Saturdays electoral mauling of the Coalition was a resounding rejection of the media lies and distortions, asAlan Austinreports.
THE EDITORIAL WRITER for the Australian Financial Review (AFR) who prepared last weeksendorsementfor the 2025 Election had the easiest assignment of his or her career. This time around, the choice was crystal clear.
The first task was to identify the key issues, which the AFR did well. There were 11. Then it was a matter of comparing the records of Labor and the Coalition on all 11 and evaluating promises for the future.
These were:
On all of these, the actual outcomes overwhelmingly favour Labor, as this journal and other evidence-reliant publications havedemonstrated.
Then, bizarrely, the AFR endorsed former Opposition LeaderPeter Duttonand urged a return to the corruption and incompetence of the Coalition.
The AFR editorial was riddled with blatant falsehoods. Here are just a handful.
Labor has worsened inflation
Yes, inflation surged. But it was not under Labor. See chart below.
(Data source:ABS File 6484Table 1 andABS File 6345Table 1)
Clearly, Laborsrecordis excellent. The last three quarters have seen inflation in theReserve Banks optimum band, with no suggestion this will shift.
Since theAbbottGovernments 2014 budget took effect, how many times has the Coalition delivered consecutive quarters within the optimum band? The answer is never.
How many single quarters, out of their 31 quarters since 2014, were in that band? The answer is three. The AFR team are craven hypocrites.
Living standards fell under Labor
As demonstratedhere,hereand elsewhere, living standards fell under the Coalition in 2021 and 2022. They have now been fully restored for the vast majority.
This is proven by current recordspendingon dining out, newcars, boats, lightaircraft, imported cosmetics and jewellery and other luxuries.
Emergency calls to theNational Debt Helplinein April were down 14.2 per cent from March, and 8.4 per cent below April last year. Australians are enjoying a consumer spending upsurge.
Right-wing media forsakes Australian loyalty to placate TrumpThe conservative media has greater loyalty to President Trump than to our national interests, particularly in light of his tariffs on key sectors of the Australian economy.
Budget surpluses
The AFR wants to conceal Labors surpluses in their first two years and the substantialreductionin deficits over the forward estimates.
Economic outcomes overall
A malicious lie. Almost all outcomes are now vastly better than at the last election. These include inflation, jobs, budget surpluses, debt to GDP, export volumes, corporate profits andpovertyreduction.
Last monthsFiscal Monitorfrom the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed Australias decline in global rankings on most indicators between 2015 and 2022, and the rises since 2022.
Government expenditure ranked ninth last year, up from 13th in 2019. See chart below.
(Data source:IMF)
Both sides are the same
Newsrooms want voters to believe that. Actual outcomesproveLabors superiority.
Prime MinisterAnthony Albaneseis responsible for his Voice initiative failing
Multiple untruths there. The referendum process was started by Indigenous leaders with theirUluru Statement from the Heart. The PM was the conduit through the Parliament, not the architect. It failed because of the treachery of Dutton and his senior colleagues.
Albo travels regularly to the remote communities, including as recently asFebruary.
Getting tough for mainstream media liars to ignore economic factsMore data has emerged confirming the Liberal-led Coalition's cost-of-living crisis is now behind us, but mainstream journalists don't share it.
Albo is complicit in Chinese naval exercises
Pure nonsense. The Chinese, according tohistorians, have been sailing around the world for centuries.
No one has shown what the PM should have done differently, nor any harm from thatepisode.
Dutton was the man of the hour
Clearly, the majority of voters did not buy that.
Other newspapers just as culpable
The AFR is not alone in its hypocrisy. News Corp outlets whichbackedthe Coalition wereThe Australian,The Courier Mail,The Herald Sun,The Daily TelegraphandThe Mercury. Others wereThe West Australianand Seven West Medias digital newspaper,The Nightly.
Their reasons for favouring the Coalition were mostly spurious. All have been justly smacked in the teeth.
Dailies which supported Labor wereThe Age,The Sydney Morning HeraldandThe Canberra Times.The Adelaide Advertisercalled for a majority government without specifying a preferred party.Guardian Australiacalled for a minority Labor Government with the Greens sharing power.
Australians are miserable and anxious because the media coaches themLamentable reporting by mainstream media hacksis a major reason Australiaranks well downthe global happiness tables.
Looking ahead
Back in October 2023, this columnurgedvoters outraged at the Coalitions destruction of Indigenous aspirations to vote out Liberal and National MPs in seven marginal seats, which we identified, and another 12 vulnerable seats.
Itappearsall seven MPs have lost, as have half of the 12.
Such a historic belting as last Saturdays will generate analyses, critiques and excuses henceforward.
Lets hope this result confirms that Australias lying pro-Tory newsrooms have lost their influence, just as they have lost their integrity and credibility.
Is it too much to hope they return to reporting what is actually happening accurately and fairly?
Alan Austinis an Independent Australia columnist and freelance journalist. You can follow him@alanaustin001.
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