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Wednesday 24th September 1997
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Yesterday we referred to the coverage given by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 4 Corners program about the improper dealings of Victoria's State Premier not only in acquiring shares but also in his proactive attempts to manipulate the media in Victoria.
In fact Jeff Kennett is the epitome of all that is wrong in our political system today - systemic corruption at its worst.
Getting back to the Footy Show, Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett threatened to contact his mate Kerry Packer if the segment featuring Pauline Hanson was not cut from the program. He said that his objection to Ms Hanson was well known accusing programme co-producer Frank Maguire of setting him up by inviting him to participate as well.
"If (Ms Hanson} wants to lay blame at anyone's feet she should lay it at the feet of Frank Maguire... as I understand it, they rang my office and asked me to participate on the show, Frank had asked Ms Hanson to attend," Kennett said.
This after Pauline Hanson, on hearing that her segment was to be cut said, "No one has rung me, no one has apologised for forcing me to sit in a room for two and a half hours for something that's not even going to air.
"Mr Kennett needs to grow up. It's absolutely ridiculous he should use his influence to bully Channel 9 into dropping my segment."
Unfortunately Kennett makes up on being low on ethics by being high on bullying... direct, power-based and intimidatory tactics that have seen many journalists lose their jobs, including the editor of The Melbourne Age - all because they dared to question some of the Premier's blue-eyed boy's propaganda.
Kennet is now taking the Footy Show's producer to pieces, and I would not be surprised if he was soon to leave the programme.
"You wouldn't have had to have been an Einstein or even bright to understand that had I known about it I probably wouldn't have attended," Kennett said.
"The very fact Frank deliberately didn't tell me I found most unsatisfactory. I wouldn't have appeared with Ms Hanson. I in no way want to be associated with anything she's on about."
The Footy Show is a flippant, somewhat cheeky look at the game... where just about anything goes. Ms Hanson had been invited to present the Most Wanted award... for the player found urinating in public... Sam Newman, the show's presenter, took the stage with Ms Hanson when the award was presented.
Channel Nine's Managing Director Ian Johnson has his own "official" reason as to why the segment was cut, saying, "It was a bad segment and it was an easy decision to cut it out. It was all about urinating and would have done no credit to either Ms Hanson or Sam Newman."
Of course Channel Nine's ethics in acquiring Ms Hanson for a show have been rightfully questioned in the past - exposing what actually goes on behind closed doors in the empires of the rich and the famous.
Last word to Ms Hanson who said, "I can see the sort of dictatorship that's come out, using his influence, his position and what Channel 9 should be doing in seeing it through, go ahead with it and let Australians decide.
"He has taken objection to my being there and he's used his influence, and from what I can understand if he didn't get his own way he was going to go to the owner of the show (Kerry Packer).
"I am not impressed with this at all, it's my time done in fun, and in jest.... I was set up.... I did not know Jeffrey was going to be there."
A British nurse has been sentenced to death and another to flogging in a Saudi jail for the murder of Australian nurse Yvonne Gilford. The British woman, Deborah Parry, will be beheaded behind prison walls.
The International Law firm representing the Gilford family at the trials released the following statement, "Although the Gilford's are gratified by these verdicts, nothing will bring Yvonne back. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Gilford family and we hope that with God's help they can now put this matter behind them."
Making the
news" -"I think it has only been a little bit of time since he has come out of surgery so in respect to his family, I cannot give you anymore details at this stage."
Just wanted to congratulate you on your fantastic site, I have been looking for an alternative source of information for a while as I to have been disillusioned with the mainstream media outlets.
My only advise would be that you never try and cover up a story, or bury your head in the sand as the Major papers do.
Keep up the good work.
REGARDS
Nicholas
P.S How do I save information of your pages?
Subject: Truth in the Media
So long as "Making the News" is dedicated to spreading the truth and exposing misreporting, misleading statements, and deliberate lies it will survive. So long as all articles can be substantiated efforts to diminish their effect will not only be futile but will invoke their maxim, "for every action there is an action equal and opposite".
The slogan adopted by the Labor party in Mr. Whitlam's campaign, "Its Time", has passed its use by date. It is way past time for all decent citizens to support whomever is prepared to speak out to counteract the deterioration in all aspects of our society brought about by those whose ideologies are matched by their language.
Keep up the good work, because as one of your correspondents said " I' ve seen it all before". We know, because we have been vilified for over 70 years attempting to wake people up to the consequences of a political and financial system that continues to maintain control over their lives.
V. Bridger
Otherwise warm... have a great day.
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