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Marius - Politics

In Britain political coverage is now focussing not on what will happen at the general election in seven months, but what comes after.

The result is a given; New Labour is ancient history, David Cameron is the Prime Minister in waiting.

The question now is: “How will it be when the Conservatives get in?”

Political author Ross McKibbin, writing in the London Review of Books asks: “Will we notice when the Tories have won?”

His answer is not really.

Domestically there’ll be some cuts, not that many. Internationally the strongly Atlanticist, mildly Europhobe Labour will be replaced with the strongly Atlanticist, very Europhobe Conservatives.

In Australia, on the evidence, it’s also reasonable to be looking beyond the next election to debate what a second term of Rudd-Labor would be like.

The vote is no more than 12 months away, possibly much closer, depending on the view the government takes on its emissions trading negotiations.

Steve Lewis and Malcolm Farr, writing in News Ltd papers, have reported on an internal Liberal Party survey of 25 battleground seats which has found that the opposition is looking at losing 20 more seats.

That would in all likelihood put them out of contention out for the 2013 election as well, given the benefits of incumbency.

Malcolm Turnbull has been trying to rally Liberal troops at a Melbourne fundraiser by pointing out that Menzies won power in 1949 with a thumping majority, reversing the defeat of three years earlier.

Big turnarounds happen - now all he needs is for Kevin Rudd to try to nationalise the banks and hope some communist-dominated unions call a coal strike.

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Mark - Breakfast EP

We get inundated by press releases here at ABC NewsRadio.

Most are thinly disguised ads for products and are of no interest.

But occasionally there’s one that stands out from the pack….just for sheer entertainment value.

The best ones seem to come from the world of commercial television, where PR spruikers are the masters of understatement.

My favourite is this offering from PBL media when Eddie McGuire departed as Nine Network supremo in mid 2007 before he could do any more damage.

It was titled “EDDIE MCGUIRE CHANGES ROLE AT NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA”
“Eddie McGuire, AM, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nine Network Australia today announced that he would move from his Chief Executive role at the Network to an increased presence on air and the provision of creative and programming services.”
Errr…yes.
There was another wonderful example of commercial tv spin this morning.
The front cover of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph shows a clearly angry James Packer lecturing his former friend and former Nine Network colleague David Leckie at a public function at the Opera House in Sydney yesterday.
Mr. Leckie now runs the rival Seven Network.
They were both at a birthday bash for their mutual friend, Sam Chisholm.
The Tele’s Annette Sharp details how David Leckie went up to James Packer, hand outstretched in greeting.
He looked surprised when the media and casino mogul allegedly told him to “F… off!” and then supposedly said “You want to go outside now? Let’s do it.”
Annette Sharp explains how Mr. Packer is apparently furious that David Leckie doesn’t seem to be doing much to stop Seven journos doing stories that are critical of the Nine Network or James Packer’s casino investments.
She contacted Seven spruiker Simon Francis for a comment on the incident.
He did have one. It was very short:
“I understand James made a series of observations to David”.
Brilliant!
I notice Annette Sharp didn’t get a comment from the Nine Network or PBL media.
Somehow I think they were a bit busy yesterday, dealing with the international condemnation they’ve received for the Hey, Hey it’s Saturday “black faces” skit.