Your ABC

WE ARE a week into the long-awaited Federal election campaign. The people have not had a say for three years in which the Government has dominated both houses of parliament.

The election is on. The national broadcaster’s responsibility is paramount. The Insiders soon show their colours.

In the opening interview with Peter Costello, Barrie Cassidy asks challenging questions on tax policy. But just by giving the incumbent treasurer the lead interview, the Government is assured that its narrative will be furthered. Costello plays with the host. We hear sarcasm throughout for the Opposition.

Cassidy challenges Costello’s assertions on ALP union membership. But Costello’s dominance and sarcasm permeate the interview.

After 22 minutes of Government narrative, the show continues. Will it be time to redress imbalance? Not on the Insiders. The clip of the family in the bell-weather seat of Eden Monaro shows them swinging towards the Coalition.

Andrew Bolt highlights a ‘huge shift’ in bookmakers’ odds that have recently favoured Labor.

Malcolm Farr, Andrew Bolt and Fran Kelly think that Labor lacks substance. Labor policy is ‘me-too’ with cliches similar to those on their bumper stickers.

Fran Kelly states that Rudd’s greatest attribute is that he is just like John Howard.

Fran Kelly is derisive about Labor bumper stickers.

The Insiders still haven’t given Labor a moment of fresh air.

Paul Kelly says the Government has taken the running with tax cuts and exposure of Labor links with unions. Kelly gives another pitch matching Costello’s for the Government’s economic credentials. Paul Kelly sums up the first week of the campaign: ‘Overall, not too bad a job on account of the Government’. He sneers that Rudd went 91.5 percent of the way with the Government on tax cuts. He predicts that Labor intends to ‘market its education rebate relentlessly’.

Cassidy tells us that Peter Costello has identified what he considers to be a hole in Rudd’s figures. Malcolm Farr thinks that Costello is on a winner. Bolt rams home Rudd’s me-tooism. He sneers: ‘Rudd has branded himself as the future with this lap top business’. Fran Kelly says that Rudd gets more and more vulnerable with me-tooism. Malcolm Farr sums up Labor policy as ad-hockery.

Cassidy opines that not everybody is impressed with Rudd’s laptop idea. He runs a clip evidencing this.

There is brief respite for Labor from Fran Kelly: ‘I think there is something in it for the future.’ Then she reminds us that Labor has imitated Government policy with tax cuts.

Andrew Bolt declares that Kevin Rudd’s try for three television debates is just another kind of post-modernism. All three on the panel sneer at both parties’ quick response advertising through You Tube.

Fran Kelly’s question posed to the panel reflects ABC derision for Labor: ‘Don’t you have to be a member of a union to be a member of the Labor party?’

Andrew Bolt enthuses: ‘The Treasurer would love you to make that point’.

Fran Kelly gives Labor another fleeting respite from union bashing: ‘The Government is pushing the envelope’.

Barrie Cassidy then softens his attack on Labor: ‘Chris Ullman says that Hockey has gone too far’. However, Cassidy gives John Howard the right of reply in a further clip.

Fran Kelly qualifies that no one suggested that Bob Hawke was controlled by the unions. Andrew Bolt says that it was a matter of time and place. He continues to ram home his theme of institutionalised union influence.

Fran Kelly differs: ‘But did it ruin the country?’

Bolt is allowed to stress that we live in different times now.

Barrie Cassidy gives Labor respite with a clip showing the PM’s interest rate gaffe this week.

However, Cassidy predictably neutralises any baggage for the Coalition: ‘I don’t think it matters’.

Andrew Bolt returns to his sell: people trust the Government on economic matters.

Cassidy opines: ‘I agree’.

Fran Kelly accuses Rudd of trying to pull the focus away from ‘me-tooism’ to housing affordability. The Government’s ABC insider ridicules Rudd’s policy as a silly little bit of tinkering around the edges.

Tried and true Government supporters Bolt and Farr predictably agree.

Bolt says that Labor has panicked on union ties.

By way of predictable support, Cassidy plays a clip of Gavan O’Connor. Malcolm Farr sneers: ‘…And he’s a mate of Rudd’s!’

All predictably agree that O’Connor hurt Kevin Rudd.

We cross to Jim Middleton for a word on tonight’s television debate: ‘This is an occasion for opposition leaders to be on the same platform with the Government’. His next comment is telling: he points out that Howard wants to expose Rudd on the very matters raised by the Insiders today.

Even he has recognised the Insiders’ Government narrative.

Fran Kelly thinks it would be refreshing to see publications like Womens Weekly promoting the television debate. Andrew Bolt sneers: ‘Maxine McKew would be handing out bumper stickers’. The Insiders snigger.

Talking Pictures is the only segment of today’s program with a few serves for both parties.

In a final apparent respite for Labor, we see children falling from their seats as Malcolm Turnbull swings them around. Cassidy delivers a brief serve against the party that he so often defends: ‘…And it all ends in tears’.

A Rudd gaffe on You Tube soon brings the program back to its Government narrative.

Summing up, Fran Kelly opines: Rudd hasn’t had a good week. Farr agrees. Bolt actually concedes that Howard should have had three television debates. Then, in unswerving support: ‘He would have benefited’.

We are a week into the election. It is a decisive time. Yet, it is just another bad week for Labor from the Government’s insiders.

This program has now corrupted everything that public broadcasting once stood for.