Is media policy too hard for Murdoch to stomach?
I must apologise for creating the impression that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher followed John Major.
It was the other way around as Robert Mumford correctly states (Peninsula News, June 11).
My principal point was that Murdoch dominates elections by favouring candidates of his preference and that was the case with both Thatcher and Major.
Major had an unexpected victory over Neil Kinnocks' Labor, thanks to Murdoch paper The Sun.
As to Murdoch's preference in the forthcoming federal election, the News Limited newspapers' relentless daily refrain has been that the Gillard Government does everything wrong, or could it be that the proposed media diversity legislation is so hard to stomach?
The reality is quite different, both under Rudd and Gillard, in spite of the lack of expected mining tax revenue.
As Craig Emerson rightly pointed out on ABC's Q and A program aired on June 10, Australia's economy has a triple A rating with every significant rating agency in the world.
The OECD rates Australia as the best performer altogether.
Australian Government debt is one of the very lowest in the world.
Yes, "spend, spend, spend", Rudd urged.
That Keynesian approach was clearly the right medicine, in spite of implementation errors by pink bat sub-contractors.
Let me quote John Howard: "When the current Prime Minister and the Treasurer and others tell you that the Australian economy is doing better than most, they are right." (Sydney Morning Herald, May 15).
Gillard is working hard to get the Gonski education funding reforms through.
Labor has significantly increased the childcare rebate which now delivers $7500 per child per year.
There is also the school kids' bonus of $410 per primary school child and $820 for secondary school kids to help eligible parents with the costs of sending kids to school.
The Gillard Government introduced the first paid parental leave scheme: 18 weeks of paid leave at around $600 per week.
This long-fought reform will benefit many Australian women.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme will create opportunity to thousands of people with a disability and provide assistance for their carers.
Labor has provided tens of billions of dollars into healthcare, delivering thousands of extra nurses, 90,000 more elective surgical places, 13,000 extra aged care places, 1.5 million teenage dental check-ups, 25 regional cancer centres, more general practitioners in regional areas and an increase in bulk billing form 67 per cent to 80 per cent.
The tax free threshold has been raised from $6000 to $18,200 removing one million of the lowest paid workers from the tax system.
Most importantly, the carbon price is driving down greenhouse gas emissions already and we are seeing serious investment in renewable energy.
Australia now has the largest marine parks in the world, the Murray Darling deal has been concluded and the Tasmanian forest agreement settled after 30 years.
The National Broadband Network is in progress which is essential infrastructure for the 21st century.
Is Mr Mumford aware of the biggest increase in the pension in 100 years?
Should Australians tolerate a media mogul brainwashing voters and subverting the democratic information flow?
That is what is happening here.
If Gillard is replaced by Rudd, that media diversification policy must remain part of the policy agenda, regardless of Rupert Murdoch's preferences.
Email, 11 Jun 2013
Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach