort within News Crap Australia to tilt public sentiment against Ms Higgins. The national broadshit The Australian has almost been running its own trial and inquiry rolled into one of her.
Columnist Janet Albrechtsen was at it again the other day with an online column slanted against Ms Higgins. (main picture)
Some of our Media Glass House researchers had a bit of a chuckle at the use of the word “face” in the headline on top of the column, knowing that some unscrupulous news outlets have been known to publish unflattering or awkward photos of people they may dislike or just want to ridicule or demean.
Others in our MGH teams said surely the Murdoch media would not stoop so low. Besides, the Albrechtsen column used a standard and what looked to them like a previously published photo of Ms Higgins taken at a Me Too rally in Canberra.
Oh yes, said the more cynical researchers, but take a look at the pic Murdoch’s Sydney turdbloid The Daily Telegraph ran the other day. (below)
They then declared they were resting their case.
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Let’s agree on a key relevant fact. There is no such thing in Australia’s constitutional and legal framework as a “sovereign citizen” as claimed by a lot of tinfoil-hat-wearing loons.
It’s a fiction imported from the US (enough said) that exists only in the minds of ignorant hardcore anti-government advocates, (not just any particular government but the very concept), anti-vaxers, doomsday preppers, those who wish to scrap all gun laws, and conspiracy-theory adherents.
So, ask our MGH researchers, why the fuck did our national broadcaster present the concept as fact in a weekend story? (below)
The story began: “A sovereign citizen has lost a bid to reinstate his gun licence after attempting to get a Queensland police officer arrested.”
Its headline said: “Queensland sovereign citizen loses bid to carry guns after Rockhampton arrest attempt.”
All it would have taken is a few extra words, such as: “A man claiming to be a ‘sovereign citizen’ has lost a bid to reinstate his gun licence after …. etc etc…”
In inverted commas around “sovereign citizen” in the headline would be just as easy to insert.
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Recently our MGH teams yet again held forth on the ongoing campaign by the Liberal and National parties’ advertising agency, News Crap Australia, to help Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in his efforts to foist nuclear power on Australians.
They thought it important to note for the record yet another conservative pollie pontificating in various Murdoch turdbloids on the subject and beating the nuclear drum. (below)
Our MGH teams wonder why Queensland LNP Senator Matt Canavan is allowed by News Crap to spruik nukes without being asked to explain if he was abandoning his well-known and strident support for coal-fired power stations.
But then again, it’s really not the done thing for ad agencies to quibble with their clients.
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