Fighting Fake News with REAL;4/12/20; Science and Research in LNP-Land; Foxtel has a better offer; Food Stamps in Australia; News Corp's Xmas Panto;

 

 

 

 The Week on Wednesday

 Episode 16 has some interesting facts

 

The hypocrisy of the Morrison government is witnessed with the expansion of what Tony Abbott started. Demanding that Stem courses be encouraged and an necessary investment in Secondary education and preferenced in Tertiary on one hand comes to sharp dead end when it comes to working scientists and their  reseach. Once again Morrison is driving Australian investment in IP overseas. (ODT

 

There are voluntary redundancies going on left right and centre. For people who rely on research funding, I think this is the final straw.” University of Western Australia genetic disease researcher Dr Gina Ravenscroft found herself shaking as she read the grant results, on which the employment of her colleagues depended. “It is not a way to live, where you are so worked up and stressed about whether or not you’re going to be able to keep employing people,” she said. “There is just no way that is a sustainable way to fund research.

Coronavirus Australia: Scientists face bleak Christmas as COVID-19 funding crunch hits research

 

 One might ask what promises were gleaned from the government to have Foxtel refuse this offer?

It is unclear why the American businessman's offer was turned away -it could have provided the debt-ridden company with relief.

 The American businessman, who runs New-York media private equity fund InterMedia Partners, is behind the "blank cheque" company that bid to buy a portion of Foxtel and wipe its debt earlier this year. 

The coronavirus pandemic added to these pressures and led to Foxtel standing down more than 200 staff and axing more than 300 jobs earlier this year.

US cable TV veteran behind $US2b 'blank cheque' Foxtel bid

 

Americanizing Australia's Welfare with their "Food Stamp System" dictating what it is you can and can't buy. A very Christian imposition that has proved not to work and only increase crime (ODT)

Government MPs have fired a warning shot over the cashless debit card for welfare recipients in an apparent bid to ensure it isn't brought to their communities.

'Inciting shame and guilt': Liberal MPs warn Morrison off cashless welfare card

 

 

A News Corp Xmas Pantomime

The ABC’s charter is to be a critical and questioning voice of government no matter the persuasion. In that capacity it’s never really just a supporting voice of government which Murdoch media tends to be. So to say you won’t find a conservative voice at the ABC is in fact acknowledging the service it is intended to do on behalf of the Australian public. Governments of all persuasions don’t court Murdoch Media because it’s clearly known that it’s far from stable ground. On some occasions Murdoch media courts the left and is made use of in politics but this century those occasions have been rare indeed. (ODT) 

 

“We run news programming during the day and at night we run opinion-based news programming that often shines a light on areas that our competitors either refuse to discuss or worse pretend don’t exist,” Mr Whittaker said. “I would argue that Sky has a much greater diversity of voices than the public broadcaster, for example, where you would struggle to find a conservative news point. “This is our brand value proposition that separates us from the dominance of voices on the left of Australian media.”

News Corp executives explain Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull criticisms to staff

Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg billed taxpayers almost $5,000 to take the prime minister’s private jet on a whirlwind trip to Sydney on the night of Lachlan Murdoch’s Christmas party, leaving Canberra after 6pm, attending the Bellevue Hill soiree and then returning to the capital before 9am the next morning.

PM and treasurer bill taxpayers for private jet to Lachlan Murdoch’s Christmas party | Australian politicians’ expenses | The Guardian