Forum comments over the break
Abolish the States by Lindsay Tanner
Lindsay, Lindsay. You mad revolutionary fool. Your party stands with its trousers around its ankles, a beaten and bloody pulp. It hasn’t won a federal election in a decade because you keep being confused with the other conservative parties, and all you can do is bleat about abolishing the states. Did you write this one on New Year’s Eve as a dare. Is there nothing interesting left to say in your portfolio? Are you so envious of the state branches of your party (the bring back conscription while selling off the assets crew) that you have to see them abolished. Sad times indeed. (Liam Gash – 6 January)
Kerry Packer
Isn’t it time we all grew up a bit? Packer was the original patriarch. He could be a great and generous patron but also a casual tyrant. For almost every positive story, there was a shadow. We’ve lost our daddy and a power figurehead. Faceless others control most corporations. PBL staff will cope.? It’s time we took back more control of our own lives and also said an occasional "No!" to the rich. It’s good for them and it’s good for us. (Jane Salmon Donovan ? 1 January)
Pinter – Still Fighting by John Hooker
No, Mr Hooker, you are wrong to assert that ‘In Australia, under the Howard Government?s new sedition laws, people like Harold Pinter can be sent to jail without trial.’ Under the revised sedition offence, as previously, people have to be prosecuted and convicted in ordinary courts and be sentenced by judges. Sadly, you are not the first of recent New Matilda contributors who have made erronenous/misleading statements about the new sedition law. (Jszwarc – 3 January)
Health Care – Brad Frankum and Graham Vimpani
The task is to get clinicians, young doctors especially, to lift their eyes from the patient in front or from the surgical field before them to ask: Why? What should be done in follow-up? And, how could this situation have been prevented in the first place? ? The more that people like Brad Frankum and Graham Vimpani are listened to and their examples followed, health care will be better able to respond to the diverse health needs of our community. (Ian Webster ? 9 January)
Mary: Oh What A Night by Emma Tom provoked these comments:
Do we really have to see Emma Tom’s gums again? And of all places, on the New Matilda website? If there’s a problem with Mary Donaldson’s bid for celebrity what about Emma’s? Journalists surely shouldn’t be desperately mugging and putting their hands up in crowd shots. Emma Tom may be a terrific journalist but she’s yet to show us that side of her shallow, trivial character. When she does, give her a gig. Until then, cut down the gums. (Peter Best 21 December)
Peter, I quite liked reading something positive and happy. Are you a periodontist or just bitter? If it’s something else – let us know. You sound quite shallow and trivial. (tsparrow 22 December)
And this comment in another area of the forum:
Emma Tom – Go back to news ltd where you belong. This type of article does not belong on New Matilda and does them no credit. This particular article serves no useful purpose and who gives a fig who was up who and when. A pathetic piece of gutter journalism. (Terry Walls – 30 December)
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