I first became aware of this some hours after it happened, and I find it hard to fathom what was going through Morrison’s mind, such as it is, when responding to a question from a journalist. At a press conference, said journalist asked Morrison what he thought about “the man that’s been charged over the death of the missing nine-year old girl”. Strangely, Morrison said he had been following the case ‘privately’ and, in response to the question, said: “I can‘t imagine what the parents and their community have been going through. And I – look, you know, hope for the best and pray for it but it doesn‘t always occur. My thoughts and prayers frankly are with the family today and that little girl. And I hope she’s alright. I really do. I’m sure we all do. Let’s hope that that has a good ending”1.
The fact that the day before the press conference, the girl’s body had been found in a barrel alongside the Colo River2, clearly indicates that Morrison’s ‘following the story’ was another of his lies. The fact that the journalist who asked the question used the word ‘death’ and it wasn’t registered by Morrison, clearly shows that he does not answer questions; he simply spouts talking points or platitudes, whether or not it has anything to do with the question. This is one of the major problems with modern politicians. They do not answer questions. It is also a major problem of the modern corporate media, in that their journalists let the politicians get away with it.
Later in the press conference, Morrison was informed (again) that the girl was dead and that her body had been found. He responded: “I’m sorry. I hadn’t seen that before I came out today. That is devastating news. I’m very sorry that… since early this morning, I’ve been engaged in other issues, as I’m sure you can imagine. Having heard that news, that’s… it’s just… devastating”2. That sounds more like arse-covering than anything else.
To demonstrate the abysmal quality of some journalists in Australia, you only have to read an excerpt from the Daily Mail story on Morrison’s press conference. The Daily Mail is known among some journalists as the Daily Cut-and-Paste for its propensity to pinch others’ work. The author of the Daily Mail piece, one Michael Pickering, in his first paragraph gave the dead girl’s name, and in the second paragraph said that she “cannot be named for legal reasons”2. Sometimes, I despair.
Sources
morrison, the B minus :P.M.”, Bluff, Bluster and Bullshit.
Scat Morrison is a total cunt. Scuse my french. Of course he lies, he is a Christian.
I can’t stand Morrison, and his replies here showed, again, his usual difficulty with giving straight answers. However it also seems to me to be a very bizarre question for the PM at a press conference. Asking him what he thought about the alleged perpetrator of this horrible crime seems extremely odd, and amazingly thoughtless and insensitive. We have a strange PM, in a strange government, and some very strange journalists. We live in strange times.
Mark,
Indeed we do. When I frist read the question, I wondered if the journalist was setting a bit of a trap for the idiot.
First reaction is that the reporter should be tarred and feathered. In what context is such a question appropriate for a PMial press conference?
Second reaction is that Morrison should get his valet Gaetjens to conduct an inquiry into what his office knew, when it knew, and who knew. Should take about 1 minute. The answers are stored in an envelope marked “PMO Official Enquiry Reports – PROBLEMS”. Within the envelope is a single sheet of fingerprint-proof paper with 3 lines of text:
– The PM and his office knew nothing about [insert issue] prior to it becoming public.
– The PM and his office only became aware of the issue after it was raised by [insert random reference, preferably a Murdoch media source who can relied on to keep the faith]
– No-one in the PMO, including the PM, was aware of anything AND we categorically deny all responsibility. (Note: only use the latter when it’s possible to link us to the issue)
This envelope is not to be confused with the other marked PMO Official Report – GOOD PRESS
which has a single line of text with accompanying instructions:
– The PM is solely responsible for [insert thingy here] and he has been working very hard and praying for all Australians. (Note: this should be sent to Murdoch media first with instructions that it is a scoop and should be published in a prominent position. If necessary point out the millions in taxpayer funds which have been diverted to News Corp. !!!WARNING!!!: Make sure a picture of Scott smiling in a safety vest and helmet surrounded by typical happy Australians is included in the scoop statement. This is imperative lest the hapless Murdoch hacks accidentally use one of the millions of images of him smirking smugly – which as you know are only available because of those communist ALP flunkies known as the ABC).
Jon,
That seems to be a fairly likely scenario for Morrison’s and the PMO’s modi operandi for dealing with the media. Spivs know suckers when they see them.
Agree completely Mark. I was composing my comment as yours was posted. A completely thoughtless and insensitive question posed to a completely thoughtless and insensitive deceiver.
The numbers of badly educated so-called journalists, thinkers and academic poseurs nowadays is horrendous. Apart from the issue of the PM and this stupid journo asking clumsily about a girl’s death; the intelligent minority today must wade chest deep all the time in television or print DETRITUS full of errors and bad or sloppy English usage.
Grammar and wise choice of words, not to mention the avoidance of cliches and hackneyed expressions, have no precedence any more. I could cite endless examples of poor English structure used by bland, linguistically lazy media figures, but my general impression is that as a society Australia is sinking into a linguistic-and-grammar dark pit. Actually the rot goes so far, that many teachers don’t realise the extreme importance of kids being taught finer points of sentence making. Learning good structure and syntax is an absolute must in all subjects that children do. Yet, wrong or unsuitable English is everywhere able to be noted. Unfortunately the fish that swim in that semi-literate “bowl” don’t realise they are in same bowl. Maybe it’s too late to back-track on this serious issue, or to renovate education such that it truly does train people for correct, nuanced speech and writing. Those are the essence of keeping a society civilised. When looking at the United States, an example of vastly failing education systems, I see too this country’s future.
Russell,
It is something which has occupied my mind quite a bit over the last few decades. When I was taught English, I was shown how to construct sentences and take them apart, and what all the bits were called, and how they related to one another. My kids did not have anything like this. It seemed to be assumed that they would pick it up by osmosis. While that can work to some extent, it is of no help when they have to write formal reports etc. Arthur will almost certainly have something to say about this.
It is not Herr Morrison’s fault; that question came out of nowhere. But he should have done his research beforehand so he could give an appropriate answer. What was the press conference about anyway? If it was not about the girl’s death, then this question was off-topic. As far as press conferences are concerned, questions from journalists should be on-topic. Just look at the one delivered from Herr Porter regarding Kate Thornton’s rape incident.
Methinks Mr Baker must wholeheartedly agree with my statements above. Remember that old saying “Silence betokens consent”? I’m just being stup…..er, humorous. Like Arthur’s pieces, most contributions to this report are fine examples of truth-telling and show much insight into the reasons why this country is undergoing a sorry stage in its history. Perhaps, just perhaps, by May this year, we might start to emerge from the gloom created by a conga-line of the most cynical, morally rotten and intellectually pathetic PM’s we have ever had.
If only there would be a massive upsurge (Western Australia style!) of total loathing for the LNP dimwits, so manifestly unfit to run the nation’s government.
Russell,
I heard from a source familiar with such things that in some of the seats in which Climate 200 is supporting independents, surveys have some of the independents leading the Liberal incumbent or running a very close second. It may be an interesting few months.
Arthur, aren’t the Shakespeare translator and the random curse generator wonderful fun-time inventions, o thou sottish elf-skinned mammet Sir Artie. Forsooth, verily art thou a venomed canker-blossom and fobbing, swag-bellied, spleeny skainsmate.
Let me assure you that I jest merely, as oft have I within this forum, thus unwittingly to incite the deeply scarlet contumely of one cantankerous contributor who deems himself (by dint of outlandishly excessive amour-propre) the very apotheosis of human intellectual prowess; one who, indeed, although lacking slenderest shred of concord from all others of his race, displays a misplaced cocksureness concerning his linguistic acumen, and, most risibly, who is erroneously convicted of the satirical supremacy of his mordant (and yet so wholly unsolicited), sorry snippets of verbal vapidity.