The Club - a Xmas message

I was watching a Danish political thriller the other night on TV. The following dialogue struck a chord:

“…journalists and politicians have become one and the same. Nice salaries, houses in good neighbourhoods. It’s all about their careers. But if they’re all alike, who the hell will speak up for the weak when journalists dream of being politicians or spin doctors or getting their own crappy TV show?

…educated people are ridiculed. It’s become acceptable to question human rights. Remind you of anything? The USSR or Nazi Germany? And journalists don’t question shit because they’re scared of being left out in the cold…Journalists and politicians share the same workplace. It’s like a referee dining with the Brazilian team the night before the World Cup final.”

“What do we do about it?”
“Not a thing…”

I recently sent a critical message to the ABC “Insiders” program, because I feel the show and most of the participants are too impressed with themselves (look at me, look at me!) as political analysts. I posited that if this is truly representative of the range of analysis to which journalists subject this government it is no wonder it has been so successful in trashing key elements of our democracy such as the fundamental role of Parliament in scrutinising legislation, the primacy of human rights in the making of public policy and fundamental civil liberties.

I think the press gallery is too cosy with the politicians and too soft on the horrors being pedalled currently as public policy 'reforms'. I was particularly incensed by an interview with Howard that should have pushed him on tax dodging, the role of sedition laws in a democracy and the essence of his extremist 'welfare to slavery' and 'employer choices' laws that are undoing a century of hard-won workplace rights and social wage gains.

These are dark days indeed if you don't have the security of a well paid TV spot, a secure public broadcaster job or a regular column in the Fairfax and Murdoch press. A robust and free press is one of our key remaining defences against this current band of public policy makers.

I know there is a (shrinking) body of fearless journalists out there doing their level best to keep this government honest - and I 'comfort' myself with the notion that in a strong democracy like Australia the Danish film scenario could never happen here...