THE MEDIA:
A proposed new think tank that plans to specialise in media research and analysis says serious questions need to be asked about the TV appearance by Barnaby Joyce in which he admitted that he watched the wrong Women’s World Cup game last Saturday night.
Appearing on the Seven Network’s breakfast program Sunrise, the ex-deputy prime minister and former federal leader of the National Party admitted that he had attended his local hotel on Saturday where a replay of a 14 July friendly match between the Matildas and France had been mistakenly replayed.
Research director at the yet-to-launch Michelle Grattan Institute, Laurie O’Akes, said Mr Joyce should be congratulated for being upfront about the mistake.
“At least he has admitted to the stuff-up and that he watched the game, then went to dinner believing the Matildas had beaten France 1-0,” he said.
Mr O’Akes said despite Mr Joyce’s candid admission, serious questions remained about his Sunrise appearance.
“For starters, the question needs to be asked: Why the fuck does Sunrise interview Barnaby Joyce in the first place?” he said.
“He appears regularly on the show in a ‘debate’ on current issues with Labor cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek. But we need to ask: Why?
“For years Barnaby Joyce was grossly mislabelled by the Canberra media gallery as the ‘greatest retail politician in Australia’ – until he wasn’t when people started to wake up to the fact he was just a chubby, beer-swilling, florid-faced loudmouth with the intellectual depth of cling wrap who’ll say any shit that enters his head as long as it promotes his and his party’s populist far-right agenda.
“The fact is that he has nothing of substance to add to any public debate on any issue – ever. So why is Sunrise still giving the walking beer-gut a platform?” Mr O’Akes said.
He said the quality of the on-screen “debate” was evident when Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr introduced Plibersek by giving her the wrong ministerial title and the on-screen banner repeated the mistake by wrongly telling viewers that Ms Plibersek was “Education Minister” not Environment Minister.
“It’s clear Sunrise is interested in light entertainment not genuine debate and discussion, otherwise why would they engage a know-nothing with a big hat to belch a few shallow observations that have as much thought behind them as his tweeted drought reports from a few years back,” Mr O’Akes said.
Chair of the Michelle Grattan Institute, Carey O’Bryan, said the new organisation hoped to stage its official launch soon, once two legal disputes were settled.
“Unfortunately, when we recently announced the institute’s formation we were hit by two lawsuits – one from the Grattan Institute and one from esteemed journalist Michelle Grattan with both accusing us of trading off their names.
“They’ve both got this ridiculous idea that we’re trying to pretend we’re them in a bid to mislead the public and potential financial supporters,” Mr O’Bryan said.
“Hopefully both legal actions will be settled soon and our new institute can start work.
“Negotiations to that end are under way led by our inaugural CEO Lee Sayles,” he said.
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